Athletes of the Week for November 7, 2016
Men’s Cross Country
Brandon Shirazi — NYU — Manhattan Beach, CA (Mira Costa)
Sophomore Brandon Shirazi placed second in the 111-runner field to lead NYU to the team title at the ECAC Cross Country Championships. He completed the eight-kilometer course in a time of 27:10.8.
Football — Offense
Sam Benger — Carnegie Mellon University — Hingham, MA (Hingham)
Carnegie Mellon University junior running back Sam Benger rushed 29 times for 197 yards and matched a career-high with four touchdowns to lead the Tartans to a comeback 37-24 win at University of Chicago. His second score came on the last play of the third quarter on a 60-yard run to start a stretch of 30 unanswered points. Benger ranks second in NCAA Division III in scoring and fourth in rushing.
Austin Smestad — Washington University — Shoreview, MN (Mounds View)
Washington University senior running back Austin Smestad rushed 24 times for a career-high 197 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Bears to a 49-46 victory over Hendrix College. His 16-yard touchdown run opened the scoring and then he ran for two more scores in the fourth quarter, including an 80-yarder with 1:01 remaining to seal the win.
Football — Defense
Kyle Brittain — Carnegie Mellon University — Largo, FL (Clearwater Central Catholic)
Carnegie Mellon University junior linebacker Kyle Brittain recorded eight tackles and the longest interception return for a touchdown in program history as the Tartans battled from a 24-7 deficit to defeat host University of Chicago, 37-24. With 11 minutes left in the game, he returned an interception 85 yards for a score that cut the deficit to three points. Brittain added two tackles for a total loss of 11 yards.
Patrick Crossey — Case Western Reserve University — Pittsburgh, PA (Plum Senior)
Case Western Reserve University freshman safety Patrick Crossey made a career-high 13 tackles as the Spartans limited Westminster College to 62 passing yards in a 26-22 come-from-behind victory. He made 10 solo stops and forced a fumble with 11:36 remaining in the game that led to a Spartan touchdown. The 13 tackles marked a team season-high.
Football — Special Teams
Nick Annin — Washington University — Madison, WI (Madison West)
Washington University senior defensive back Nick Annin blocked the potential game-tying field goal with two minutes remaining in the Bears’ 49-46 win over Hendrix College. He added three tackles in the win.
Women’s Soccer — Offense
Katie Chandler — Washington University — Fall City, WA (Holy Names Academy)
Senior forward Katie Chandler scored in the first overtime to give Washington University a 1-0 win over eighth-ranked University of Chicago to clinch the outright UAA title for the Bears. She scored the game-winning goal in four of the Bears’ five Association wins.
Women’s Soccer — Defense
Megan Nicklay — Washington University — Lakeville, MN (Academy of Holy Angels)
Senior back Megan Nicklay led Washington University to a shutout of eighth-ranked University of Chicago as the Bears clinched the outright UAA title with a 1-0 overtime victory. She anchored the defense that limited the Maroons to five shots on goal and gave the Bears their 14th shutout of the season.
Men’s Soccer — Offense
Zack Masciopinto — Carnegie Mellon University — Arlington Heights, IL (Buffalo Grove)
Carnegie Mellon University sophomore midfielder Zack Masciopinto scored both goals in a 2-0 Tartan win over visiting Case Western Reserve University in the regular season finale. He scored in the second and 67th minutes to give the Tartans a second-place finish in the UAA. Masciopinto led all scorers with eight goals in Association play.
Men’s Soccer — Defense
Patrick Conway — University of Rochester — Acton, MA (Acton-Boxborough)
University of Rochester sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Conway made two outstanding saves in the final 13 minutes of play, to lead the Yellowjackets to a key 1-0 win over Emory University. He punched out a header with 12:28 remaining and made a save on a hard shot from 22 feet out and grabbed the rebound to seal the victory.
Volleyball
Molly Higgins — Carnegie Mellon University — Vero Beach, FL (Vero Beach)
Senior libero Molly Higgins averaged 7.64 digs per set to lead Carnegie Mellon University to its first appearance in the UAA Volleyball Championship final since 2001. She recorded a career-high 46 digs in the Tartans’ five-set win over top-seeded University of Chicago in the semifinals.
Jessica Holler — Emory University — Roswell, GA (Blessed Trinity)
Senior Jessica Holler led Emory University in kills (3.50 kills per set), attack percentage (.574), and blocks (1.00 bps) as the Eagles claimed the UAA Volleyball Championship title for the fifth time in eight seasons. She hit .714 (15-0-21) in a four-set win over host and 14th-ranked Washington University in the semifinals and hit .474 (12-3-19) in a sweep of 21st-ranked Carnegie Mellon University in the title match.
Women’s Fencing
Nina Sayles — Brandeis University — Mamaroneck, NY (Loomis Chaffee)
Brandeis University senior Nina Sayles captured a career-best second place in the sabre at the New England Fall Intercollegiate Tournament on Saturday. She finished 6-0 and out-touched her opponents by a combined 30-6 margin to earn the second seed in the elimination round. Sayles defeated opponents from Vassar College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, and Boston College to reach the gold medal match.
Men’s Fencing
Len Grazian — Brandeis University — Barrington, IL (Barrington)
Brandeis University senior Len Grazian earned a bronze medal in the foil at the New England Fall Intercollegiate Tournament on Saturday. He earned the second seed in the direct elimination bracket after allowing only three touches in six bouts in pool play. Grazian posted wins over opponents from Boston University and Sacred Heart University before edging teammate Guillermo Narvaez in the quarterfinals.
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Fiona Muir — Emory University — Great Falls, VA (Langley)
Sophomore Fiona Muir won two individual events and swam on two victorious relays to lead Emory University to a 146-97 win over defending NAIA national champions Savannah College of Art & Design. She won the 50-yard freestyle in 24.12 seconds and the 100-yard butterfly in 57.87 seconds, ranking third and seventh, respectively, in NCAA Division III this season. Muir swam on the winning 200-yard medley relay (1:45.92) and 200-yard freestyle relay (1:36.31).
Carmen White — NYU — Lake Bluff, IL (Lake Forest)
First-year diver Carmen White of NYU met the NCAA Division III regional qualifying standard in winning the one-meter dive against West Chester University on Saturday. She recorded a score of 287.90 in the event and placed third on the one-meter board with 255.25 points.
Agnes Lo — University of Chicago — Fremont, CA (Mission San Jose)
First-year diver Agnes Lo of University of Chicago won one event and met the NCAA Division III regional qualifying standard in the other dive in a dual meet loss to Washington University. She won the three-meter dive with 262.15 points and met the qualifying mark with a score of 256.05 on the one-meter board.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Mitchell Cooper — Emory University — Charlotte, NC (South Mecklenburg)
Emory University senior Mitchell Cooper provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships with the season’s fastest time in the 400-yard individual medley in the Eagles’ 142-109 victory over Savannah College of Art & Design. He won the event in a time of 4:05.76 and also captured the 100-yard butterfly in 51.42 seconds.
Connor Brisson — NYU — Greenwich, CT (Greenwich)
NYU sophomore diver Connor Brisson swept the diving competition on Saturday against West Chester University, surpassing the NCAA Division III regional qualifying standard in both events. He won the one-meter dive with a score of 290.00 and the three-meter board with a mark of 355.15.
Wrestling
John Messinger — NYU — Putnam Valley, NY (Putnam Valley)
Senior John Messinger of NYU won the 174-pound bracket at the King’s College Monarch Invitational. The senior captain finished 5-0 with two victories by fall and one by major decision.
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.