North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week | Feb. 18, 2025
 
Baseball Pitcher of the Week – Alex Gerdenich, Wooster
Wooster senior Alex Gerdenich (Ann Arbor, MI/Skyline) earned the save in the Fighting Scots' 3-1 win at Centre on Friday. The right-hander entered in the eighth inning with bases-loaded and struck out two batters to escape without any damage. Gerdenich then sat the Colonels down in order in the ninth to secure the victory.
 
Baseball Player of the Week – Maanav Bhatt, Wooster
Wooster first-year infielder Maanav Bhatt (Castle Pines, CO/Rock Canyon) made a strong debut in Friday's 3-1 win at Centre. The rookie went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. In the fifth inning, he doubled and came around to score Wooster's first run of the game. Bhatt also added a key RBI single in the sixth inning, helping extend the lead to 3-0 in the eventual 3-1 win.
 
Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Yuuki Okubo, Oberlin
Oberlin senior guard Yuuki Okubo (Los Angeles, CA/Crossroads) led the Yeomen to two victories last week, filling the stat sheet on both ends of the floor. In a 69-58 win at Hiram, the senior posted a game-high six assists and a team-high 13 points, to go along with two rebounds and two steals. He shot 4-of-9 from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 4-for-4. Okubo then guided Oberlin to a historic 60-55 win over Wittenberg, as the Yeomen recorded the program's ninth win against the Tigers in 90 years. In the five-point victory, the guard netted 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished two assists, and earned three steals, while shooting 7-for-11 from the field and going a perfect 3-for-3 from the line.
 
Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Camille Zinaich, Oberlin
Oberlin senior forward Camille Zinaich (Boonsboro, MD/Saint Maria Goretti) led the Yeowomen to a 1-1 week with a 64-57 win over Denison and a hard-fought 72-55 loss to Wittenberg. In the victory over the Big Red, the senior posted a game-high 21 points and a team-high nine rebounds and three assists, to go along with one block and two steals. Ziniach also shot 7-of-21 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line. Against the Tigers, the Boonsboro, Maryland native led the team in scoring with a game-high 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while grabbing five rebounds and dishing one assist in 27 minutes of action.
 
Men's Lacrosse Athlete of the Week – Thomas Nelson, Kenyon
Kenyon senior faceoff-specialist Thomas Nelson (Minneapolis, MN/The Blake School) played a crucial role in the Owls' 10-7 win over Colorado College on Friday. The senior went a perfect 16-for-16 at the faceoff X, providing key possessions for the Owls. Nelson also collected a team-high 13 ground balls in the victory.
 
Women's Lacrosse Athlete of the Week – Blythe Karras, Kenyon
Kenyon senior attacker Blythe Karras (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest High School) propelled the Owls to a 15-14 victory over Mount Union on Saturday, contributing five goals and one assist. The senior began the game with a helper to senior midfielder Mallory Brophy (Bloomfield Hills, MI/Cranbrook Kingswood) during the first period, giving Kenyon a 3-1 lead. Karras then scored an unassisted goal at 8:57, extending the lead to 4-1. In the second period, with the score tied at 7-7, Karras rang in back-to-back goals to break the tie and make it a 9-7 game. The Lake Forest, Illinois native continued her offensive attack in the third period, scoring on a man-up opportunity at 12:02 to give the Owls a 10-7 lead. Karras' final unassisted goal came with 3:26 left in the third period to break an 11-all to make the score 12-11 in the eventual 15-14 victory.
 
Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Max Brose, Oberlin
Oberlin first-year Max Brose (Westchester County, NY/Dobbs Ferry) earned victories in both singles and doubles during the Yeomen's tough 5-2 loss against Hope. The rookie teamed up with classmate Enrique Margain (Mexico City, Mexico) to win 7-5 at No. 3 doubles, and then Brose went on to secure a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win at No. 4 singles.
 
Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Rachel Allen, Oberlin
Oberlin sophomore Rachel Allen (Mary Esther, FL/Fort Walton Beach) contributed to the Yeowomen's 6-1 win over Capital, securing victories in both singles and doubles. The sophomore teamed up with first-year Hannah Soong (Wilmette, IL/Loyola Academy) to win 7-5 at No. 2 doubles. Allen then collected a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles to help secure the team's first win since March 19, 2024.
 
Men's Indoor Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Jaylin Epps, Denison
Denison senior Jaylin Epps (Cordele, GA/Crisp County) broke his own 60-meter dash school record with a time of 6.89 in the prelims at the All-Ohio Championships last weekend. The senior went on to finish second in the finals with a 6.91. Epps' prelim time currently ranks first in the NCAC and 36th in Division III. The Cordele, Georgia native also helped the 4x200-meter relay team secure third place with a time of 1:31.44, which ranks second in the NCAC this season.
 
Men's Indoor Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Charlie Blackmer, Kenyon
Kenyon first-year Charlie Blackmer (Libertyville, IL/Vernon Hills) competed at the All-Ohio Championships on Saturday and secured first place in the mile with a season-best time of 4:20.69. The rookie's victory came with a margin of more than a second ahead of second place, and he now ranks third in the NCAC with that time. Blackmer also placed third in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:59.04, finishing just over a second behind the leader.
 
Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Gavin Dunn, Hiram
Hiram first-year Gavin Dunn (Apopka, FL/West Oaks Academy) made history at the All-Ohio Indoor Championships, winning the long jump with a program-record leap of 7.20 meters. Dunn's mark broke the previous Hiram record of 7.09 meters, set by Eric Thompson in 1971. With that mark, the Apopka, Florida native now ranks first in the NCAC and 13th nationally.
 
