North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week | Jan. 21, 2025
 
Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week – Cameron Harrison, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior guard Cameron Harrison (Eaton, OH/National Trail) led the Tigers to a 2-0 week with wins over Kenyon (65-62) and Oberlin (61-45). Against the Owls, the senior tallied 18 points, shooting 6-for-14 (43 percent) from the field and 5-for-10 (50 percent) from beyond the arc, while adding two rebounds, one steal, and one block. He followed that with a season-high 20 points against the Yeomen, going 8-for-14 (57 percent) from the floor and 4-for-9 (44 percent) from three-point range, along with two steals. On the week, Harrison averaged 19.0 points and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field (14-for-28) and 47 percent from behind the arc (9-for-19).
 
Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week – Taryn Cash, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior guard Taryn Cash (Cincinnati, OH/Princeton) helped guide the Tigers to a 1-1 week with a victory over Oberlin (81-52) and a narrow loss to DePauw (70-79). Against the Tigers of Indiana, the senior poured in a season-high 20 points, shooting 5-for-10 (50 percent) from the field and an impressive 10-for-11 (91 percent) from the free-throw line, while adding five assists, three steals, three rebounds, and one block. In the win over the Yeowomen, Cash collected eight points on 50 percent shooting from the field (3-for-6) while tying her own second-best single-game assist mark in school history with 12. Cash also added three rebounds and one steal in the victory. On the week, the Cincinnati, Ohio native averaged 14.0 points, 8.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 50 percent (8-for-16) from the floor.
 
Men’s Swim & Dive Athlete of the Week – Erik Fendorf, Oberlin
Oberlin senior Erik Fendorf (Stanford, CA/Henry M. Gunn) had a standout week, leading the Yeomen to victories over Ohio Wesleyan, Division II Malone, and nationally ranked No. 34 Gannon. In the 196-82 win over the Battling Bishops, Fendorf swam the third leg in the winning 400 medley relay (3:30.49) and the anchor leg of the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:31.01). The senior also claimed an individual win in the 50 free (22.23). At the Malone Invitational, Fendorf secured individual wins in the 100 free (47.68) and 100 butterfly (52.14) and anchored the 400 medley (3:30.17) and 400 free (3:12.28) relays to victory. The medley relay time of 3:30.17 ranks as the second-fastest time in program history, while the 400 freestyle relay time of 3:12.28 ranks ninth all-time.
 
Women’s Swim & Dive Athlete of the Week – Lilly Cook, Wittenberg
Wittenberg first-year Lilly Cook (Rensselaer, IN/Rensselaer Central) played a pivotal role in the Tiger’s dominant 184-46 victory over Hanover, securing their eighth consecutive dual meet win and maintaining their undefeated season. The rookie claimed four victories, starting with individual wins in the 100 backstroke (1:04.78) and 50 backstroke (30.29). Cook also contributed key performances as part of the first-place 200 medley (1:59.35) and 200 freestyle (1:49.09) relays, helping Wittenberg sweep the top spot in every women’s race.
 
Men’s Indoor Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Treyce Wood, Oberlin
Oberlin junior Treyce Wood (Homerville, OH/Black River) claimed an individual title in the 400-meter race at the Wooster Invitational on Saturday. Wood’s time of 52.15 was just 0.78 seconds off his career best and ranks fourth in NCAC standings. The junior also ran the first leg of the 4x400-meter relay, helping the Yeomen secure second place with a time of 3:33.66.
 
Men’s Indoor Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Brayden Curnutt, Wabash
Wabash senior Brayden Curnutt (Kokomo, IN/Western) set a new school record in the 5,000-meter run at the Heenan Invitational at North Central. The senior finished third in the event with a time of 14:24.55, surpassing the previous school record of 14:44.18 set by Nick Boyce in 2015. Curnutt’s time is the fastest in the NCAC and is the sixth-fastest by a Division III runner so far this season.
 
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Justin Norris, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior Justin Norris (Middletown, OH/Middletown Christian) captured first place in the men’s high jump at the Wooster Invitational with a career-best mark of 2.00 meters. His performance currently ranks 10th in the nation and leads the NCAC so far this season.
 
