Women's Track & Field
Track Athlete of the Week - Claire Mills, North Georgia
Mills won the 3000 steeplechase at the UWG Legends Meet in Carrollton, clocking in a time of 11:30.59. It was her third first-place finish of the season, first in the steeplechase, with her second-fastest time of the year. The senior from Lilburn, Ga., finished five seconds ahead of the field. She also ran the 4x400 relay, helping the team to a fourth-place finish.
Field Athlete of the Week - Sariya Henry, Clayton State
Henry, a dual-sport athlete competing in her first track meet of the year following the conclusion of the women's basketball season, finished second in the high jump at the UWG Legends Invitational. The sophomore from Lawrenceville, Ga., cleared the bar at 1.55m on her first attempt at that height. She finished sixth overall in the competition against 20 other jumpers and her height is the second-highest in the PBC this season.
Men's Track & Field
Track Athlete of the Week - Avery Jaynes, Augusta
Jaynes broke a school record and set an NCAA provisional time in the 10k at the Lee University Fast Break Invitational. The junior from Brooklet, Ga., ran a 30:05.37, finishing fourth of 55 runners in the event. His time was eight seconds out of the lead, the fastest in the PBC by 22 seconds and 14 seconds ahead of the NCAA provisional mark. It was also the 23rd-fastest 10k run in NCAA Division II this season.
Field Athlete of the Week - Antonio Caito, Embry-Riddle
Caito finished in second place in the triple jump at the South Florida Invitational over the weekend, hitting an NCAA provisional distance of 15.29m on his fifth attempt. The distance is a new PBC record, a new ERAU school record and the fifth-longest triple jump in NCAA Division II this season. The sophomore from Indianapolis, Ind., also ran on ERAU's 4x100 relay team.
Women's Tennis
Player of the Week - Viktorie Wojcikova, North Georgia
Wojcikova played a massive role in what was a very successful week for the No. 4 University of North Georgia women’s tennis team. Over the course of three matches, then senior from Jestebnik 87, Czech Republic, went 6-0 in three doubles and three singles matches. Four of those wins helped the Nighthawks improve to 17-0 as they took down No. 7 West Alabama and No. 9 Flagler. Against Flagler, Wojcikova defeated ITA women’s singles No. 40 Dana Heiman in comeback fashion 2-6, 7-6 (7-2 tiebreaker), 6-4 for the win. In the doubles against Flagler, she paired up with senior teammate Johanna Lippert to defeat the No. 5 ranked doubles pairing in the nation 6-3. She and Lippert also defeated the No. 37 doubles team from West Alabama 7-5 on Tuesday.
Men's Tennis
Player of the Week - Joaquin Benoit, North Georgia
Despite a loss for the No. 10 University of North Georgia men’s tennis team on the road at #3 Flagler, senior Joaquin Benoit won two matches the Saints. In the #1 doubles match, the senior from Mar del Plata, Argentina, worked with his partner Robin Eldin to take down ITA men’s doubles No. 17 Phillip Lemken and Simon Malis 6-3. Then in the #1 singles match, Benoit doubled down with a win over No. 11 Jacopo Denitto in convincing fashion 6-2, 6-1. Benoit is now 9-2 in singles play this year.
Women's Golf
Co-Players of the Week: Jordyn Hodgson & Stella Jelinek, Flagler
Hodgson and Jelinek both finished in a tie for second place at the Lady Moc 2.0, each shooting a three-under-par 213. Hodgson shot rounds of 70-70-73 while Jelinek had 71-68-74. Hodgson, a junior from Orlando, Fla., hit a career-best for 54 holes with the result, picking up her sixth top-10 of the season and third top five with 37 pars and nine birdies. Jelinek's 68 was the low score of the second round a she finishes in the top 10 for the seventh time in eight events with her sixth top-five. The sophomore from Leimen, Germany, is ranked #3 nationally in the Scoreboard rankings and leads the PBC with a 71.32 stroke average.
