Posted: Mar 11, 2019
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the student-athletes selected as Athletes of the Week, for the week of competition ending on March 10, 2019.
The MIAA Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by coaches following one week of competition, and selected by a panel of MIAA Sports Information Directors, including the MIAA Director of Media Relations.
This week's winners are listed below with their respective achievements during last week's competition.
Maxwell Denny, Adrian
Freshman, P
South Lyon, Mich.
Denny gathered two wins as a relief pitcher, starting with 1.1 innings of work in Adrian's 9-7 win over Piedmont March 5. Denny fired two strikeouts of the four outs, scattering two hits. Then, in Adrian's 14-8 win over Oglethorpe March 8, Denny worked 4.0 innings, striking out four with two hits, one earned run, and two walks after entering the game down 5-3.
Brady Wood, Adrian
Junior, OF
Frankenmuth, Mich.
Wood had a slashline of .500/.533/.500 with a 7-of-14 performance in a 3-0 Adrian week, including a 9-7 win over nationally-ranked Piedmont March 5. In that game, Wood had two runs scored with a stolen base. In a 14-8 win over Oglethorpe March 8, Wood went 3-for-6 with four RBI; Wood then followed up with a 3-for-5 performance against Oglethorpe March 9 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Andrew Skibski, Adrian
Senior
Monroe, Mich.
Skibski tied for eighth overall at the Pfeiffer Invitational March 4-5, shooting 79-77--156 in a field of 46 competitors. Skibski and the Bulldogs finished tied for third overall in the spring opener for Adrian.
Brooke Symons, Adrian
Brooke Symons, Adrian
Junior
Sterling Heights, Mich.
Symons tied for 11th in a field of 57 golfers, aided by a spring-opening 78, at the Pfeiffer Invitational March 4-5 in Hardeeville, S.C. Symons finished with a team-best 78-87--165 to lead the Bulldogs.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Chase Sparling, Calvin
Freshman, M/FO
Novi, Mich.
Sparling won 23 of 26 faceoffs which aided in 16 ground balls in Calvin's 23-1 win over Anderson March 9. Sparling added two caused turnovers defensively, and aided the offense with three goals and four assists.
Justin Gearig, Trine
Junior, Attack
Vicksburg, Mich.
Gearing aided Trine to a 2-0 week thanks to .615 shooting percentage and .846 shots on goal percentage. Against Southwestern (Texas) March 4, Gearig tallied five goals, including one with a player down, while adding an assist on the way to a 10-9 Thunder win. Two days later against Dallas March 6, Gearig registered four goals, three assists, and three ground balls in Trine's 24-7 victory.
Jenina Villabroza, Albion
Junior, Goalie
Glendale, Calif.
Villabroza tied a career high with 18 saves in Albion's 13-10 loss to undefeated Chicago March 8. Villabroza, who had a .581 save percentage in the setback, had a team-high four ground balls in the contest. Earlier in the week, Villabroza tallied three saves in 30 minutes in Albion's 17-1 win at Dubuque March 4.
Annie Rice, Adrian
Senior, Attack
Reistertown, Md.
Rice had an all-around performance in a 1-1 week for Adrian. In the Bulldogs' 19-7 win over Aquinas March 6, Rice tallied four goals and five assists for nine points while adding eight draw controls, four ground balls, and a caused turnover. Earlier in the week against Ohio Wesleyan March 4, Rice posted two goals and two assists with eight draw controls, three ground balls, and two caused turnovers in a 12-11 setback.
Kate Saupe, Trine
Senior, P
Farwell, Mich.
Saupe went 4-0 in five appearances in the circle, including a five-inning complete game shutout against St. Joseph's (N.Y.) March 7. In that game, Saupe struck out seven with just two hits and two walks. Saupe, who did not give up an earned run until her final appearance of the week, finished the week with a 0.47 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 15.0 innings pitched.
Mercede Daugherty, Trine
Sophomore, 2B
Watervilet, Mich.
Daugherty went 13-for-28 (.464) at the plate with three doubles, six runs, and 11 RBI during a 7-1 week for Trine. Daugherty had at least one hit in six of eight games, including four multi-hit contests. Against Houghton March 5, Daugherty went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI in Trine's 11-1 win. In the next outing against Thiel March 7, Daugherty went 3-for-3 with a triple, a walk, and one run scored.
MIAA Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Brandon Ralston, Alma
Sophomore
Cadillac, Mich.
Ralston went 4-0 in two matches for Alma, aiding the Scots in a 1-1 week. Against Manchester March 8, Ralston was a two-time winner in a close 5-4 Alma setback; Ralston was a 6-1, 6-0 winner at No. 1 singles and an 8-6 winner at No. 1 doubles. The following day against Muskingum March 9, Ralston again was a straight-set winner at No. 1 singles (6-3, 6-3) following an 8-2 victory at No. 1 doubles.
Ashley Spirrison, Trine
Ashley Spirrison, Trine
Freshman
Fishers, Ind.
Spirrison went 4-0 at No. 1 singles and 2-2 at No. 1 doubles in a 3-1 week for Trine. Against King's College March 4, Spirrison started with an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles before a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 1 singles on the way to a 7-2 team win. Spirrison also had both of Trine's points in the Thunder's 7-2 setback to Otterbein. To note, all four of Spirrison's singles wins were in straight sets, with all three second-set wins being decided either by tiebreaker or by a 7-5 score.