Women’s Indoor Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Katherine Dortmund, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan first-year Katherine Dortmund (Westerville, OH/Columbus St. Francis DeSales) picked up three first-place finishes at the Wooster Invitational on Saturday. The rookie won both the 60-meter dash (7.89 seconds) and the 60-meter hurdles (9.12 seconds), and she also led off the winning 800-meter relay team, which finished in 1:48.27. The Dortmund, Ohio, native now ranks first in the NCAC in the 60-meter hurdles and the 4x200 relay. Dortmund’s efforts helped Ohio Wesleyan secure second place at the meet, as she contributed 22.5 points to the team's total (127).
 
Women’s Indoor Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Anna Brown, Kenyon
Kenyon junior Anna Brown (South Dartmouth, MA/Concord Academy) placed first in the 800-meter run at the Wooster Invitational, finishing with a time of 2:25.76. With that time, the junior finished over two seconds ahead of the competition and now ranks first in league standings so far this season. She also contributed to a fifth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay, clocking a time of 4:32.89.
 
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Addie Beck, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan sophomore Addie Beck (Wadsworth, OH/Wadsworth) claimed first place in the pole vault at the Wooster Invitational, clearing a height of 3.34 meters. The sophomore won the event in a jump-off, helping the Battling Bishops to a second-place finish at the meet. With that mark, Beck is now in a three-way tie for the top height in the NCAC standings.
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (Jan. 13-19)
 
Denison, Women’s Swim & Dive – Junior Quinn Brown (Portland, OR/Grant) broke the Denison 1,000 freestyle record with a time of 9:59.32, becoming the first woman in program history to break the 10-minute mark. She also claimed a victory in the 500 freestyle with a personal best time of 4:51.35. Both wins came in a meet against No. 2 Division II UIndy.
 
Denison, Men’s Track & Field – First-year Simon Glass (Millburn, NJ/Millburn) placed first in the 500-meter run with a time of 1:08.76 at the Muskie Meet #1, marking the fifth fastest time in program history … First-year Seamus McCann (Silver Spring, MD/Bethesda Chevy Chase) placed third in the pole vault at the Muskie Meet after clearing a height of 4.42 meters. With that mark, McCann is tied for second on Denison’s all-time list, ranks first in the NCAC, and is tied for 44th in the national standings.
 
Oberlin, Women’s Swim & Dive – Senior Isabel Pfaff (East Lexington, VA/Rockbridge County) set a new career-best in the 100 butterfly at the Malone Invitational, finishing with a time of 59.93, which marked the ninth-fastest time in program history.
 
Oberlin, Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Sophomore Char Purcell (Frisco, TX/Greenhill School) set a personal best in the one-mile run at the Wooster Invitational after finishing first with a time of 5:38.56, which was more than ten seconds ahead of the competition and besting her previous time by over 40 seconds. Purcell now ranks eighth in league standings so far this season.
 
Ohio Wesleyan, Women’s Basketball – Senior guard Elizabeth Homan (Cincinnati, OH/Anderson) delivered a historic performance in a 78-38 win over Wooster, setting a career high with 15 assists, which broke the single-game record of 14 set by Ann Osborne in 1986, and pushed her career total to 615 to surpass the NCAC record of 601 held by Suzanne Helfant of Allegheny (1984-88). Homan currently leads Division III in assists (123) and assists per game (7.7) and ranks third nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.73) ... In Ohio Wesleyan's 68-31 win at Kenyon on Wednesday, senior guard Lauren Denison (Pataskala, OH/Watkins Memorial) set a Bishop career record. Denison's start in the contest was her 112th in a row, breaking the Ohio Wesleyan record of 111 consecutive games started set by Kelly Heil from 2001-05.
 
Wabash, Men’s Basketball – Junior guard Rich Brooks (South Bend, IN/Mishawaka Marian) scored a career-high 25 points in the Little Giants' 77-67 home victory over Kenyon on Saturday.
 
Wittenberg, Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Senior Megan Keys (Dublin, OH/Jerome) earned runner-up honors in the 3000-meter run at the Wooster Invitational with a personal best time of 10:34.91. With that time, Keys currently ranks first in the NCAC.