North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week – Week of April 23, 2024
 
Baseball Player of the Week – Xander Rodriguez, Wittenberg
Wittenberg first-year Xander Rodriguez (Salinas, Puerto Rico/Franklin County) hit .444 over six games during a 6-0 week for the Tigers. Rodriguez guided Wittenberg to wins over Capital (5-1), Wabash (7-6, 9-1), Ohio Wesleyan (13-3, 5-4), and Bluffton (10-5) as he went 8-for-18 with one home run and two doubles to go with 11 RBI, five runs scored, seven walks, and one stolen base. In two crucial conference victories, the rookie provided the game-winning hit with a two-RBI single in the top of the ninth against Wabash (7-6) and a two-run home run in the top of the ninth against Ohio Wesleyan (5-4).
 
Baseball Pitcher of the Week – Michael Vallone, DePauw
DePauw senior Michael Vallone (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) pitched a seven-inning complete game in a 13-1 win over Wooster on Saturday. In the win, Vallone struck out 14 batters and allowed just one earned run, three hits and two walks. The senior's 14 strikeouts brought his total to 284, breaking the NCAC career record of 282 set by Ohio Wesleyan’s Curt Moenter (1999-2002).
 
Men's Golf Athlete of the Week – Cooper Benedict, DePauw
DePauw junior Cooper Benedict (St. Louis, MO/Chaminade College Prep) led the Tigers at the one-day DePauw Spring Clash on the par-70, 6,448-yard course at the Pebblebrook Golf Club on Sunday. Benedict shot a 72 (+2) in round one and followed with an even 70 in round two to tie for third in the field of 58 competitors with a 142. The junior recorded one of the five eagles that were carded at the tournament. The Tigers finished second out of nine teams.
 
Women's Golf Athlete of the Week – Kate Griffin, Denison
Denison senior Kate Griffin (Colorado Springs, CO/The Colorado Springs School) earned medalist honors at the Win Palmer Cup held at the par-71, 5,055-yard Allegheny Country Club on Monday and Tuesday. Griffin shot a career-low 70 in round one, which tied for the third-lowest career-low round in program history, and then followed with a 74 (+3) in round two for a 144 (+2). Denison placed first out of four teams and recorded the second-lowest single round score in program history with an opening round of 288.

Men's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week – David Chintala, Kenyon
Kenyon sophomore attacker David Chintala (New Albany, OH/Saint Francis De Sales) helped lead the Owls to a 2-0 week in conference play. In a 17-15 win over Wittenberg, Chintala scored five goals and dished two assists to lead all scorers. In a 16-8 win at DePauw, the second-year recorded three goals and one assist to lead the team with four points. Over the two games, Chintala surpassed 100 career goals, and is drawing closer to Kenyon's all-time record of 140.

Men's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week – Colin Williams, Kenyon
Kenyon first-year defender Colin Williams (Greenville, SC/Christ Church Episcopal) helped the Owls capture two conference wins on the week. Against Wittenberg, Williams scooped up two ground balls and caused one turnover in the team's 17-15 win. In a 16-8 win at DePauw, he grabbed six ground balls and caused one turnover. He's currently fifth on the team in ground balls in only nine starts and ranks second in caused turnovers.
 
Women's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week – Bridget Sheehy, Denison
Denison sophomore midfielder Bridget Sheehy (Pawleys Island, SC/Westminster) finished with nine points in a 2-0 conference week on the road for the Big Red. Sheehy dished out three first-half assists and finished with a career-high four helpers to go along with one goal for a game-high five points in a 19-4 win at DePauw on Tuesday. The second-year then tied for the team-lead with four points with three assists and one goal in a 13-9 victory at Kenyon on Saturday.

Women's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week – Lizzie Hardy, Wooster
Wooster sophomore Lizzie Hardy (Gibsonia, PA/Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh) tallied 10 ground balls, 10 draw controls, and five caused turnovers as the Scots defeated Kenyon 13-12 and fell to DePauw 17-14. Against the Owls, Hardy totaled six ground balls, two caused turnovers and six draw controls including the game-clinching draw in the final minute. In a three-goal loss to the Tigers, the midfielder tallied four ground balls, four draw controls and three caused turnovers.
 
Softball Player of the Week – Ashlynn Stamper, Wittenberg
Wittenberg sophomore Ashlynn Stamper (Yellow Springs, OH/Beavercreek) hit .600 over four games during a 3-1 week for the Tigers. Stamper guided Wittenberg to wins over Wooster (4-3, 4-0) and a split against Ohio Wesleyan (1-3, 7-4) as she went 9-for-15 with three doubles to go with eight RBI, two runs scored, and one stolen base.
 
