The Peach Belt Conference has released Players of the Week for cross country, golf, soccer and volleyball. GCSU’s Nolan Lane and Erin O’Brien secure cross-country Runners of the Week as O’Brien secures her second honor of the season. GSW’s Juan Velásquez and Flagler’s Kalia Polete have been named Golfers of the Week. Flagler sweep the men's soccer honors with Finn Weigelt, Filip Hornburg and Xander LaBelle as Hornburg claims his second honor of the season. Lander’s Angele Hills and Langley Stewart and USC Beaufort’s Graysen Asher secure the women's soccer honors, Stewart's second honor of the season. Flagler’s Marley Middlebrooks and Jillian Young and USCA’s Kira Bostick claim the volleyball honors, as Middlebrooks claims her fourth honor, Young claims her third and Bostick claims her second of the season.
CROSS COUNTRY
Men’s Runner of the Week
Nolan Lane, GCSU
Sophomore
- Competed at the Georgia Tech Cross Country Invitational
- Top GCSU finisher with an 8K time of 25:17.5, which was a personal best and tied for the third quickest 8K effort in GCSU history.
- His time was the fastest in the 8K in the PBC so far this season
- As a team, the Bobcats finished in fifth overall with 149 points and was the top NCAA Division II team in the field.
Women’s Runner of the Week
Erin O’Brien, GCSU
Sophomore
- Competed at the Georgia Tech Cross Country Invitational
- Led GCSU in the 6K, with a time of 22:09.7, which was a personal best and also was the third fastest 6K in the history of the GCSU program.
- Her time was the fastest in the 6K in the PBC so far this season
- As a team, the Bobcats finished in seventh place with 184 points and was the top NCAA Division II team in the 16-team field.
GOLF
Men’s Golfer of the Week
Juan Velásquez, Georgia Southwestern
Junior
- Finished in fourth place at The National Preview with a 7-under-par 209 in a field that included No. 1 Florida Southern and No. 8 Nova Southeastern
- Velásquez fired a 66 in the final round behind six birdies and an eagle to climb six spots in the individual standings…shot rounds of 73, 70 and 66
- Total of six teams ranked in the top 25 in the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll comprised the 10-team, 57-player field
- No. 6 GSW fired a program-record 19-under-par 269 led by Velásquez in Tuesday's final round to finish runner-up at event played on PGA National Resort's The Champion Course
Women’s Golfer of the Week
Kalia Polete, Flagler
Senior
- Helped Flagler to a fifth-place finish at the D2 National Preview
- Placed third overall at the tournament with a 72-71-74
- Eagled the seventh hole in round one. Carded four birdies and 27 pars over the tournament
MEN’S SOCCER
Player of the Week
Finn Weigelt, Flagler
Senior, Forward
- Led Flagler to a 2-0 week with three goals
- Became the third Saint this season to net a brace with two goals against Middle Georgia
- Leads the Saints, and ranks tied for third in the league in goals scored (7) and points (14)
- Weigelt also leads the league in game-winning goals (3)
- Moved into a tie for sixth all-time in D2 program history in career goals
Defensive Player of the Week
Filip Hornburg, Flagler
Sophomore, Defender
- Led a Flagler defense that only surrendered one goal during a 2-0 week
- Played all 90 minutes in both matches, and recorded a clean sheet against Clayton State
- Netted third goal of the season in a 4-0 victory over the Lakers
Goalkeeper of the Week
Xander LaBelle, Flagler
Junior, Goalkeeper
- Led Flagler to a 2-0 week and only surrendered one goal
- Recorded his second clean sheet of the season in a 4-0 win over Clayton State
- Smothered a season-high nine saves against the Lakers
- Became the first Flagler goalkeeper since 2013 to record an assist
- LaBelle has two clean sheets on the season with 0.92 goals against average in 6 games played
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Player of the Week
Angele Hills, Lander
Redshirt Sophomore, Forward
- Helped Lander to a 1-0 week with a 4-1 victory over USCA
- Recorded her first career hattrick in the victory, completing it by the 48th minute
- Hills put four shots on goal and took seven throughout the game.
- She is now tied for fourth in the conference with six goals.
Defensive Player of the Week
Langley Stewart, Lander
Sophomore, Defender
- Stewart anchored the Lander defense in a 4-1 win over USCA on Wednesday, playing the full 90 minutes.
- The Bearcats allowed only three shots on goal and six shots total.
- Stewart also picked up an assist during the match.
Goalkeeper of the Week
Graysen Asher, USC Beaufort
Senior, Goalkeeper
- Played all 90 minutes vs GSW in a 0-0 tie
- Had her second shutout of the season
- Faced 7 shots, two on target, making 2 saves
VOLLEYBALL
Player of the Week
Marley Middlebrooks, Flagler
Junior, Outside Hitter
- Middlebrooks helped lead the Saints to a 2-0 weekend along with staying undefeated in conference play and sitting on a 15-game winning streak
- Recorded her 13th double-double on the season. Posted 33 total kills (4.71 per set), 30 digs (4.3 per set). She also made one assist, three aces, five blocks and 38.5 total points.
- Friday night for the sweep at Lander, she generated 11 kills averaging 3.67 per set with 15 digs averaging 5.0 per set. Made one assist, an ace, three blocks and 13.5 points.
- In a four-set match at Georgia College, she recorded 22 kills averaging 5.5 per set and 15 digs averaging 5.0 per set. Produced two aces, two blocks and 25 total points.
- She leads the PBC in kills (273/4.07 per set) and points (317.5/4.74 per set).
- Ranked 10th in DII for total kills.
Defensive Player of the Week
Kira Bostick, USCA
Sophomore, Libero
- Guided USCA to a 2-0 week
- Accounted for match-high efforts in both wins - 16 digs in the sweep of MGSU and 17 in the four-set win over Augusta
- Also registered nine aces over the weekend
- She leads the PBC in aces (35) and aces/set (0.59) and is second overall in digs (272) and digs/set (4.61).
Setter of the Week
Jillian Young, Flagler
Freshman, Setter
- Commanded the Saints offense to an undefeated weekend as they sit on a 15-game winning streak
- Posted 53 assists averaging 7.57 per set, 17 digs, six aces, two kills and eight total points.
- On Friday nights sweep at Lander, Young generated 19 assists (6.33 per set), four aces and five digs for a total of four points.
- In a four setter at Georgia College, she recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 34 assists (8.50 per set) and 12 digs (3.0 per set). She also produced two kills, two aces and four total points.
- Young leads the PBC in assists (529/8.27 per set).