NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending March 31, 2024. A total of 22 student-athletes were recognized for performances from March 25, 2024 to March 31, 2024.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Danny Gonzalez (Arcadia / Sr., OH / Ponce, Puerto Rico) averaged almost four kills per set in three, three-set wins for Arcadia. In total, he had 30 kills in eight sets played. His week was headlined by a 13 kill performance against King's. He then added 11 in a win over Drew. He also had six kills in two sets played against Eastern.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Terrell Turner (Arcadia / Fy., MH / Ambler, Pa.) had 10 blocks in three Arcadia wins. He had a career-high five blocks in Arcadia's three-set win over Drew. He added three blocks against Eastern and two against King's.
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Will Harnick (York / Gr., A / Gibsonia, Pa.) helped the Spartans get back in the win column with a season-high five goals in a 10-9 win at Denison. Harnick’s final tally came in the fourth quarter which capped off a game-clinching three-goal run for York and proved to be the game-winning goal.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Brent Blackmon (York / Gr., D / Henrico, Va.) led York with three caused turnovers in their 10-9 victory at Denison. Blackmon caused a key turnover in the third quarter which started a 21-minute scoring drought by the Big Red and turned the tide in York’s favor for the win. The top Spartan defenseman has caused a turnover in all nine games this season for a total of 24 which leads the Commonwealth.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Connor Bevan (Misericordia / So., A / Bethlehem, Pa.) had nine goals and three assists in a 1-1 week. Had two goals and two assists in a 13-6 loss to Ithaca. Had seven goals and an assist in a 17-13 win at Albright. Scored three times in the fourth quarter to break a 12-12 tie.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jackson Campbell (King’s / Sr., GK / Malvern, Pa.) had 21 saves against Hood to tie his career-high. In the loss against the Blazers the senior produced a save percentage of .618.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Sydney Mentzer (York / So., M / York, Pa.) tied her career-high with five goals on just eight shots to go along with six draw controls to lead the 14th-ranked Spartans to victory over No. 17 Christopher Newport. Mentzer added two more goals and led York with three draw controls in their 9-6 loss at No. 4 Salisbury.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Bella Garabo (York / Gr., GK / Hillsdale, N.J.) racked up a career-best 18 saves on a season-high 37 shots faced as she held No. 4 Salisbury to single-digits (9) for just the third time this season. Garabo matched her career-high with seven ground balls as she picked up her 30th career win in the midweek matchup with No. 17 Christopher Newport.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Ashley Birmingham (Delaware Valley / Sr., M / Leesport, Pa.) totaled 12 goals and 19 draw controls on a 2-0 week for the Aggies including a season-high nine goals against Centenary with 14 draw controls.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jamie Handwerger (Lebanon Valley / Fy., GK / Leola, Pa.) made 12 saves in goal as LVC earned a 20-6 road victory at Albright in the team's only game of the week. Handwerger made six saves in each half and held the Lions to just two second half goals after LVC led 7-4 at the break. The goalkeeper stopped Albright's only free-position shot of the game and had one ground ball.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Chris Sasso (Alvernia / So., P / Jackson, N.J.) pitched six shutout innings in a 14-0 win over Albright on Friday. Sasso allowed just one hit during his six innings of work. He struck out nine batters during those six innings and allowed just four walks.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Jason Kelly (Alvernia / Sr., P / Philadelphia, Pa.) was a dual-threat for Alvernia in a MAC Commonwealth sweep of Albright on Friday and Saturday. Kelly batted .600 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Kelly went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs in Friday’s 14-0 win over Albright. Kelly then went 3-for-4 - including his 100th career hit - with an RBI and two runs scored in game one of the Saturday doubleheader. Kelly also picked up the win for Alvernia on the mound in that game, pitching six innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out five batters. Kelly then went 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and a walk in game two on Saturday.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Joe Valenti (Misericordia / Gr., P / Harleysville, Pa.) struck out six while allowing just three hits in six shutout innings of relief in a 7-3 win.