ODAC Players of the Week - Week 24

ODAC Players of the Week - Week 24

FOREST, Va. --- Crossover season is officially underway with a full slate of sports in action the past week. Those earning weekly awards include (pictured, l-r, t-b): Zack Burnett from Lynchburg men's basketball, Kelly Williams from Randolph-Macon women's basketball, A.J. Witherell from Washington and Lee men's lacrosse, Haley Tucker from W&L women's lacrosse, Courtney Lackey from Guilford softball, Eric Yost from GC baseball, Darby Kozan from GC softball, Jake Loew from Shenandoah baseball, Tate Godwin from GC men's tennis, Brooke Donnelly from W&L women's tennis, Evan Griffey from LC men's indoor track, Oksana Kittrell from Eastern Mennonite women's indoor track, Alec Thibodeaux from EMU men's indoor track, and Amber Celen from Bridgewater women's indoor track.

Entries for all 14 winners from the past week of competition are posted below.  Click on the associated links to see that sport's weekly honor roll.

For more on ODAC athletics, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook, follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

 

ODAC Players of the Week

Thru Week Prior to: February 20, 2017

BASEBALL - PITCHER
Eric Yost, Guilford, Sr., Starting Pitcher
Yost, a senior from Atlanta, Ga., struck out a career-high nine batters in the Quakers 4-0 shutout of Averett. He scattered six hits and walked one in 7.2 scoreless innings, marking the second-longest outing of his Guilford career. He had retired 12 straight in the game at one point, with at least one strikeout of seven of the eight innings in which he took the hill. For the season, Yost is 1-1 with a 5.93 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 13.2 innings of work.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC BASEBALL

 

BASEBALL - PLAYER
Jake Loew, Shenandoah, Sr., First Base
Loew, a senior from Binghampton, N.Y., proved a crucial cog in the Shenandoah's lineup as the Hornets defeated Misericordia and nationally fifith-ranked La Roche twice each to open the season 4-0. Loew went 6-for-13 with a pair of doubles, a homer, five runs driven in and four runs scored overall. He was 2-for-3 with a run in a 5-4 win over Misericordia, and came back in game two with two RBI towards a 6-3 victory. He again plated two runs while smacking a double in a 5-3 game-one win over La Roche. He followed with a double and a homer while scoring three runs and walking once in an 11-10 shootout win in game two.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC BASEBALL

 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Kelly Williams, Randolph-Macon, Fr., Center
Williams, a freshman from Garysburg, N.C., finished off her first regular season in Ashland with three double-doubles to give her an ODAC-best and nationally third-ranked 21 entering ODAC Tournament play. Williams opened with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 6-of-8 from the stripe to go with 16 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and seven blocked shots in a 74-67 setback to Eastern Mennonite. She followed with 18 points on 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line in an 82-44 win over non-conference Gallaudet. She notched 13 boards, two assists, two steals, and seven more blocked shots. Williams capped her week with the first 30-point game of her career in a 77-63 win at Hollins. She was 13-of-18 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line on the way to 30 points. She added 12 rebounds and a blocked shot to give her 15 rejections for the week. On the season, Williams leads the ODAC in field goal shooting (59.9%), rebounds (324), and rebounding average (13.0). She is second in blocked shots (63), fourth in points scored (460) and fifth in scoring average (18.4).

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

 

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Zack Burnett, Lynchburg, Sr., Guard
Burnett, a senior from Fairfax, Va., finished off the regular season with a pair of highly efficient 30-point games to lead Lynchburg to two wins and the fourth seed in the upcoming ODAC Tournament. Burnett opened with 33 points on 11-of-16 form the field and 5-of-6 from the line in an 85-71 win at Hampden-Sydney. He nailed six three-pointers and added eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals to his stat line. Burnett continued his tear with 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting in an 84-74 triumph over Randolph-Macon. He was 6-of-6 from the stripe and canned four more three-pointers. He chipped in four rebounds, two assists, and three steals. For the season, Burnett is second in the ODAC in points scored (534) and scoring average (21.4). He leads the conference in three-pointers made (88) and 30-point games (6), and is second in field goals made (181).

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL

 

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK - FIELD ATHLETE
Oksana Kittrell, Eastern Mennonite, Jr., Jumps
Kittrell, a junior from Bedford, Va., put together a pair of ODAC top-five jumps at the UCS Invitational this weekend. Kittrell moved into second place in the ODAC in the triple jump after bounding 10.76 meters (35' 3.75") to finish third overall and first among NCAA Division III competition. She also reached 4.94 meters (16' 2.5") in the long jump, finishing 12th overall and third D-III. The 4.94 meters is just short of her already ODAC fourth-rated mark this season.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC INDOOR TRACK

 

MEN'S INDOOR TRACK - FIELD ATHLETE
Evan Griffey, Lynchburg, Jr., Throws
Griffey, a junior from Mechanicsville, Va., improved his stock in the shot put at the Virginia Tech Challenge over the weekend. Griffey tossed the shot 13.74 meters (45' 1.0") to finish fourth overall and first among NCAA Division III competitors. He is now ranked fourth in the ODAC heading into this coming weekend's championships.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC INDOOR TRACK

 

