NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending January 14, 2024. A total of 17 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Jan. 8, 2024 to Jan. 14, 2024.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING (#MACswim)
MAC Swimmer of the Week
Sarah Dougherty (FDU / Gr. / Kinnelon, N.J.) contributed to six total event wins during FDU-Florham's two dual meets this week (four individual and two relays). On Friday against Arcadia, she touched the wall first and outraced the field by about 20 seconds in the 200 IM when she clocked a 2:13.68 that currently stands as the fourth best time in the MAC. She also
won the 200 breast with a time of 2:32.89 that currently ranks eighth best in the conference. On Saturday at Division I Saint Peter's, she individually won the 100 fly with a time of 1:02.16 that stands as the seventh best time in the MAC as well as winning the 100 back with a time of 1:01.26 that stands as the eighth best time in the conference. Dougherty also helped win both the 200 medley and 400 free relays for the Devils against Saint Peter's.
MEN’S SWIMMING (#MACswim)
MAC Swimmer of the Week
Tyler Mui (Arcadia / Jr. / Tobyhanna, Pa.) had two individual wins and one relay win in the Knights' conference win over FDU-Florham. He was a member of the first place 200-yd medley relay group. Mui also finished first in the 200-yd individual medley (2:08.26) and the 200-yd breaststroke (2:19.70).
WRESTLING (#MACwrestle)
Wrestler of the Week
Matthew Lackman (Alvernia / Sr. / Wernersville, Pa.) was 5-0 on the week, including a 4-0 performance at the Virginia Duals this weekend. Lackman started his week with a pin in 1:28 in a dual with King’s. He then started off his weekend with a 17-2 technical fall against St. Andrew’s University and followed that with a 17-0 technical fall against Liberty. In the semifinals, Lackman defeated #8 Matt Jenkins (Reinhardt - NAIA) with a 5-0 decision. He then helped lead Alvernia to a team-title with a 6-0 decision over Elizabethtown’s Brian Schneider, who is ranked #4 in the nation at 165.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Ethan Hersant (King’s / Jr., F / Victoria, British Columbia) scored key goals in both of the Monarchs' wins this week. Against UCHC and MAC opponent No. 15 Stevenson on Monday, Hersanst scored his second penalty shot goal of the season and tallied four saves and a block as well. On Saturday evening, he scored the first goal of the game in a 2-0 win over RV SUNY
Cortland while also tallying six shots and 13 faceoff wins.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Matt Bidini (King’s / Jr., G / Delran, N.J.) had season-best performances in both of the Monarchs' wins against nationally-ranked/receiving votes teams this week. On Monday, Bidini had a season-high 44 saves in King's 5-3 win over UCHC and MAC opponent No. 15 Stevenson. He then tied his season-high with 44 saves again in the Monarchs' 2-0 win against RV SUNY Cortland on Saturday evening. He ultimately finished the week with 88 saves and only five goals allowed.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Erin Yorke (Lebanon Valley / Jr., D / Winnipeg, Manitoba) had a big four-point weekend with two goals, including a game-winning goal, and two assists to lead the Dutchmen to an important five-point weekend over Neumann with a shootout win on Friday after a 2-2 tie and a 4-1 win on home ice on Saturday. The defenseman scored LVC's first goal of the game in the
second period on Friday in Aston in a game that went to a shootout to earn an extra conference point. Yorke took three shots in the game and blocked two. The junior then had three points with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory on Saturday in Hershey. Yorke was a part of LVC's first three goals with the secondary assist on the first goal of the game, scoring the game-winning power-play goal in the first period, and then having the primary assist on a third period power-play goal that put the Dutchmen up 3-1.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Mia Frisoni (Lebanon Valley / Fy., G / Glenville, N.Y.) stopped 18 of 19 shots to give LVC an important 4-1 victory over Neumann on Saturday in the goaltender's only action of the weekend. The first-year stopped seven shots in the first period, two in the second, and nine in the third. The only goal Frisoni allowed was a first period power-play goal to tie the game. The goalie held the Knights scoreless on the next four power-play opportunities as Neumann finished 1/5 on the power-play.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Rasheed Cooley (Stevenson / Jr., G / Bryans Road, Md.) had 21 points in the win over York, while adding in 19 in the loss to Albright.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Kevin Lazdowsky (Misericordia / Jr., G / Scranton, Pa.) averaged 22.