ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending April 2, 2023. A total of 21 student-athletes were recognized for performances from March 27 – April 2, 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
Cameron Summers (Stevenson / Sr. / Riverdale, Md.) kicked off his outdoor season with a blazing 100m dash time of 10.84 seconds, which gave him first place overall in the event on day two at the Danny Curran Invitational, hosted by Widener. Summers' time is tops in the MAC and just .01 seconds off of the top performance in the Mid-Atlantic region. Summers would also sprint to a fourth place finish in the 200 with a time of 22.07, which is also the top performance in the conference.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Alex Kristeller (Widener / Sr. / Kingston, Pa.) threw a NCAA Division III best 209-6 in the hammer throw at the Danny Curran Invite. The senior finished third in the shot put with a distance of 49-9 ¼ and ninth in the discus with a throw of 138-4.
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Laura Matthews (Stevens / Sr. / Denville, N.J.) won a pair of races at the Danny Curran Invitational. First, she topped the field in the 200-meter dash with a lifetime-best time of 24.68 seconds. She then won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.14 seconds. She ranks second in Division III in both events.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Brenna Karnish (Misericordia / Gr. / Lansford, Pa.) set a MAC record in the hammer throw with a distance of 54.07 meters, which ranks sixth in NCAA Division III. Karnish beat the previous record of 53.76m. She finished second in the hammer and was third in the discus (38.33m) and shot put (12.72m).
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Koby Sherman (Stevens / So., OH / Sunnyvale, Calif.) set down 20 kills on 33 swings with just four errors (.485 hitting percentage) as No. 1 Stevens topped No. 5 Messiah in four sets. Sherman also had one solo block and nine digs. Additionally, Sherman had a pair of aces and a dig in a sweep of Eastern.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Alex Furlong (Misericordia / Jr., L / Jackson, N.J.) averaged 14.5 digs and 28 receptions in a 2-0 week as the Cougars swept a tri-match to clinch a post-season berth. Furlong was 56-58 (.966) in service receptions, recorded 12 digs and was 30-31 in receptions in a 3-0 win over King's. The junior added 17 digs and was 26-27 in a 3-1 win over Widener -- His 17 digs was the third-highest four-set total in the league this year.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Player and Pitcher of the Week
Shane Stossel (Lebanon Valley / Jr., P/1B / West Hanover, Pa.) becomes the first MAC baseball athlete ever to earn both player and pitcher of the week awards. At the plate, Stossel led the Dutchmen to a 4-0 with four home runs including two grand slams and 18 RBI. The junior hit .500 and slugged 1.429 with seven hits including one double and four homers with three walks and seven runs scored. He began the week with two hits including a seventh inning grand slam in an 11-1 win over Messiah. He had an RBI single in the first inning to give him five RBI in the win. In a 15-7 victory at Albright, he hit a pair of three-run home runs in back-to-back innings and finished the game with eight RBI and three runs scored. Stossel hit his second grand slam of the week in a 12-0 win over Albright in game one of the doubleheader where the junior also pitched a complete game three-hitter. He had two hits and five RBI with two runs scored in the shutout. He finished the week with a hit and a run scored in a 4-3 game two victory over the Lions.
On the mound, the junior threw a three-hit seven inning shutout in LVC's 12-0 victory in game one of a doubleheader sweep over Albright. The junior struck out 10 Lions including four strikeouts in the third. Stossel struck out the last four hitters of the game and didn't allow a baserunner after a leadoff double in the fifth. The junior was also 2-4 at the plate with five RBI including a fifth inning grand slam.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Brady Madden (Misericordia / Gr., 2B / Enola, Pa.) hit .750 (6-8) with a double, homer and four RBI in a 3-0 week. Madden went 2-3 with an RBI in a 12-5 win over MIT. Followed that performance by going 2-2 with a double, homer and two RBI in a 4-1 win over Wilkes. He ended his week going 2-3 with an RBI in a 14-3 win over Wilkes.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Max Oliver (Misericordia / So., P / Ramsey, N.J.) struck out six while allowing just two hits and one run in a 4-1 win over Wilkes in the first game of a doubleheader.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Kylie Balthaser (Lebanon Valley / Gr., OF / Kutztown, Pa.) led the Dutchmen to a 5-1 week including a 4-0 conference mark with a .500 average and 1.000 slugging percentage hitting two doubles and two home runs. She knocked in nine runs and scored five. The graduate student hit a three-run home run in the first inning and then knocked in a run on a single in the fifth of a 5-1 game one victory at Hood. She hit another home run in game two against the Blazers and finished 2-2 with two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk in the 13-0 five-inning win. On Saturday she went 2-2 with three RBI, a run scored and two walks in a 12-2 five-inning victory at York in game two after the Dutchmen won the opener 2-1 in 10 innings.
