Athletes of the Week for September 24, 2018
Football – Offense
Drew Saxton — Case Western Reserve University — South Fayette, PA (South Fayette)
Freshman quarterback Drew Saxton threw five touchdowns for the second consecutive week, helping lead 18th-ranked Case Western Reserve University to a 63-20 win over Thiel College. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 258 yards without an interception, all without taking a snap in the fourth quarter. Saxton tossed a game-long 34-yard scoring pass to Luke DiFrancesco and all five touchdown passes were 13 or more yards.
Football – Defense
Long Tran — Carnegie Mellon University — Harrisburg, PA (Susquehanna Township)
Senior defensive end Long Tran recorded three sacks for a total loss of 23 yards as Carnegie Mellon University opened its home schedule with a 42-27 victory over Saint Vincent College. With two solo and two assisted sacks, he was in on four of the Tartans’ six sacks. Tran made a career-best eight stops, including three solo hits, and added a quarterback hurry.
Football – Special Teams
Rory Hubbard — Carnegie Mellon University — Rolling Hills Estates, CA (Palos Verdes Peninsula)
Senior Rory Hubbard opened the second half with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 42-27 Carnegie Mellon University win in its home opener over Saint Vincent College. He scored on a six-yard run in the third quarter to extend the lead to 14 points and led the Tartans with 228 all-purpose yards
(81 rushing, 25 receiving, and 122 kick return).
Women’s Golf
Lydia Tsai — Washington University — Palo Alto, CA (Henry M. Gunn)
Washington University first-year player Lydia Tsai shot a one-under par 71 to lead the eighth-ranked Bears to a victory over NCAA Division II Lindenwood University on Saturday. She finished seven strokes ahead of the runner-up.
Men’s Golf
Matt Organisak — Emory University — Sudbury, MA (Lincoln-Sudbury Regional)
Emory University junior Matt Organisak helped the second-ranked Eagles to a first-place finish at the NCAA Division III Preview in Nicholasville, Kentucky. He garnered all-tournament acclaim with a runner-up finish in the 90-player field with a score of one-under par 215 (72-71-72). The Eagles recorded a second-round team score of 277, representing the program’s second best 18-hole score.
Women’s Soccer – Offense
Samantha Hilsee — Emory University — Windermere, FL (Olympia)
Emory University sophomore midfielder Samantha Hilsee scored three goals and added an assist in two Eagles’ wins over the weekend. She scored her first goal of the season in a 3-0 Eagles’ win over Piedmont College on Friday. Hilsee followed that with her first career multi-goal game, netting two goals and an assist in a 6-0 victory over Huntingdon College.
Women’s Soccer – Defense
Lauren Metz — Case Western Reserve University — Wyoming, OH (Wyoming)
Case Western Reserve University sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Metz played more than 141 minutes without allowing a goal in two wins. She made five saves in the Spartans’ 1-0 overtime win over College of Wooster on Tuesday and then recorded another shutout in Sunday’s 3-0 blanking of Washington & Jefferson College.
Shayna Levy — University of Rochester — Brewster, NY (North Salem)
University of Rochester senior midfielder Shayna Levy keyed the Yellowjackets’ defense that allowed a combined eight shots in back-to-back 1-0 wins. The defense allowed only two shots on goal and three corner kicks in the two games. Levy also converted a penalty kick in the 29th minute against Alfred University.
Men’s Soccer – Offense
Matthew Koh — University of Chicago — Santa Monica, CA (Loyola)
University of Chicago senior forward Matthew Koh scored two goals and assisted on three more as the second-ranked Maroons earned two wins. He netted the only goal as the Maroons handed host and fifth-ranked Calvin College its first defeat of the season on Saturday. Earlier in the week, Koh scored in a 7-0 rout of Carroll University and added three assists to raise his career total to a program-record 30.
Men’s Soccer – Defense
Aaron Katsimpalis — University of Chicago — Harrison Township, MI (L’Anse Creuse)
University of Chicago sophomore goalie Aaron Katsimpalis made eight saves in the Maroons’ 4-0 win over fifth-ranked and previously undefeated Calvin College, which entered the match averaging 4.0 goals per game. He made two saves in 45 minutes of a 7-0 Maroons’ win over Carroll University. Katsimpalis has not allowed a goal in his last five contests.
Women’s Tennis
Melissa Strome — Carnegie Mellon University — West Bloomfield, MI (West Bloomfield)
Danna Taylor — Carnegie Mellon University — Orlando, FL (Circle Christian School)
Sophomore Melissa Strome and first-year player Danna Taylor were crowned doubles champions of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships with Taylor also capturing the singles title. Strome, who was part of the regional doubles champions for the second time, and Taylor defeated teammates Courtney Ollis and Janabelle Wu in the final. Taylor, who was unseeded in singles, earned the championship in a three-set final, taking the third set 6-0 against her Johns Hopkins University opponent.
Jessica Liu — Case Western Reserve University — Raleigh, NC (Cary Academy)
Madeleine Paolucci — Case Western Reserve University — Grosse Pointe Farms, MI (Grosse Pointe S.)
Senior Jessica Liu and sophomore Madeleine Paolucci became the first pairing in Case Western Reserve University program history to win the main doubles draw at the ITA Division III Central Regional Championships on Sunday in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The duo, which earned All-America honors for the 2018-19 season, defeated ninth-seeded Eugenia Lee and Lauren Park of University of Chicago in the final, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 10-6.
Coco Kulle — NYU — Vienna, Austria (Choate Rosemary Hall, CT)
Flyora Shiyanova — NYU — St. Légier, Vaud, Switzerland (ES International School)
Junior Coco Kulle and senior Flyora Shiyanova won the doubles title at the ITA Northeast Regional Championships in Geneva, New York. The duo won 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the final over their opponents from Vassar College, earning their second consecutive regional title.
Men’s Tennis
Jonathan Jemison — Emory University — Marietta, GA (Lassiter)
Adrien Bouchet — Emory University — Oakton, VA (Oakton)
Seniors Jonathan Jemison and Adrien Bouchet of Emory University earned the doubles title at the ITA South Region Championships with Jemison also taking home the singles title. The duo posted five consecutive wins to earn the doubles championship, defeating teammates James Spaulding and Hayden Cassone, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the final. Jemison also finished 5-0 in singles, defeating freshman teammate Andrew Esses, 6-3, 6-0, in the final.
Volleyball
Madison Pearson — University of Chicago — Edmond, OK (Edmond North)
Junior middle hitter Madison Pearson hit .500 with 2.50 kills per set in a 3-1 week for University of Chicago, which included a four-set win over sixth-ranked Trinity University and a five-set loss at top-ranked Calvin College. She hit .667 (16-0-24) in the win over Trinity and added 13 kills with a .526 hitting percentage in the Maroons’ four-set victory over Williams College.
Emma Griffith — University of Chicago — New York, NY (Calhoun)
Sophomore setter Emma Griffith averaged 11.25 assists and 2.56 digs per set in a 3-1 week for University of Chicago. She finished with 53 assists and 14 digs in the Maroons’ four-set win over sixth-ranked Trinity University on Friday. Griffith totaled 13 digs in the Maroons’ five-set loss at top-ranked Calvin College and contributed 51 assists in a four-set victory over Williams College.
Athlete of the Week selections are drawn from nominees submitted by member institution coaches and sports information directors. UAA Athletes of the Week are selected in each sport in which the UAA sponsors competition. They are selected on the basis of their individual performances and contributions to team efforts during the past week in both Association and non-Association competition.