Softball Pitcher of the Week – Darian Kanno, Hiram
Hiram junior Darian Kanno (Mililani, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) earned wins over Denison (8-2) and Ohio Wesleyan (9-1) last week. In the win over the Big Red, Kanno pitched five innings and struck out 11-of-21 batters faced. The junior now has four career games with double-digit strikeouts, which extends her program record. Against the Battling Bishops, Kanno struck out eight over five innings to earn the win and keep the Terriers unbeaten in conference play. Over Kanno’s 10 innings pitched, she allowed just six hits, two earned runs, five walks, and one extra base.
 
Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Anthony VanOyen, Wooster
Wooster first-year Anthony VanOyen (Dexter, MI/Skyline) went 6-0 last week to lead the Fighting Scots to a 3-0 conference record. In a 5-4 win over Oberlin, VanOyen came back for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win in the No. 2 slot after earning an 8-7 (7-0) win in the No. 3 doubles flight with senior Alex Anikeeff (McLean, VA/Langley). In an 8-1 victory over Ohio Wesleyan, VanOyen and Anikeeff paired up to win 8-7 (7-4) at No. 3 doubles and then the rookie collected a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles. In a 9-0 win over Wittenberg, VanOyen won his No. 2 singles flight 0-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4), while he and Anikeeff won 8-1 in the third doubles flight.
 
Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Frankie Nuss, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan first-year Frankie Nuss (Gahanna, OH/Lincoln) was a double winner as the Bishops defeated Oberlin 6-3 for the first time since April 29, 2007 to collect the team’s first NCAC win since the 2018-19 season. Nuss teamed with freshman Lily Hershey (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) for an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles before posting a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles against the Yeowomen. In a tough 5-4 loss to Wooster, the rookie recorded a win at No. 2 singles after winning the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-3), before her opponent retired in the second set. Nuss and Hershey dropped an 8-1 No. 2 double matchup to the Fighting Scots.
 
Men's Outdoor Track & Field: Sprints/Hurdles – Tapiwa Gono Phiri, Kenyon
Kenyon junior Tapiwa Gono Phiri (Ndola, Zambia/Hillcrest National Tech) scored 30 points at the Duane Gomez Invitational to help lift the Owls to a first-place finish. Gono Phiri scored his first points of the meet after he ran the anchor leg of the victorious 4x100-meter relay team (43.72), moving the squads time into second in conference standings. The junior then turned in a personal-best in the 400-meter dash (49.90) for another first-place finish, moving him up to eighth in the NCAC standings. In his last event of the evening, Gono Phiri ran the final leg of the 4x400-meter relay that finished first with a time of 3:29.92.
 
Men's Outdoor Track & Field: Mid/Distance – Conor Kolka, Wittenberg
Wittenberg junior Conor Kolka (Dexter, MI/Dexter) won the 5,000-meter run at Kenyon’s Duane Gomez Invitational. Kolka crossed the line in a time of 14:45.04 to rank first in conference standings.
 
Men's Outdoor Track & Field: Field – Riley Orth, Kenyon
Kenyon senior Riley Orth (Cincinnati, OH/Anderson) had a successful outing at Kenyon’s Duane Gomez Invitational on Saturday. In the shot put, Orth threw 15.86 meters to reset his program record from earlier this season (15.81m). The senior also recorded third- and fourth-place finishes in the hammer and discus after hurling the implement 46.41 meters and 42.31 meters, respectively. Orth’s 24 points helped lift the Owls to a first-place finish.
 
Women's Outdoor Track & Field: Sprints/Hurdles – Daysia Hargrave, Wooster
Wooster junior Daysia Hargrave (Orrville, OH/Orrville) lowered her 100-meter hurdles school record to 14.11 seconds at the Jesse Owens Classic at Ohio State University on Saturday. Hargrave’s time is currently tied for the sixth best in NCAA Division III this season.
 
Women's Outdoor Track & Field: Mid/Distance – Sage Reddish, Oberlin
Oberlin junior Sage Reddish (Ashland, OH/Ashland) finished third out of 39 runners in the 800-meter run at the Baldwin Wallace Sparky Adams Invitational on Saturday. Reddish recorded a personal-best time of 2:19.18 to move into fifth in the NCAC.
 
Women's Outdoor Track & Field: Field – Taylor Weiss, Wittenberg
Wittenberg junior Taylor Weiss (Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty) finished second in the high jump, to a Division I competitor, at the Otterbein Twilight meet. Weiss recorded a personal-best mark of 1.70 meters, which ranks first in the conference and second nationally. The junior also competed at the Duane Gomez Invitational at Kenyon and placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 10.18 meters.
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (April 15 - 21)
 
Denison, Baseball – Sophomore Will Rettig (Perrysburg, OH/Perrysburg) threw a career-high 10 strikeouts in a 22-0 win over Hiram on Saturday.
 