Men's Lacrosse
Player of the Week - Carter Wilcox, Lander
Wilcox had a huge game on Saturday, helping Lander defeat Flagler for their first PBC win on the season. The junior attacker from Harrisburg, N.C., scored three goals and dished out two assists in the victory. His three goals and five points were season-highs for Wilcox. His third goal of the game came in overtime to give the Bearcats the win. After Flagler tied the score with 19 seconds left, Wilcox won the game 1:13 into the overtime period with an unassisted goal. Wilcox is currently seventh in the PBC in assists per game.
Softball
Player of the Week - Karlie Gutierrez, Georgia College & State University
Gutierrez was outstanding in five games last week, hitting .563 with a 1.188 slugging percentage, two home runs, two triples and nine RBIs. The freshman catcher from Newnan, Ga., went 4-for-5 with a triple and three RBIs in the second game against West Georgia mid-week. She then hit .500 in a three-game series against Georgia Southwestern. She went 2-for-3 in the opener with two RBIs, then was 3-for-4 with a triple and a home run in game two, driving in three. For the week she scored five runs, had a .632 on-base percentage, made no errors in 34 chances behind the plate and threw out two potential base-stealers. Gutierrez is currently second in the PBC with 47 RBIs and is ranked in the conference top-10 in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, hits and triples.
Pitcher of the Week - Tybee Denton, North Georgia
Denton pitched a trio of complete games this week, all of which were wins, for the No. 2 University of North Georgia softball team. The week started with a five inning, 9-0 win at Shorter in which the senior from Homer, Ga., allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out six batters. In game one of a double header against Columbus State, Denton pitched seven complete innings with 10 strikeouts to mark her fifth outing with double-digit Ks this year. The next day, Denton helped seal the sweep of the Cougars with a five-inning, four-strikeout performance in which she allowed just three hits. Sunday’s win marked Denton’s 20th of the year and made her the first pitcher in NCAA Div. II with 20 wins this season. At a 20-1 record, Denton’s .952 win percentage is the highest in the country of any pitcher with 17 or more wins.
Freshman of the Week - Kate Newberry, USC Aiken
Newberry earns her third weekly honor of the season after hitting .412 with an .824 slugging percentage in five games for the Pacers. The DP from Watkinsville, Ga., went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in the opener against Emmanuel. She hit a home run in the opening of a three-game series against Augusta and drove in another in game two with a double. Newberry is currently ninth in the PBC in slugging percentage.
Baseball
Player of the Week - Ethan Wilder, Lander
Wilder helped the Bearcats to a 4-0 week, hitting .550 with a .750 slugging percentage. The senior shortstop from West Palm Beach, Fla., had multiple hits in all four games with a home run and 12 total RBIs. He went 3-for-6 with a double and three RBIs in the mid-week against Erskine. He then hit .571 in a three-game sweep of USC Aiken. He homered in game two of that series, driving in four, then drove in four more in game three, going 4-for-5. He scored six runs, stole two bases and helped turn five double plays. Wilder is currently third in the PBC in batting average, seventh in slugging, eighth in on-base percentage. He is also third in the league in RBIs, tied for second in doubles and tied for the league lead in triples.
Pitcher of the Week - Trace Goforth, Columbus State
Goforth pitched a complete-game, nine-inning, four-hit shutout of USC Beaufort in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday. The sophomore righty from Palmetto, Fla., allowed no walks and struck out 13. After allowing a first-inning single he retired 14 Sand Sharks in a row, striking out the side in order in the second and the fifth. Completing the game with 115 pitches thrown, he never allowed more than one base hit in any inning, improving to 6-2 on the season. Goforth is currently sixth in the PBC in strikeouts, seventh in opponent batting average and tied for second in the league in victories.
Freshman of the Week - Noah Darden, North Georgia
Darden hit .625 in a three-game sweep of Augusta with three doubles and five RBIs. The outfielder from Cumming, Ga., had a double in all three games against the Jaguars, going 3-for-3 in the series finale with four RBIs. He also drove in a run in the opening game. He drew four walks and had a 1.000 on-base percentage for the week and did not strike out in eight at-bats. Darden is tied for 10th in the PBC in doubles.