ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending March 26, 2023. A total of 22 student-athletes were recognized for performances from March 20 - 26, 2023.
During the spring season golf and tennis weekly awards will be announced on Tuesdays following any competition that occurs during the spring segment of their seasons.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Evan Ellington (Hood / Sr. / Laurel, Md.) won the 100-meter dash at Goucher in 11.14 seconds, which is the fastest time in the MAC. He was also a part of a record-setting 4x100 that set the Blazers' new standard in 43.08.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Coit Holbrook (King’s / Sr. / Mountain Top, Pa.) finished fifth overall in the javelin as he set a new program record in the event with a toss of 51.46 meters, breaking his previous mark of 50.43 meters set at the 2021 MAC Championships. It's also the best mark in the event this outdoor season in the MAC.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Amelia Smith (DeSales / Sr. / Glendora, N.J.) opened up the Outdoor T&F season with a first place finish in the 5K at the Dr. Jack M. Toms Invitational at Lynchburg College with a time of 18:07.11. It is the seconf fastest 5K time in the MAC.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Isabelle Meckes (DeSales / Sr. / Lehighton, Pa.) took fourth in the Discus at Lynchburg College with a throw of 44.80m. She finished behind three Division I throwers and her throw is the best in the MAC this season and ranks #1 in the country after this weekend.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Jared Piontkowski (King’s / Jr., OH / Nanticoke, Pa.) helped king’s reach its single-season record for wins in a 2-0 week. The junior went 27-for-45 with just five errors to hit .489 for the week and 3.38 kills per set. He also added 16 digs (2.0 dps) with five blocks and three aces. He led King's to the 3-2 reverse sweep win over Wilkes, totaling 21 kills on 35 attempts with just two errors to hit .543 with 15 digs, four blocks, and two aces.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Paul Binner (Wilkes / Jr., MH / Tunkhannock, Pa.) repeats as defensive player of the week and earns his second conference weekly award this season. Binner helped Wilkes to a 2-2 week at the net with his block. He totaled 15 blocks (1.07 per-set) and 46.5 points (3.32 per-set) during the week. The junior became the career record holder for the program in points on Saturday during the match against King's where he recorded 10.5 including one solo block and three block assists. Binner added 11 digs during the week and had 23 kills and 14 aces including a program single-match record nine against Hood Saturday. In the match against Hood he totaled 20.5 points including two solo blocks and three block assists.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Zac Rogacki (Alvernia / So., C/OF / Jackson, N.J.) batted .478 to lead Alvernia to a 4-1 week and 2-1 week in MAC Commonwealth player. Rogacki finished the week with 11 hits, nine RBIs, and six runs scored. He had three extra base hits, including two homers. Rogacki's week was highlighted by a 4-for-5 performance with 5 RBIs and a homer to lead Alvernia to a 17-6 win over York in game two of a Sunday doubleheader to secure the 2-1 series win over the Spartans. Rogacki also homered in a win over NJCU and hit a triple to spark Alvernia's offense to a win over York in game one of the series on Friday.
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Chris Sasso (Alvernia / Fr., P / Jackson, N.J.) struck out 12 and allowed just two hits in six innings of work in a 6-2 win over NJCU on Wednesday. Sasso walked just one batter and did not give up a run to lead Alvernia to the win over the Gothic Knights.His 12 strikeouts were the most in a game for Alvernia since 2017.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Christian Kreiser (Stevens / Jr., OF / Palmyra, Pa.) repeats as conference player of the week. The junior went 10-for-17 with two homers with seven RBI and three runs scored as the Ducks went 4-1. Kresier also swiped two bases. Among her 10 hits were a pair of doubles and a triple. Kreiser also drew five walks.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Aiden Murphy (Wilkes / So., P / Mountain Top, Pa.) tossed a gem to defeat King's College Sunday as he tied his career high with 15 strikeouts. He scattered four hits and one walk in the seven-inning complete game where he allowed just one unearned run in the 15-1 victory for the Colonels. He held the Monarch hitters to a .154 batting average in the game and four of his 15 strikeouts were of the looking variety.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Alyssa Harhigh (York / Gr., SS / Harrisburg, Pa.) put together a huge offensive day in a conference doubleheader at Messiah. The Spartan shortstop went a combined 5-for-5 with two home runs and a triple while recording four putouts and six assists with no errors in the field. Harhigh had three of York's five hits in game one, including the go-ahead RBI triple in the top of the eighth of game one before the Falcons came back to steal the game, 4-3, in the bottom of the frame. She also had a home run in a four-run, two-inning rally in game two which put the Spartans in the lead for good.