Denison, Men’s Lacrosse – Senior Luke Fisher (Alexandria, VA/ St. Stephen's and St. Agnes) became Denison’s all-time career points leader during the Big Red’s 23-6 victory over Wooster on Saturday. Fisher finished with four goals and four assists against the Fighting Scots and etched his name into the record books with his assist on a goal with 12:31 left in the third quarter. Fisher leads Denison in both goals scored (56) and assists (31) this season and has amassed 158 goals and 129 assists in his four years. With a career total of 287 points, Fisher surpassed Liam Rooney's (2014-17) previous record of 282 points (120 goals; 162 assists). In all, Fisher finished with seven goals and seven assists on the historic week and recorded six points (3 G, 3 A) in a 16-9 win at Oberlin on Wednesday.
 
Denison, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Senior Will Cunningham (Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) won the 800-meter run at Kenyon’s Duane Gomez Invitational with a personal record of 1:58.22.
 
DePauw, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Junior Katie Moore (Lawrenceville, IL/Lawrenceville) lowered her personal best in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.03. Moore’s time moved her up to No. 9 in NCAA Division III standings this season.
 
Hiram, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – First-year Jarvis Thompson (San Francisco, CA/Galileo Academy) set a new personal record with a mark of 13.28 meters to win the triple jump at the Sparky Adams Invitational on Saturday.
 
Oberlin, Men’s Lacrosse – First-year Colin Taylor (Towson, MD/Friends School of Baltimore) tied a school record for single-game-caused turnovers in the Yeomen's tight 16-9 loss to Denison, racking up eight along the way as he kept Oberlin within single digits of the national power. Taylor's performance against the Big Red also resulted in him setting the single-season school record for caused turnovers and he added two more in limited minutes in a win over Wabash to run his season count to 45. For the week, the rookie also picked up eight ground balls, which included a season-high six against the Big Red.
 
Oberlin, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Senior Isaiah Schuham-Anders (Washington, DC/Georgetown Day School) turned in a career-best toss of 47.37 meters in the hammer throw at the Baldwin Wallace Sparky Adams Invitational. With that mark, Schuham-Anders moves into fourth in NCAC standings.
 
Oberlin, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Sophomore Ryley Steggall (Oberlin, OH/Oberlin) ran a lifetime best in the 200-meter dash as she crossed the finish line in 26.24 seconds. Steggall’s time currently ranks seventh in the conference.
 
Wabash, Baseball – Sophomore Aidan McConnell (Carmel, IN/Carmel) earned his first career victory while on the mound with a 5.3 inning performance against Manchester (6-1) on Sunday.
 
Wittenberg, Men’s Lacrosse – Junior Nathan Brown (Dublin, OH/Coffman) led the Tigers with a combined 12 points on seven goals and five assists on the week, which included a narrow 17-15 loss at Kenyon and a 26-5 win over Hiram. He tallied four points on one goal and three assists at Kenyon and added eight more points on six goals and two assists against Hiram. His six goals and eight points marked single-game career bests in those categories.
 
Wittenberg, Women’s Lacrosse – Senior Jessica Flick (Lebanon, OH/Lebanon) recorded a single-game career-high seven goals in a narrow 15-12 loss at Oberlin. She has recorded 65 goals and 13 hat tricks this season.
 
Wittenberg, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Junior Reese Neumeyer (Whitehouse, OH/Anthony Wayne) ran a personal-best in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 1:07.98 at the Duane Gomez Invitational at Kenyon. With that time, Neumeyer is tied for fifth in league rankings. While competing at the Otterbein Twilight, the junior also recorded a career-best in the triple jump with a mark of 10.24 meters, moving her into eighth in the NCAC.
 
Wooster, Men's Lacrosse – Senior Jimmy Fisher (Granville, OH/Granville) became the program's all-time leader in faceoff wins last Wednesday against Ohio Wesleyan and the faceoff specialist broke his own single-season groundball record on Saturday at Denison. Fisher enters the week with 579 faceoff wins and a season haul of 117 groundballs … Senior Paul Chandler (Denver, CO/Colorado Academy) logged his 500th career save in Wednesday's game against Ohio Wesleyan.
 
Wooster, Women’s Lacrosse – Junior Kenzie Morris (Chardon, OH/Chardon) scored six goals and won 10 draw controls in a 1-1 week for the Fighting Scots, becoming the sixth player in program history to surpass 175 career draw controls.
 
Wooster, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Senior Ainsley Wiesner (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) upped the program's hammer throw record to 53.70 meters at the Jesse Owens Classic.