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in a 2-0 week. He scored 16 points, including the 1,000th of his career on his first basket against Lebanon Valley and had 29 points in win at FDU-Florham where he shot 64.3% from the floor and 10-10 from the foul line.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Morgan Adams (Messiah / Sr., F / New Oxford, Pa.) had a dominant week with three double-doubles to lead the Falcons to a 3-0 week. Adams started the week strong with a career-high 34 points in the 80-65 win at Penn St. Harrisburg on Monday. Adams also added 10 rebounds, two steals, 2 assists, and a block. Adams continued her great week with an 18-point, 10 rebounds, and three assists performance in the win at Alvernia on Wednesday. In final game of the week, Adams put together her second 30-point double-double performance of the week, with 30 points and 10 rebounds in the 74-62 win against York. Adams also added five blocks, three steals, and an assist.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Katie Rodriguez (Arcadia / Gr., F / Ewing, N.J.) had a triple-double and a double-double in three Arcadia wins. In total, she had 34 points, 33 rebounds and 19 assists in the three games. She had a triple-double against Stevens, totaling 15 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists. She then had a double-double against Delaware Valley, recording 15 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. She also added eight blocks and five steals in the three games.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Owen Linder (Lebanon Valley / Jr. / Lancaster, Pa.) won two events for the Dutchmen at the Dutchmen Invitational on Friday. He ran a career-best 55-meter time of 6.66 seconds to win the final after running 6.73 seconds in the preliminaries. His converted 60-meter time of 7.16 seconds is 23rd in the Mid-Atlantic Region and ninth in the MAC. The junior then came back and anchored the 4x400 meter relay team that finished second in 3:38.97. Linder got the baton with a big gap to make up for first and nearly pulled off the amazing comeback as he finished two seconds behind the winning team from Goucher.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Alex Sabo (Lebanon Valley / Gr. / Lewisburg, Pa.) had a huge meet on Friday as he won the heptathlon at the Dutchmen Invitational with 3687 points while recording three career-best marks and qualifying for the MAC Championships in three events. His converted point total of 3717 for track size is ranked 34th in the nation, fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and third in the MAC. He started the afternoon with a career-best MAC qualifying time of 6.83 seconds in the 55 meters and then threw a career-best 12.68 meters (41'7.25 ") in the shot put. He then had a MAC qualifying long jump mark of 6.09 meters (19'11.75"). Sabo jumped 1.75 meters (5'8.75") in the high jump and then ran a career-best 55 hurdles time of 10.64 seconds. He finished the day with a height of 3.05 meters (10'0") in the pole vault and a time of 3:28.76 in the 1000.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Darrian Berkheimer (Lebanon Valley / Jr. / Altoona, Pa.) had a fast meet on Friday at the Dutchmen Invitational finishing second in the 55 meters after running the fastest time in preliminaries and then anchoring LVC's 4x400 relay team that set a facility record. Berkheimer ran a time of 7.74 seconds in the 55 prelims before coming back and running a career-best time of 7.67 seconds in the final. Her converted 60-meter time of 8.27 seconds is seventh in the MAC and 20th in the Mid-Atlantic Region. She then anchored the relay team to a time of 4:13.53 breaking the facility record and winning by nearly a minute. The converted relay time of 4:08.44 for track size is ranked first in the MAC, second in the region, and 32nd in the nation.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Mileyska Calderon (Lebanon Valley / Fy. / Lebanon, Pa.) won two events at the Dutchmen Invitational on Friday. The first-year had a season-best long jump mark of 5.42 meters (17'9.5") and then was the third leg of LVC's 4x400 relay team that set a facility record with a time of 4:13.53. Her long jump mark is ranked 21st in the nation, fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, seventh in AARTFC, and leads the MAC. The 4x400 relay converted time of 4:08.44 for track size time is the best in the MAC, second in the region. and 32nd in the nation.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Jared Piontkowski (Misericordia / Jr., PH / Nanticoke, Pa.) averaged 5.6 kills per set while hitting .438 in his Misericordia debut in a 2-0 week. He had 25 kills and four blocks assists in a 3-1 win at Elmira and 14 kills and four aces in a sweep of SUNY-Poly.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Benjamin Clendening (Misericordia / So., MB / Langhorne, Pa.) had seven blocks in a sweep of SUNY-Poly and Elmira and one solo and five assists in a 3-1 win over Elmira. He also had a solo block in a sweep of SUNY Poly.