Women's Indoor Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Daysia Hargrave, Wooster
Wooster senior Daysia Hargrave (Orrville, OH/Orrville) broke her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles at the All-Ohio Championships on Saturday. The senior earned All-Ohio honors with a winning time of 8.81 seconds, shaving 0.05 seconds off her previous record. Hargrave's performance is the second-fastest in the NCAC and ties for the ninth-fastest in Division III this season.
 
Women's Indoor Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Anna Brown, Kenyon
Kenyon junior Anna Brown (South Dartmouth, MA/Concord Academy) earned two top-two finishes at Saturday's All-Ohio Championships. The junior set a career-best in the mile with a winning time of 5:11.47, which sits second in the NCAC and just 0.31 seconds behind the conference leader. Brown also finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:19.33.
 
Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Sydney Flores, Denison
Denison junior Sydney Flores (Durango, CO/Durango) placed fourth in the shot put at the All-Ohio Championships with a throw of 12.18 meters. With that mark, the junior is tied for the top mark in the NCAC and is fourth on Denison's all-time list.
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (Feb. 10-16)
 
Denison, Men's Indoor Track & Field – First-year Seamus McCann (Silver Spring, MD/Bethesda Chevy Chase) earned first place in the pole vault at the All-Ohio Championships with a jump of 4.51 meters. His performance leads the NCAC and moves him into second on Denison's all-time list.

Denison, Women's Indoor Track & Field – Sophomore Fiona Martinelli (Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle) placed sixth in the mile at the All-Ohio Championships with a time of 5:20.65, which is currently seventh in the NCAC and ninth on Denison's all-time list.

DePauw, Men's Indoor Track & Field – Senior Colin O'Malley (Round Lake, IL/Grayslake Central) broke the program record in the 200 meters at the DePauw Invitational, finishing second overall and first among collegiate runners with a time of 22.26 seconds.
 
DePauw, Women's Indoor Track & Field – Sophomore Shelby Stall (Lindenhurst, IL/Lakes) set a new program record in the 200 meters at the DePauw Invitational with a time of 25.68 seconds, which sits atop the league standings and 46th nationally. She also anchored the 4x200 meter relay that broke the program record with a winning time of 1:45.60 to rank second in the NCAC.
 
Oberlin, Men's Indoor Track & Field – Junior Namu Makatiani (Nairobi, Kenya/George School) set a new school record in the men's triple jump at the All-Ohio Championships, winning the event with a mark of 14.41 meters. The junior's rump ranks first in the NCAC and ties him for eighth in Division III. Makatiani also placed third in the 60-meter hurdles, matching his school record of 8.29 seconds in the prelims and finishing second in the finals with a time of 8.34.
 
Oberlin, Women's Lacrosse – Junior Olivia Corradi (Glen Ridge, NJ/Glen Ridge) helped the Yeowomen secure their first season-opening win since 2022 with a 20-10 victory over Transylvania. The junior led Oberlin with four points, totaling three goals and one assist, to go along with five draw controls and three ground balls. In the win, Corradi set new career highs in both points and draw controls.
 
Ohio Wesleyan, Women's Basketball – Sophomore Macy Miller (Marysville, OH/Milford Center Fairbanks) scored a career-high 25 points, shooting 12-for-17 from the field in the Battling Bishops win over Wooster on Saturday … Fifth-year guard Kasey Schipfer (Mechanicsburg, OH/Mechanicsburg) moved into second place on the NCAC all-time scoring list with 2,055 career points after scoring 16 points against the Fighting Scots, surpassing Kim Huber of Allegheny (2,053).
 
Wabash, Men's Indoor Track & Field – Senior Brayden Curnutt (Kokomo, IN/Western) broke his own school record in the 5,000-meter run at the Midwest ELITE Invitational, finishing tenth with a time of 14:20.99. Curnutt's performance surpassed his previous program record of 14:24.55 and currently ranks as the fastest time by a conference runner this season and 18th on the Division III performance list … Junior Sly Williams (Indianapolis, IN/Bishop Chatard) won the triple jump at the DePauw Invitational with a career-best mark of 13.39 meters, which ranks as the second-best effort in the NCAC this season.
 
Wittenberg, Men's Indoor Track & Field – Senior Justin Norris (Middletown, OH/Middletown Christian) broke a 32-year-old school record in the high jump at the Tiffin Robinson Family Open with a leap of 2.04 meters, surpassing the previous mark of 2.03 meters set by Eric Dowell in 1991-92. With that mark, Norris currently ranks 15th nationally and first in the NCAC.
 
Wooster, Men's Basketball – Junior Jaiden Cox-Holloway (Cleveland, OH/Richmond Hts.) led the Scots to an 82-58 win over Ohio Wesleyan with a career-high 28 points. He shot 8-of-12 from the field, including 6-of-9 from three-point range, and went a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line … With the win over the Battling Bishops, the Fighting Scots secured their 18th win of the season on Saturday, marking the program's 36th consecutive season with at least 18 victories.
 
Wooster, Men's Indoor Track & Field – Senior Drew Robertson (Bébalem, Chad/Rift Valley Academy, Kenya) earned All-Ohio honors in the mile at the All-Ohio Championships, placing second with a career-best time of 4:21.73.

Wooster, Men's Swimming & Diving – Senior Tucker Andrewjeski (Henderson, NV/Green Valley) lowered his own school record in the 200 breaststroke, finishing in 2:05.31 at the NCAC Championships.

Wooster, Women's Swimming & Diving – Senior Ollie Bream (Melbourne, Australia/Firbank Grammar School) set a new school record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:29.05 at the NCAC Championships.

Wooster, Women's Tennis – Senior Janaki Jagannathan (Malvern, PA/Whitmore School) earned her 53rd career singles win on Saturday with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory over Kalamazoo's Addison Lyons in the No. 1 flight. The win moves her into a tie for the second-most singles victories in program history.