ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending April 30, 2023. A total of 26 student-athletes were recognized for performances from April 24 – 30, 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.
WOMEN’S GOLF (#MACgolf)
MAC Women’s Co-Golfer of the Week
Casey Oppenheimer (Stevenson / Sr. / Conshohocken, Pa.) finished the MAC Championship with a score of two-over-par (74), which earned her a share of the MAC individual title. The second day of play was canceled due to weather.
MAC Women’s Co-Golfer of the Week
Marin Dremock (Eastern / Jr. / Drums, Pa.) earned a share of the MAC individual title after shooting two-over-par (74) at the MAC Championship.
MEN’S TENNIS (#MACtennis)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Brendan Byler (Lebanon Valley / Sr. / Palmyra, Pa.) was named the MVP of the MAC Commonwealth Championship after going 2-0 in singles and 1-1 in doubles for the week. He began the week with an 8-1 second doubles win and a 6-2, 6-3 win at number 6-2 singles in a 5-0 semifinal victory over York. His court was the first to finish in singles and doubles. In the final against Stevenson, he gave the Dutchmen a 3-2 lead in singles after the Mustangs won two of the three doubles matches. He earned a dominating 6-3, 6-0 win as the second court to finish to give LVC the lead. The senior led the Dutchmen to their second consecutive conference title.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Aashi Kulakarni (Stevens / Jr. / Coimbatore, India) was named the MVP of the Freedom Championship after leading the Ducks to third straight conference title and back-to-back 5-0 victories in tournament play. Kulakarni went a perfect 2-0 in doubles action, beating King’s 8-3 in semifinal action and FDU – Florham 8-2 in the final. The junior was unable to finish a singles match but led 6-1, 1-0 against King’s in the semifinals before Stevens clinched the win.
WOMEN’S TENNIS (#MACtennis)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Nicole Honrade (Lebanon Valley / Sr. / Lititz, Pa.) was named the MVP of the MAC Commonwealth Championship after recording the match-clinching victory in the Dutchmen's 5-2 win over York. The senior was 4-0 during the tournament in singles and doubles. She was the first court to finish with an 8-0 victory at number one doubles and 6-1, 6-0 victory at number one singles in a 5-0 semifinal victory over Messiah. In Saturday's final against York, She started the Dutchmen off with an 8-5 victory in doubles. She then earned a 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-0 victory in singles which clinched the match and the Dutchmen's second consecutive conference title.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Agatha Malinowski (Stevens / Gr. / Kinnelon, N.J.) was named MAC Freedom Championship MVP following Stevens’ second-consecutive conference title. The graduate student helped the Ducks to a 5-0 victory over No. 4 seeded Lycoming in the semifinals before taking down No. 2 Misericordia 5-1 in the final. Against Lycoming, Malinowski put together a perfect 6-0, 6-0 singles win and an 8-0 doubles win. In the final, she won 8-5 in doubles.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Zach Reed (Lebanon Valley / Sr. / Manheim, Pa.) ran a conference-leading time of 15.01 seconds in the 110 hurdles to finish fifth at the Paul Kaiser Classic. The senior's career best time is fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, 11th in the AARTFC, and sixth in the school record books.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Ian Paul (Lebanon Valley / So. / Coal Township, Pa.) threw a career-best mark in the javelin at the Paul Kaiser Classic to finish fourth. His mark of 57.83 meters (189'9") on his fifth throw is 24th in the nation, second in the Mid-Atlantic Region, sixth in the AARTFC, and leads the MAC by over two meters. It is also sixth in the school record books.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Abigail Springer (King’s / So. / Dunmore, Pa.) broke her program record in the 200-meter dash as she won her second event in the meet as she posted the top time and a new program record time in 26.22 seconds. The time is the sixth best in the MAC this outdoor season and the best from the week. Springer also finished second overall in the preliminary heats in 13.06 seconds in the 100-meter dash before winning the event with a time of 12.86 seconds in the finals. The time is the seventh best in the MAC this season and the best this weekend.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Isabelle Meckes (DeSales / Sr. / Lehighton, Pa.) destroyed her own school-record in the discus this weekend at the Carol and John Covert Classic. Meckes recorded a distance of 48.09 meters, which ranks No. 3 out of all NCAA Division III athletes this season and tops the MAC by a wide margin.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Nico Santoro (Lebanon Valley / Sr., IF / Perry Hall, Md.) led the Dutchmen to a 2-0 including a big series-opening victory over Alvernia in a battle for the top seed in the conference tournament. The senior went 5-8 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. He went 3-4 with an RBI double in a five-run fourth inning to give LVC a 5-0 lead in an eventual 5-3 victory. Earlier in the week he went 2-4 with a double and a run scored in a 10-1 victory over Penn State Berks.
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Brandon Purdy (York / So., P / Churchville, Pa.) came up huge when his Spartan teammates needed him most as he tossed six shutout innings in Thursday's game-two 1-0 win over Widener. That performance after the Pride rolled past the Spartans 10-0 in the opener. Purdy scattered three hits, struck out seven and walked two in the win. The victory is Purdy's fourth of the year.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
JT Anderosky (DeSales / Fy., OF / Warrington, Pa.) batted .563 with nine hits including two doubles in a 3-1 week for DeSales. The first-year had four RBI’s, including a walk-off RBI single in a win over Stevens. Anderosky added three stolen bases in his big week.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Jared Drake (DeSales / Jr., P / Fairport, N.Y.) threw a complete-game shutout win against Stevens on Thursday. Drake struck out six Stevens’ batters while allowing just five hits and one walk.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Jocelyn Pfleiger (Hood / So., 1B / Quakertown, Pa.) hit .600 with three homers, 10 RBIs and did not strike out during a 3-1 week for the Blazers. Pfleiger started the week with a three-game homer streak and had three multi-hit games, including three-hit efforts in both ends of the doubleheader against Albright. Her three homers for the week, including a three-run shot to halt the game in the opener against the Lions, gave her Hood's single-season record with 11.
