NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending April 21, 2024. A total of 20 student-athletes were recognized for performances from April 15, 2024 to April 21, 2024.
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Will Harnick (York / Gr., A / Gibsonia, Pa.) led the Spartans with 12 points on a team-leading seven goals in a pair of Commonwealth wins over Stevenson and Widener. Harnick played a role in York’s first three goals Wednesday night which sparked a 9-1 first quarter run in a runaway 19-7 win over Stevenson. He went on to finish the night with five points on a season-high three assists. Harnick led an offensive barrage at Widener with a season-high seven points and a season-best five goals as the Spartans rolled to a 20-6 victory over the Pride.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Conor Halpin (Stevenson / Sr., FO / Cranford, N.J.) added another 21 ground balls and 26 face-off wins to his season stats this past week. At York, he won seven face-offs and picked up five ground balls before going 19-25 and collecting 16 ground balls against Messiah. He would also add two goals against the Falcons. He leads the Mustangs this season with 143 ground balls and boasts a .609 face-off percentage.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Connor Bevan (Misericordia / So., A / Bethlehem, Pa.) had six goals and seven assists in a 2-0 week. Had two goals, three assists in a 13-9 win over Lebanon Valley. Had four goals, four assists, including 100th goal of his career, in a 21-9 win at King’s.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Chris Dindino (Misericordia / Jr., GK / Blackwood, N.J.) had 32 saves with a 5.14 GAA in a 2-0 week. Had 14 saves in a 13-9 win over Lebanon Valley. Made 18 saves in 45 minutes of a 21-9 win at King's.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Mackenzie Demaio (Hood / Sr., M / Urbana, Md.) led the Blazers offensively in back-to-back wins against Albright and Alvernia. Demaio collected 13 total points consisting of 10 goals and three assists. Demaio also tallied 8 draw controls on the week.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Sarah Christensen (York / Gr., D / East Lyme, Conn.) led the Spartans with four caused turnovers and 15 draw controls in a pair of Commonwealth victories over Stevenson and Widener. Christensen anchored a defense that held the Mustangs to single-digits (5) for the third time this season and their lowest goal total in conference play as York handed Stevenson their first conference loss of the year. She ended the week with three caused turnovers and nine draw controls as the Spartan defense held the Pride to a season-low four goals and a season-low three draw controls.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Julianna Medina (FDU / So., M / Linwood, N.J.) combined for a total of 16 points with 13 goals and three assists during a 2-0 week for the Devils. She posted seven goals and one assist in a 21-10 victory at King's on Wednesday. She came back on Saturday and notched six goals and two assists in a 23-10 win against Delaware Valley.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jamie Handwerger (Lebanon Valley / Fy., GK / Leola, Pa.) helped the Dutchmen to a big 2-0 week that clinched a spot in the MAC Freedom Championships and a home semifinal game. The first-year started the week with four ground balls, three saves, and two caused turnovers in an 18-10 victory over Misericordia. She then made seven saves and picked up two ground balls in a huge 14-13 win over DeSales.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Zackary Bollinger (Eastern / Jr., P / Reading, Pa.) picked up a save and a win with sparkling performances in high leverage situations on back-to-back days. With the Eagles needing a sweep to keep postseason hopes alive, Bollinger earned a six-out save in Friday’s 5-2 home win over Albright. The junior right-hander entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the eighth. He retired three-straight hitters and only allowed a single inherited run to score in the inning. He struck out three hitters to earn his first save of the season. The following day, Bollinger came on to start the bottom of the ninth with the score tied at 1-1. He struck out three batters over four innings of work; the only hit he allowed on the weekend was a two-out single in the bottom of the 12th inning. He allowed one hit and no runs while striking out six in six innings of work.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Evan Wagaman (Messiah / Jr., OF / Chambersburg, Pa.) led the Falcons offense with a great week at the plate, batting .526, with three home runs, eight RBIs, and seven runs scored. In the first game of the week against LVC, Wagaman totaled four hits in five at-bats, with two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs. Wagaman continued to show off the power in game one against Stevenson with two hits, with a home run, a double, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk. On Saturday, Wagaman added five more hits with two RBIs and two runs scored.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Nadell Booker (Arcadia / Sr., P / Franklin Township, N.J.) had a complete game shutout in an Arcadia win over King's. He only allowed three hits while striking out six. He picked up his fourth win of the season on the mound and his second complete game shutout of the year.