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Jordan Walter (Lebanon Valley / So., P / Denville, N.J.) earned a pair of complete game victories and had a 1.00 ERA for the week with 13 strikeouts. he led the Dutchmen to a 6-5 victory at Moravian to begin the week with just one earned run on nine hits and three walks with five strikeouts. The junior was then nearly unhittable after allowing a first inning run in. a 6-1 victory over Alvernia on Sunday. Walter struck out eight Golden Wolves and allowed just four hits in a complete-game effort.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Kaitlin Redling (Misericordia / Sr., 1B / Flemington, Md.) hit .636 (7-11) with three walks three runs and three RBI in a 2-2 week. Hit safely in all four games. Was 2-3 with two RBI in 9-4 win at Alvernia. Was 3-4 with an RBI and two runs in a 7-1 win over Arcadia.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Emily Novicki (King’s / So., P / Wapwallopen, Pa.) picked up two complete-game wins as she threw 7.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and just one walk in the 1-0 win over Alfred to start the week. She then allowed just one earned run on three hits while fanning nine, including the 100th of her career, in the 2-1 win over Stockton on Sunday.
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Connor Heisman (Widener / Sr., A / West Chester, Pa.) totaled 12 goals and five assists in a 2-0 week for Widener. The senior scored five goals and tossed two assists in a win over Colby before scoring seven goals and recording three assists in a victory over Arcadia.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Zach Wanous (Lebanon Valley / So., D / Ephrata, Pa.) played a huge role in LVC's 12-5 victory at Wilkes in their only game of the week with a game-high four caused turnovers and seven ground balls. The Dutchmen defense allowed a season-low five goals while allowing just 33 shots and 17 shots on goal.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Kyle Vandenberg (Misericordia / Gr., MF / Newton, N.J.) had seven goals and six assists in a 1-1 week. Had four goals and three assists, including two in the final six minutes to break a 12-12 tie in a 15-12 win at Neumann. Had three goals and three assists in a 20-16 loss to Stockton.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Sean Mylod (Delaware Valley / Sr., D / Howell, N.J.) led the DelVal defense with 22 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers in three games to go with 3 goals and 2 assists. He recorded seven ground balls, two caused turnovers, and two goals in the team’s 13-9 loss at Immaculata. In an 11-5 home win over Kean, Mylod had one goal and two assists with 11 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Kiersten Blanchard (York / Sr., A / Pasadena, Md.) powered the No. 10 Spartans to a 2-0 week against ranked opponents, including a 12-8 victory on the road over previously unbeaten Washington and Lee. The Spartans’ leading scorer paced the team with 11 points and eight goals to go along with four draw controls and a trio of ground balls. She began the week with a season-high eight points with a season-high three assists in York’s 20-8 drubbing of #25 Sevens in the big MAC crossover clash last Wednesday. Blanchard posted a hat trick on Saturday to eclipse 100 career goals and notched a key fourth-quarter tally to seal the upset of the second-ranked Generals.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Bella Garabo (York / Sr., GK / Hillsdale, N.J.) backstopped a Spartan defense that held a pair of nationally-ranked opponents to single-digits last week. The senior goalie anchored a defense that held #25 Stevens to their lowest goal total of the season (8) and just their second single-digit performance in the last two seasons. Garabo capped off the week with a season-high nine saves on Saturday to catapult the Spartans a 12-8 upset on the road over previously unbeaten #2 Washington and Lee.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Katie Maguire (Lycoming / So., M / Garnerville, N.Y.) repeats as conference offensive player of the week for her second weekly award this season. Maguire posted 11 goals, 16 draws and five ground balls during 1-2 week for the Warriors. The sophomore took just 15 shots and went 8-of-10 on free-position shots. She had five goals, two ground balls and three draws against Muhlenberg. Maguire followed that performance with three goals and six draws against Susquehanna. She added three goals, three ground balls and seven draws in 13-11 win over Saint Vincent.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Emily Griffith (Arcadia / Jr., GK / Easton, Md.) tallied 19 saves on the Knights 1-1 week. Griffith had a 50% save percentage in Arcadia's 12-7 win over Gwynedd Mercy.