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK - TRACK ATHLETE
Amber Celen, Bridgewater, Jr., Sprints/Jumps
Celen, a junior from Townsend, Del., put together arguably the greatest single-meet performance in conference history on Saturday at the UCS Invitational at JDL Fast Track. Celen set not just one but two ODAC records in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes, further strengthening her grasp on the #1 position in NCAA Division III in the 60-dash and taking over the top spot in the 200-dash. She won the 200-dash with at ime of 0:24.56 and placed third overall in 60-dash at 0:07.63, but it was her prelim time of 0:07.60 that put her atop the national ranks. Both her final and prelim times would have broken her previous ODAC record (0:07.69). Celen also competed in the long jump, finishing second overall and first collegiately at 5.72 meters (18' 9.25"), which is second in the ODAC only to her previous season-best mark (5.82m).

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC INDOOR TRACK

 

MEN'S INDOOR TRACK - TRACK ATHLETE
Alec Thibodeaux, Eastern Mennonite, Sr., Distance
Thibodeaux, a senior from Mount Sidney, Va., posted a blistering time in the 3,000-meter run at the UCS Invitational. Thibodeaux won the event with a time of 8:32.62, breaking his own school-record and taking over the top spot in the ODAC by nearly eight-seconds. The mark is 11-seconds quicker than his previous personal-best and currently ranks 30th in NCAA Division III.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC INDOOR TRACK

 

WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Haley Tucker, Washington and Lee, So., Midfielder
Tucker, a sophomore from Manakin-Sabot, Va., helped the Generals kickoff the new season with a 5-4 victory over nationally 16th-ranked Mary Washington on Saturday. Tucker scored three times on just three shots, including the would-be game-decider with 19:42 to play. The Generals' midfielder chipped in five ground balls, three caused turnovers, and a draw control.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S LACROSSE

 

MEN'S LACROSSE
A.J. Witherell, Washington and Lee, So., Attack
Witherell, a sophomore from Wilmington, Del., notched a 14-point week in leading the new minted nationally 15th-ranked Generals to a pair of high-profile victories last week. Witherell opened with four goals and four assists for a career-best eight points in a 14-6 triumph over Christopher Newport. He added four ground balls and two caused turnovers to his stat line. Witherell scored four more goals to go with two assists as Washington and Lee came from behind for a 15-11 win over then 10th-ranked Denison (now 16th). He chipped in two more ground balls. For the season, Witherell leads the early ODAC charts in points (16), goals (10) and assists (6). Men's Lacrosse Honor Roll

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S LACROSSE

 

SOFTBALL - PITCHER
Courtney Lackey, Guilford, Jr., Pitcher
Lackey, a junior from North Wilkesboro, N.C., won four times in just as many starts as Guilford opened the spring season with seven wins in eight contests. Lackey went the distance twice, defeating Salem College, 5-3, after giving up three runs (one earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. She again registered 7.0 complete frames in an 8-1 win at Methodist. He gave up one run on three hits with one free pass and six punchouts. Lacked picked up another win after giving up two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5.01 innings in a 5-3 triumph at Meredith. She completed her four-win week with 5.0 innings in an 8-4 win over Averett. She surrendered four runs (three earned) on eight hits with five walks and a strikeout. For the season, Lackey is 4-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 24.1 innings of work.

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SOFTBALL - PLAYER
Darby Kozan, Guilford, Jr., Outfielder
Kozan, a junior from Morgantown, Pa., registered four multi-hit games in the four games she started and made two other appearances as a pinch-runner in helping Guilford to five wins in her six games played. Kozan went 11-for-14 (.786) for the week, picking up a pair of two-hit games, a three-hit outing, and one four-hit contest along the way. She was 3-for-4 in a 5-3 win at Meredith, and followed with a 2-for-3 showing with a run scored in a 5-3 win over Salem. She was 4-for-4 with a triple, two runs driven in and a run scored in an 8-4 win over Averett. She capped her week with a 2-for-3 showing in game two against the Cougars, scoring a run and stealing a base in a 5-4 victory. In the field, Kozan was perfect in nine chances in the outfield and added an assist on a putout at home against Salem.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC SOFTBALL

 

WOMEN'S TENNIS
Brooke Donnelly, Washington and Lee, Sr., #1 Singles, #1 Doubles
Donnelly, a senior from Kennesaw, Ga., started off the spring season where she left off in the fall, picking up wins at #1 singles and #1 doubles in leading Washington and Lee to a 9-0 team victory over Bridgewater. Donnelly opened with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Jamiah Lewis in single play. She and teammate Tessa Hill defeated Whitney Kiser and Nicole Shifflett, 8-0, in doubles action.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S TENNIS

 

MEN'S TENNIS
Tate Godwin, Guilford, Fr., #1 Singles, #1 Doubles
Godwin, a freshman from Chapel Hill, N.C., helped the Quakers start off the spring season on the right foot with a 9-0 team win over Greensboro. Godwin won at both #1 singles and doubles, surrendering just three games in total. He topped Carlos Barragan 6-1, 6-1 in singles play before joining Mesa Martorell in defeating Daniel Pace and Justin Kiball, 8-1in doubles action.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S TENNIS