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Connor Maryniak (Misericordia / Jr., SS / Reading, Pa.) hit .541 (13-24) with two doubles, two triples, two homers and 14 RBI in a 6-0 week. Hit safely in all six games, including five multi-hit games, and scored 10 runs. Had four hits, including two HR, and eight RBI in win over DeSales.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Fallon Feaser (Messiah / Fy., RHP / Newville, Pa.) had an impressive week in the circle for the Falcons. In her first start against Arcadia, Feaser pitched a complete game, allowing three unearned runs on eight hits and five strikeouts. Feaser continued to pitch well with five innings in the shortened game on Saturday against Stevenson. Feaser did not allow a run on five hits and two strikeouts.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Brooke Hauck (Alvernia / Jr., OF / Reading, Pa.) batted .522 with 12 hits - including five extra base hits - in a 4-4 week for Alvernia. Hauck finished with two home runs, two doubles, and a triple with 12 RBIs and nine runs scored. She also walked five times and stole three bases. Hauck recorded hits in the final five games Alvernia played hits week, including four games with multiple hits. Hauck’s week was highlighted by a 3-for-3 performance against Immaculata where Hauck recorded a triple with five RBIs. Hauck also had a home run with two RBIs and three runs scored in a win over Widener. In the outfield, Hauck had 11 putouts without an error.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Erin Sinatra (Lebanon Valley / Sr., P / Colonia, N.J.) struck out 34 batters in 30.1 innings of work this week over five appearances. The senior was 3-1 with one save. She began the week with 10 strikeouts in a 2-1 victory at Alvernia. She then picked up a three-inning save with three strikeouts in a 6-1 victory over Juniata. She pitched 6.1 innings of release in a tough 7-5 defeat to the Eagles in game two where she struck out nine. Sinatra struck out four Aggies in a 3-1 victory at Delaware Valley and then finished the week with a complete game shutout in a 1-0 victory over Lycoming where she struck out eight.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Megan Heard (Lebanon Valley / So., SS / North Abington Township, Pa.) led the Dutchmen to a 7-1 week with 10 hits, six runs scored, and two RBI. The shortstop was also excellent in the field making 20 assists and 13 putouts on 33 chances. Heard knocked in the winning run of a 2-1 victory at Alvernia to begin the week in a game she was 2-2 with a walk. The sophomore went 1-3 and scored the game-tying run in the fifth inning of a 3-1 victory at Delaware Valley and then was 2-3 with two runs scored in game two, a 10-2 victory. Heard finished the week by going 1-2 and scoring the game-winning run of a 1-0 victory over Lycoming on Sunday. The shortstop had at least one hit in every game this week while making a season-high eight outs with three putouts and five assists in the 10-2 conference win over the Aggies.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Zach Reed (Lebanon Valley / Gr. / Manheim, Pa.) finished second in the 110 hurdles and was the anchor on LVC's 4x400 meter relay team that finished third at the Paul Donahue Invitational at Widener University. The graduate student ran a career-best time of 14.74 seconds in the 110 hurdles and only lost to a Division I runner from Penn. His time is 26th in the nation, fifth in AARTFC, and first in the Mid-Atlantic Region and MAC. He was then the anchor on the 4x400 relay team that just missed the school record with a time of 3:19.40 to finish third, losing to Division II Holy Family and West Chester. The time is 49th in the nation this year, third in the Mid-Atlantic Region, seventh in AARTFC, and leads the MAC.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Nathan Williams (Stevenson / Sr. / Mechanicsville, Md.) had another dominant weekend, sweeping the throwing events (discus - 48.65m, hammer - 57.18m, shot put - 15.67m) among a field of Division I, II and III athletes at the Hopkins/Loyola Invitational. Williams currently has the top hammer throw performance in the Mid-Atlantic region (60.87m) and third best in Division III. Williams also has third-best region performance in the shot put (16.10m) and discus (50.37m). Nationally, he is 19th in the shot put and 13th in the discus.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Coyla Bartholomew (Lebanon Valley / So. / Danville, Pa.) won the 3000 steeplechase at the Paul Donahue Invitational at Widener University with the top time in the MAC this year. The sophomore topped the field of 15 with a time of 11:38.22 to win by nearly 20 seconds. Her time is ranked sixth in the Mid-Atlantic Region and 14th in AARTFC. It is also fifth in school history.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Isabel Rodriguez (Widener / So. / Bethlehem, Pa.) recorded new personal best marks in the hammer throw and discus. In the hammer, Rodriguez marked a 53.08-meter toss to take first overall and move her into first in the conference by over a meter. Her 53.08-meter throw would also place her 13th in the nation. Rodriguez's new mark of 34.06-meter throw in the discus places her seventh in the conference.