Crossroads League Announces Athletes of the Week
AVON, Ohio – The Crossroads League announced its athletes of the week on Tuesday, recognizing the top athletes from the week of September 11 through 17. In order to be considered for the award, a student-athlete must be nominated by their institution’s Sports Information Director.
Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Josh Roth, Taylor
Roth followed a second-place showing last week with a first-place finish in his second collegiate race. Roth’s time of 26:43 was more than 40 seconds better than the next-closest finisher at the Crossroads League Preview and led No. 13 Taylor to the team title.
Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Jasmine Harper, Spring Arbor
Harper stole the show in her second collegiate race, turning in a time of 18:55 to win the Crossroads League Preview by a gap of over 22 seconds. Harper’s effort helped Spring Arbor take fourth place in the team standings.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Isiah Handspike, Spring Arbor
Handspike racked up 10 saves with five each coming against RV Madonna and Aquinas, while helping No. 24 Spring Arbor to a 2-0 mark on the week. Handspike’s lone goal against came off a penalty kick.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Morris Kamara, Spring Arbor
Kamara scored one goal and assisted another in No. 24 Spring Arbor’s, 3-1, win against RV Madonna, before adding his 10th goal of the season in SAU’s a 5-0 defeat of Aquinas.
Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Brenna Malatestinic, Marian
Malatestinic allowed only one goal over 150 minutes of work to help No. 22 Marian score a 2-1 win over RV Siena Heights and a 1-0 win over NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois. Malatestinic notched four saves in each outing.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Bethany Balcer, Spring Arbor
Balcer netted all three goals for No. 1 SAU in a 3-1 win at No. 10 Lindsey Wilson for her second hat trick of the season.
Men’s Tennis Player of the Week
Jacob Macri, Bethel
Macri went 3-0 at No. 1 doubles and 2-0 at No. 1 singles for Bethel, helping the Pilots to team wins in two of those three matches.
Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Lizzie Bauss, Indiana Wesleyan
Bauss won all 12 of her matches on the week, taking a No. 1 doubles win over MVNU, before winning the ITA Midwest Championships in singles and doubles play. Bauss entered the singles tourney as the No. 3 seed and topped No. 1, No. 2, No. 6 and No. 14 on the way to the title.
Volleyball Attacker of the Week
Tay Thomas, Indiana Wesleyan
Thomas hit .371 and averaged 3.8 kills per set to lead No. 20 Indiana Wesleyan to three-straight, three-set victories. Thomas highlighted the week with 18 kills and just two errors over 24 swings in IWU’s 3-0 win against Goshen.
Volleyball Defender of the Week
Vanessa Lay, Marian
Lay logged a pair of 20-dig efforts to help RV Marian record a trio of straight-set victories. In MU’s three matches, Lay averaged 6.0 digs per set, committed just one receiving error and posted 20 digs in a win over Goshen and 22 in a sweep of Bethel.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Katelyn Dufur, Mount Vernon Nazarene
Dufur tossed up 173 assists over four matches for MVNU, helping the Cougars to a pair of victories with 10.8 assists and 2.3 digs per set. Dufur posted 51 assists and 18 digs in a five-set loss at Spring Arbor and had two other matches of at least 45 assists.