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Connor Maryniak (Misericordia / Jr., SS / Reading, Pa.) hit .583 (7-12) with a double, a homer and nine RBI in a sweep of King's. Was 4-5 with a bases-loaded double in a come-from-behind 11-10 in the opener. Hit two-run opener in a 7-3 win and had two hits and three RBI in 20-3 win.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Maggie Loomis (Alvernia / Sr., P / Glenolden, Pa.) pitched a 3-hit complete game shutout against Albright on Friday in the first game of a doubleheader sweep of the Lions. Loomis scattered three hits across five innings of work. She struck out six batters and allowed just two walks on the afternoon.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Daphney Adams (York / Gr., C / Nazareth, Pa.) led the Spartans to a 4-0 week including a doubleheader sweep of Stevenson as the team’s offensive leader for the week. She led York with an .800 batting average, a 1.500 slugging percentage, a .786 on-base percentage and posted a team-leading 10 RBI for the week. Adams had a huge day against the Mustangs as she went 6-for-7 with seven RBI, six runs scored, a double, a triple and a home run. She also threw out two runners attempting to steal on the week from her spot behind the plate.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Jordan Walter (Lebanon Valley / Sr., RHP / Lebanon, Pa.) pitched a pair of shutouts to lead the Dutchmen to a 4-0 week in a pair of conference road games. She began the week with a big three-hit shutout in a 1-0 victory at DeSales in which LVC scored the lone run of the game in the third inning. Walter struck out two and walked just one hitter while keeping the ball on the infield. Just five balls reached the outfield grass all game and the Bulldogs had just one runner
reach third base safely. The senior then struck out five and scattered six hits in a 7-0 shutout victory at FDU-Florham in LVC's final game of the week. Once again Walter did an excellent job keeping the ball confined to the infield with nine batted balls reaching the outfield in 28 plate appearances. Walter had 13 ground ball outs and two flyouts.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Heather Priante (FDU-Florham / Sr., IF / Howell, N.J.) hit 10-for-16 for a .625 batting average during a 3-3 week for FDU-Florham. On those 10 hits she collected four RBI, four doubles, five runs scored and a stolen base. Her best outing came during the Devils sweep of Wilkes where combined she went 4-for-5 with two RBI, two doubles, and two runs scored.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Zach Reed (Lebanon Valley / Gr. / Manheim, Pa.) won both hurdle events at the York Twilight Meet with a pair of MAC-leading times. He started the day by winning the 110 hurdles in 15.32 seconds. His time is 50th in the nation, third in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and ninth in AARTFC. The graduate student then ran one of the fastest times in the nation in the 400 hurdles with a career-best 54.19 seconds. His time is 11th in Division III, second in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and fifth in AARTFC. It is also fourth on the program's top 10 list.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Nathan Williams (Stevenson / Sr. / Mechanicsville, Md.) had an impressive showing at the York College Twilight Meet and the Towson Invitational. At York he had a third-place finish in the shot put with a top toss of 16.10m and has the second-best performance in the MAC and third best in the Mid-Atlantic region. Williams continued his week at Towson with a first-place finish in the hammer throw with a top toss of 57.45m. Williams would also go on to finish third in the discus with a top throw of 47.38m, which is first among DIII athletes. Williams currently has the top performance in the Mid-Atlantic region in both the hammer (57.65m) and discus (49.71m).
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Laura Mathews (Stevens / Gr. / Denville, N.J.) kicked off the outdoor season in a big way, winning both the 100-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash Saturday at the Danny Curran Invitational. In the 100 hurdles, the graduate student won the race in 14.07 seconds, while posting a time of 24.64 seconds to win the 200. Although early in the outdoor season, Mathews is ranked second in Division III in the 100 hurdles and fourth in the 200.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Caroline Reed (Lebanon Valley / Sr. / Warminster, Pa.) had a busy week recording top 10 marks in the MAC in three events. She began the week with a career-best mark of 11.47 meters (37'7.75") in the shot put to finish fourth at the rainy York Twilight Meet. Her mark is the top throw in the MAC this year, ninth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and seventh on the program's top 10 list. She also had a throw of 35.98 meters (118'0") in the hammer which is eighth in the MAC and 14th in the region. On Friday she competed in the discus at the Danny Curran Invitational where she finished with a season-best toss of 31.07 meters (101'11"). That mark is sixth in the MAC and 20th in the region.