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Maggie Chinnadurai (Messiah / So., P / Denville, N.J.) tossed 13 innings of scoreless ball with 13 strikeouts while allowing just four hits and two walks across three games this week. She earned a pair of wins an a save. She was pair of a combined no-hitter against Widener in Game One on Saturday and then tossed 6.2 innings on no-hit ball until a single in the seventh of Game Two.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Hana Cross (Wilkes / Fr., CF / New Brunswick, N.J.) was stellar at the plate in the Colonels 4-0 week as she hit .733 (11-for-15) with four doubles, two RBI's, two stolen bases, and eight runs scored. She helped Wilkes to a sweep of Penn State Hazleton with a 4-for-4 game with two doubles and a 3-for-4 game with two RBI's. She then went 2-for-4 and 2-for-3 in two victories over Albright. Cross scored two runs in all four games. She had a .733 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Kylie Russell (Lycoming / Jr., P / Cogan Station, Pa.) went 3-0 with two shutouts to help Warriors keep hold of first place in the MAC Freedom during a 5-1 week. Russell tossed three-hitter with nine strikeouts in 7-0 win over FDU-Florham. She followed that with a two-hitter in 8-0 six-inning win over Albright, striking out seven. The junior finished the week with 4-1 three-hitter against MAC Freedom preseason favorite Arcadia, allowing an unearned run and striking out nine. Opposing batters hit just .123 off her and she struck out 25 in 20 innings. She extended her run of innings pitched without allowing an earned run to 26.1.
MEN'S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Nicholas Fanelli (Eastern / Sr., A / Perkasie, Pa.) moved into second place on Eastern career goals and points list following a 20-point week. The senior attack recorded a career-best 11 points on eight goals and three assists in Eastern's 22-14 home win over MAC Commonwealth rival Widener. In that game he had five goals and three assists in the first half to help the Eagles to build a 15-5 halftime edge. He also had three ground balls and a turnover. He scored three goals and had six assists and three caused turnovers in the first half of Eastern's 25-7 win at Albright on Wednesday. Fanelli has 134 goals and 223 points and trails only Grant Ferguson '15 (187 goals- 252 points) on Eastern's goals and points lists.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Justin Scorese (Stevenson / Sr., GK / Bridgewater, N.J.) led the Mustangs to a 2-0 week in goal. The goalkeeper put up 13 saves against Kean and six against Lebanon Valley, for 19 saves and .582 save percentage on the week for Stevenson.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Ryan Vandenberg (Misericordia / Gr., A / Newton, N.J.) earns his second conference weekly award in three weeks. The graduate student was part of two school records in a 1-1 week. Vanderberg set a school single-game record with 10 goals in a 29-11 win over King's in MAC Freedom opener. He added two assists to tie the school record with 12 points in a game.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Sean Mylod (Delaware Valley / Sr., D / Howell, N.J.) repeats as MAC Freedom defensive player of the week. Mylod helped DelVal to a pair of conference wins with 18 ground balls and six caused turnovers. In a 13-6 win at King's on Wednesday he grabbed nine ground balls and caused two turnovers. He picked up another nine ground balls and forced four turnovers in Saturday's 16-9 win over Wilkes. He also added his first faceoff win of the season in that game, going 1-for-1.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Rachel Delate (Messiah / Sr., A / Glenn Mills, Pa.) set a new program record for points in a game with 16 and assists in a game with 9 in a 21-6 win over Alvernia on Wednesday. Delate scored or assisted on 16 of Messiah's 21 goals on the afternoon. She also grabbed six draw controls in the game and scored seven goals. In total she finished two points shy of the all-time Division III single game record for points in a game.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Bella Garabo (York / Sr., GK / Hillsdale, N.J.) the reigning MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week, once again put together another outstanding week as she helped lead the No. 8 Spartans to a pair of conference wins over Hood and No. 11 Messiah while once again holding both opponents to single-digits. After posting two saves and allowing just one goal in 35 minutes of play in a lopsided 20-3 win over Hood last Wednesday, Garabo stepped up big on Saturday night in a heavyweight conference battle with Messiah. Garabo held the Falcons to a season-low five goals as she made a season-high 10 saves, including seven in the second half, and stopped four Falcon shots in the fourth quarter which allowed the Spartans to go on a four-goal run to put the game away. York extended their win streak to five with a 4-0 record at home, while the Falcons saw their six-game win streak come to a close.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Camryn Rogers (Stevens / Gr., A/M / Branchburg, N.J.) totaled eight goals and three assists in a 2-0 week for the Ducks. Against FDU-Florham, the fifth-year scored four goals with one assist and then against DeSales, Rogers scored four goals with two assists. She also totaled 10 draw controls and scored on all four of her free-position shots.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Lauren Cunniff (Stevens / Gr., GK / Belle Meade, N.J.) made eight saves over 55 minutes in a pair of Stevens victories.