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Jordan Walter (Lebanon Valley / Jr., P / Lebanon, Pa.) repeats as MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week. Walter was 2-0 in 12 innings and allowed just three hits for the Dutchmen. She began the week with five strong innings of relief where she struck out four and gave up just one hit in a 9-5 victory at Widener. The junior entered the game with the Dutchmen down 5-4 and gave up just a seventh inning infield single the rest of the way. She continued her dominant pitching against Messiah in a 6-1 victory where she retired the final 15 batters of the game and didn't allow a hit after two in the first inning. She struck out a career-high nine batters and allowed just one unearned run on two hits.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Meg Halloran (Stevens / Gr., OF / Oakland, N.J.) went 9-for-11 (.818) with seven runs, three stolen bases and nine RBI’s in a 4-0 week for Stevens. Halloran’s most impressive performance came in a win over Delaware Valley on Wednesday when she went 2-for-3 with two homeruns, three RBI’s and a stolen base.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Kylie Russell (Lycoming / Jr., P / Cogan Station, Pa.) threw a four-hitter against No. 1 seed Misericordia to finish the MAC Freedom season with an unblemished 7-0 mark. Russell retired 10 in a row from the third to the sixth innings, finishing the conference season with a 7-0 mark with a save, striking out 53 and walking six in 49 2/3 innings, throwing complete games in all seven of her wins. The junior struck out eight and walked none in the complete game, allowing just an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning.
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Nicholas Fanelli (Eastern / Sr., A / Perkasie, Pa.) scored six goals and added eight assists as the Eagles secured a spot in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament with a 2-0 week. In Saturday's 21-8 win over Hood, the senior from Perkasie set Eastern's single-season and career point record with his three-goal and seven-assist performance. Late in the first quarter, he recorded the 255th point of his career with a goal off a pass from his brother Christopher. He broke Dave Darling's single-season record with an assist in the second period. Fanelli has 46 goals and 51 assists this spring.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Jack Keller (York / Jr., GK / Maple Plain, Minn.) repeats as MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week. Keller had another strong showing for the Spartans as York clinched the 2023 MAC Commonwealth regular season crown. In the Wednesday battle at Stevenson, Keller surrendered just six goals in his 60 minutes of work. Keller made ten saves to earn his ninth win of the year. He followed that with 15 minutes of action in the win over Widener as the Spartans jumped out to a huge first quarter advantage. For the year, Keller is 10-1 with a 6.75 goals against average and a .617 save percentage.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Nate Perry (DeSales / So., A / Corning, N.Y.) totaled seven goals and eight assists in two games last week leading the Bulldogs to a 2-0 record. He had a goal and three assists in the win over Wilkes on Wednesday and finished the week with six goals and five assists in the win over Arcadia to help clinch the No. 2 seed in the MAC Freedom postseason.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Quinten Lyons (DeSales / Jr., GK / York, Pa.) totaled 18 saves in a pair of wins for DeSales last week. Lyons recorded eight saves and allowed just one goal vs. Wilkes University and finished the week with 10 saves against Arcadia. The netminder faced 72 total shots in the undefeated week. He added nine ground balls and two caused turnovers.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Kiersten Blanchard (York / Sr., A / Pasadena, Md.) repeats as MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week. Blanchard led the Spartans to two more wins as the Green and White clinched their second straight MAC Commonwealth regular season championship. In the Wednesday win over Stevenson, Blanchard set a single-game record with 16 draw controls while she also had four goals. She was 2-for-4 on free position shots. In the Saturday win over Widener, Blanchard had three points on a goal and two assists while she also had seven draw controls. Blanchard now has 60 points on 39 goals and 21 assists while she has 97 draw controls, fourth on the single season list heading into the playoffs.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Bella Garabo (York / Sr., GK / Hillsdale, N.J.) repeats as MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week. Garabo capped a fantastic regular season with a pair of wins as the Spartans earned their second straight MAC Commonwealth regular season crown. In the win over Stevenson, Garabo played the first 45 minutes of the game as she notched four saves for the win. On Saturday at Widener, Garabo played the first 35:59 of the game and shut out the Pride with a save. For the season, Garabo is 13-3 with a 6.60 goals against average and a .541 save percentage.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Ashley Starkey (Arcadia / Sr., A/MF / Colorado Springs, Co.) tallied 13 goals, two assists, eight ground balls, four caused turnovers, and nine draw controls in the Knights' 2-0 week. Against King's Starkey scored 100% of her shots on goal, assisted two goals and grabbed four draw controls. In the MAC Freedom tournament clinching game against DeSales, she scored seven of her 10 shots on goal, secured seven ground balls, caused four turnovers and notched five more draw controls.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jessie Smalley (King’s / Sr., GK / Newton, N.J.) helped King’s to a 1-1 week in goal. The senior totaled 29 saves, including a career-high 20 saves in the 11-10 win over Wilkes. She also posted nine saves in the loss to Arcadia on Wednesday.