MIAA Announces Athletes of the Week for April 3

MIAA Announces Athletes of the Week for April 3

On Monday, the MIAA awarded 14 weekly honors for standout performances in men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's outdoor track and field.

Earning MIAA Player of the Week honors for April 3 are:

• Nick Bazany, Hope (Men’s Lacrosse Defense)
• Conner Putman, Trine (Men’s Lacrosse Offense)
• Emilie Vanneste, Saint Mary’s (Women’s Lacrosse Defense)
• Emily Smith, Adrian (Women’s Lacrosse Offense)
• Tommy Parsons, Adrian (Baseball Pitcher)
• Frank Resto, Adrian (Baseball Position)
• Morgan Raymer, Saint Mary’s (Softball Pitcher)
• Michaela Hartline, Trine (Softball Position)
• Jeff Sophiea, Adrian (Men’s Tennis)
• Amber Laginess, Adrian (Women’s Tennis)
• Ray Robinson, Albion (Men’s Outdoor Field)
• Connor Bauserman, Olivet (Men’s Outdoor Track)
• Nia Thomas, Albion (Women’s Outdoor Field)
• Chelse Van Spronsen, Alma (Women’s Outdoor Track)


Men's Lacrosse

 

Defensive Player of the Week


Nick Bazany, Hope

Freshman, D
Howell, Mich. 

• Aided Hope in posting an MIAA win over Calvin March 29 with four caused turnovers and three ground balls

• Registered four ground balls and two caused turnovers against DePauw April 1

• Added an assist in contest against DePauw

Men's Lacrosse

 

Offensive Player of the Week


Conner Putman, Trine

Sophomore, M
Ridgefield, Conn.

• Scored a career-high four goals in 15-2 win over Heidelberg March 29

• Fired eight shots, with five shots on goal to aid the attack

Women's Lacrosse

 

Defensive Player of the Week


Emilie Vanneste, Saint Mary's

Senior, M
St. Petersburg, Fla.

• Had a standout performance against Elmhurst March 28 with seven caused turnovers and five ground balls

• Also aided offense in win over Elmhurst with three goals and four assists

• Finished the week with seven ground balls, four draw controls, and nine caused turnovers to go with 11 points (7g, 4a)

Women's Lacrosse

 

Offensive Player of the Week


Emily Smith, Adrian

Freshman, A
Tinley Park, Ill.

• Aided Adrian in first win of the season with five goals and two assists against Elmhurst April 1

• Added four ground balls and two caused turnovers while committing no turnovers in the attack

Baseball

 

Pitcher of the Week


Tommy Parsons, Adrian

Junior, RHP
New Albany, Ohio

• Against Kalamazoo April 1, threw a seven-inning complete game shutout to aid Adrian to a series sweep

• Fired nine strikeouts to no walks while scattering five hits; has not issued a walk yet this season

Baseball

 

Position Player of the Week


Frank Resto, Adrian

Junior, C
Miami, Fla.

• In a 5-1 week for Adrian against MIAA opponents, batted .474 with hits in all six games with six RBI

• Defensively from behind the plate, was error free in all six games with no passed balls and one runner caught stealing

Softball

 

Pitcher of the Week


Morgan Raymer, Saint Mary's

Junior, P
Mt. Washington, Ky.

• In four starts last week, went 4-0 with a 0.54 ERA to aid Saint Mary's in a 4-0 start to MIAA play; had no earned runs and just eight hits against MIAA opponents in 19 innings

• Struck out 22 batters on the week, including seven apiece in complete game victories against Olivet March 29 and Kalamazoo April 1

• Aided her cause at the plate, batting .455 with a .909 slugging percentage; went 3-for-4 with three runs in win over Olivet March 29

Softball

 

Position Player of the Week


Michaela Hartline, Trine

Freshman, OF
Niles, Mich.

• Batted .600 with 1.300 slugging percentage in four games

• Went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and four RBI in win over Calvin April 1

• In 2-0 win over Ohio Northern March 29 against the nation's second-ranked pitcher by ERA, tallied a key home run 

Men's Tennis

 

Player of the Week


Jeff Sophiea, Adrian

Junior
Davisburg, Mich.

• Went 3-0 in singles during a 2-1 week for Adrian, including a 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4 singles against Albion April 1

• Went 2-0 in doubles this past week at No. 3 doubles

Women's Tennis

 

Player of the Week


Amber Laginess, Adrian

Junior
Carleton, Mich. 

• In Adrian's 5-4 win over Trine March 31, won at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles

• In 6-3 non-conference win against Saint Francis April 2, her 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 1 singles was the match's decisive point

Men's Outdoor Field

 

Athlete of the Week


Ray Robinson, Albion

Sophomore
Jackson, Mich. 

• In three field events at the Charles Gray Invitational, scored 18 points for Albion; took first in the javelin with a PR and second-best MIAA effort this season (45.27m)

• Captured sixth in the long jump (5.81m) and fourth in the triple jump (12.29m)

Men's Outdoor Track

 

Athlete of the Week


Connor Bauserman, Olivet

Senior
Battle Creek, Mich.

• In first-ever competition in the 1500m run at MSU Spartan Invitational, posted time of 3:58.85

• That time leads the MIAA by over five seconds

Women's Outdoor Field

 

Athlete of the Week


Nia Thomas, Albion

Sophomore
Honolulu, Hawaii

• Competed in four events at Charles Gray Invitational, scoring 20.5 points for the Brits

• Took second place in the long jump (5.24m) and posted a PR and finished third in triple jump (10.40m) 

• Also placed fifth in 100m dash (13.02) to go with spot on winning 4x100m relay team (49.71)

Women's Outdoor Track

 

Athlete of the Week


Chelse Van Spronsen, Alma

Junior
Jenison, Mich. 

• Earned first career win in the 3000m steeplechase at the Charles Gray Invitational with a PR of 12:04.89

• Marked second consecutive week with a personal record in the steeplechase, improving on her time by over nine seconds