North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week | September 23, 2025
Men's Cross Country - Sam Su, John Carroll
John Carroll sophomore Sam Su (Akron, OH/Woodridge) led the Blue Streaks at the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Classic, finishing 11th out of 383 runners in the men's 8,000-meter run. The sophomore was the first Division III runner to cross the line with a personal-best time of 25:10.0, and his performance helped John Carroll place second in Division III and fifth overall.
Women's Cross Country - Anna Brown, Kenyon
Kenyon senior Anna Brown (South Dartmouth, MA/Concord Academy) set the pace for the Owls at the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Classic, finishing 10th out of 281 runners in the women's 6,000-meter run. The senior recorded a time of 22:11.3 and was the top Division III finisher in the field, marking her second consecutive race with a first-place finish among D-III competitors. Brown's effort helped Kenyon place seventh in Division III and 16th overall.
Field Hockey - Lizzie Hardy, Wooster
Wooster senior midfielder Lizzie Hardy (Gibsonia, PA/Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh) lifted the Fighting Scots to a 2-1 win over Oberlin on Saturday. The senior netted the decisive goal in the 52nd minute after finding the back of the cage on a ball that had been deflected out by an Oberlin defender to mark her team-leading third goal of the season.
Football (Offense) - Xavier Tyler, Wabash
Wabash senior running back Xavier Tyler (Evansville, IN/Reitz Memorial) led the Little Giants' offense on Saturday, rushing for a team-best 127 yards and one touchdown in a 34-7 win over Wooster. The senior carried the ball 14 times for a 9.1-yard average and added two receptions for 11 yards. On the third play of the second half, Tyler broke free for a 70-yard touchdown, the longest play from scrimmage for Wabash this season. With the effort, Tyler surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards which moved him into 16th place on the Wabash all-time rushing list with 2,043 yards.
Football (Defense) - Trenton Carter, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior linebacker Trenton Carter (Carmichaels, PA/Carmichaels Area) anchored the Tigers' defense in Saturday's 55-17 victory over Ohio Wesleyan. The senior recorded 10 tackles, five of which were solo stops and four that were behind the line of scrimmage for a combined loss of 13 yards.
Men's Golf - Jonathan Oakes, Kenyon
Kenyon junior Jonathan Oakes (Tarrytown, NY/US Performance Academy) finished eighth out of 96 golfers at the Gate City Invitational, posting a three-round score of 214 (-2) at the par-72, 7,020-yard Forest Oaks Country Club. After a tough start with a double bogey on his opening hole, the junior recovered with an eagle on the par-five 11th hole and three birdies in the first round to shoot 73 (+1). Oakes followed up with the team's best round of the tournament, a three-under 69, and closed with an even-par 72 in the final round. The junior ranked second among all golfers in par-five scoring (-7) and tied for fourth in par-three scoring (-1), helping Kenyon place eighth out of 18 teams.
Men's Soccer - Connor Shea, Wooster
Wooster sophomore forward/midfielder Connor Shea (Germantown, MD/St. John's College HS) recorded one goal and two assists across two wins last week for the Fighting Scots. The sophomore assisted on the equalizer in a 2-1 victory over Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday. Shea then scored the second-half equalizer and later assisted on the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win over Mount Union on Saturday. His contributions helped the Fighting Scots remain undefeated and handed the Purple Raiders their first loss of the season.
Women's Soccer - Katharine Lacy, DePauw
DePauw sophomore forward Katharine Lacy (Bloomington, IN/Bloomington South) scored in two of the Tigers' last three games, including an 89th-minute equalizer in a 2-2 tie against Hanover and the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor. Lacy now leads DePauw with four goals this season and has recorded three goals in the Tigers' last four games.
Volleyball - Kaiden Harrington, DePauw
DePauw senior right-side hitter Kaiden Harrington (Ellettsville, IN/Edgewood) led the Tigers to a 2-0 week with victories over Hanover and previously undefeated Rose-Hulman, hitting .433 and .444, respectively. Harrington totaled 18 kills across the two matches and contributed three blocks in each contest, helping the Tigers sweep the Fightin' Engineers 3-0 and securing a 3-1 win over the Panthers.
Milestones & Records (Sept. 15-21)
Denison, Volleyball - Senior setter Alice Kempf (Louisville, KY/Sacred Heart Academy) reached 2,000 career assists last week while helping the Big Red go 2-2 on the week with wins over Capital (3-0) and Bluffton (3-1) and tough losses to Marietta (3-0) and Otterbein (3-0).
John Carroll, Women's Soccer - The Blue Streaks recorded two shutouts last week with a 4-0 win over Westminster (PA) and a 3-0 victory against Mount St. Joseph, marking five consecutive shutouts in non-conference play for the first time since 2008.
Kenyon, Men's Cross Country - Sophomore Charlie Blackmer (Libertyville, IL/Vernon Hills) ran a personal-best 25:16.6 on the 8,000-meter course at the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Classic, placing 14th out of 383 runners.
Oberlin, Men's Cross Country - Sophomore Will Gordon (Durham, NC/Charles E. Jordan) set a new personal best at the Yellowjacket Invitational, placing 19th overall with a time of 26:03. The sophomore improved his previous best by nearly 80 seconds and marked Oberlin's first top-20 finish at the meet hosted by RIT since 2017.
Wabash, Football - Sophomore cornerback Will Freeman (Plainfield, IN/Plainfield) recorded a career-high five tackles, including his first career sack and a tackle for loss, in the Little Giants' 34-7 win over Wooster. Freeman's performance helped Wabash's defense hold the Fighting Scots to 10 rushing yards on 22 attempts and record seven tackles for loss.
Wittenberg, Volleyball - Senior defensive specialist/libero Ally White (Harrison, OH/Harrison) was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Illinois Wesleyan Volleyball Tournament.