Athletes of the Week for February 13, 2023
Women’s Basketball
Natalie Bruns — NYU — St. Louis, MO (Kirkwood)
Junior forward Natalie Bruns paced NYU to a pair of home wins over the other top two UAA teams as the Violets moved in to share first place. She totaled 24 points and eight rebounds in a 63-60 win over Washington University on Sunday, leaving the teams tied for first place with three games remaining. Bruns recorded 10 points and four assists in an 80-44 win over University of Chicago in 23 minutes on Friday. In the two games, she shot 58.3 percent from the floor (14-for-24) and added four blocks.
Men’s Basketball
Mitch Prendergrast — Case Western Reserve University — Dallas, TX (Dallas Jesuit)
Graduate student guard Mitch Prendergast averaged 21.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists as Case Western Reserve University posted home wins over University of Rochester and Emory University to move into a share of first place in the UAA. He recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 90-87 overtime victory over the Yellowjackets on Friday, and then hit seven 3-pointers and scored 29 points in the Spartans’ 102-75 win over the Eagles on Sunday.
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Caroline Maki — Emory University — Chester Springs, PA (Downington STEM Academy)
Emory University senior Caroline Maki was named UAA Women’s Swimmer of the Year after helping the Eagles win their 24th consecutive Association title at the 2023 UAA Swimming and Diving Championships. She helped account for six event titles, three of which broke UAA records. Maki won the 100-yard freestyle for the third consecutive time, setting UAA records in both the preliminaries and the final, and tied teammate Taylor Leone for the victory in the 100-yard butterfly. Maki swam on four victorious relays, swimming the anchor leg on record-setting wins in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays.
Veronica Fong — University of Chicago — West Vancouver, Canada (West Vancouver Secondary)
University of Chicago first-year competitor Veronica Fong was named UAA Women’s Diver of the Year at the 2023 UAA Swimming and Diving Championships. She captured the Association title on the three-meter dive (498.70 points) and took the runner-up spot in the one-meter event (451.45).
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Jesse Ssengonzi — University of Chicago — Cary, NC (Green Hope)
University of Chicago junior Jesse Ssengonzi was named UAA Men’s Swimmer of the Year at the 2023 UAA Swimming and Diving Championships. He broke Association records in the 100- (46.85 seconds) and 200-yard (1:45.32) butterfly events. Ssengonzi also swam on the Maroons’ victorious 200- and 400-yard medley relays.
Lucas Bumgarner — Emory University — Pittsburgh, PA (Mt. Lebanon)
Emory University senior Lucas Bumgarner was named UAA Men’s Diver of the Year for the fourth consecutive time, a first in Association history. and helped lead the Eagles to their 24th consecutive title at the 2023 UAA Swimming and Diving Championships. He broke his own program record to win his third consecutive title on the one-meter board with a score of 611.65 points and secured his fourth consecutive three-meter crown with a score of 593.55.
Women’s Indoor Track and Field
Emma Kelley — Washington University — St. Louis, MO (Webster Groves)
Junior Emma Kelley ran the fastest time of the NCAA Division III season in the 800-meter run at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Midwest Elite. She ran a time of 2:10.33 to win the event. Kelley ran on the Bears’ 1,600-meter relay team that ran the second-fastest time in Division III this season (3:50.79).
Jenae Bothe — Washington University — Oregon, IL (Oregon)
First-year thrower Jenae Bothe set a Washington University record in the shot put at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Midwest Elite. She took second place in the event with a heave of 13.31 meters, which ranks 22nd in NCAA Division III this season.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Andrew McGovern — Carnegie Mellon University — Lexington, MA (Lexington)
Sophomore Andrew McGovern was part of two Carnegie Mellon University records, one individual and one relay, at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational. On Friday, he was part of the distance medley relay that broke the 2017 program record with a time of 9:53.95. McGovern eclipsed the 2014 program record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:51.08, which ranks fifth in NCAA Division III this season. The Tartans’ DMR time ranks eighth in the nation.
Cody Breidenbach — Carnegie Mellon University — Nazareth, PA (Nazareth Area)
Sophomore Cody Breidenbach helped Carnegie Mellon win the 10-team Roanoke College Joe LaRocco Invitational on Saturday. He won the weight throw with a mark of 18.65 meters, which ranks eighth in NCAA Division III this season, and finished sixth in the shot put with a throw of 13.77 meters.
Simon Dixon — University of Chicago — Magalia, CA (Paradise)
Freshman Simon Dixon of University of Chicago swept the shot put and weight throw events at the North Central College Pat Heenan Invitational. He captured the shot put with a heave of 16.36 meters, which would rank sixth in NCAA Division III this season if he did not have a further throw earlier in the campaign. Dixon’s top weight throw was 15.45 meters.
Wrestling
Darian Estevez — University of Chicago — Pembroke Pines, FL (Somerset Academy)
University of Chicago sophomore Darian Estevez earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at the 2023 UAA Wrestling Championship. He pinned his first opponent from Case Western Reserve University in 5:47 before grinding out a tense 2-1 victory over his NYU opponent to secure the 165-pound title. The host Maroons edged NYU by three points to regain the Association title.
Women’s Tennis
Hannah Kassaie — Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland, OH (Mayfield)
Sophomore Hannah Kassaie won one singles match and teamed with classmate Lily McCloskey for a pair of doubles wins as Case Western Reserve University won two Saturday matches without dropping a point. The doubles tandem earned an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles against Otterbein University and 8-1 at No. 1 against Wittenberg University. Kassaie captured No. 1 singles in the latter match, 6-1, 6-1.
Men’s Tennis
James Hopper — Case Western Reserve University — Montgomery, NJ (Montgomery)
Senior James Hopper went undefeated in singles and doubles in five matches in the first weekend of the 2023 season for Case Western Reserve University. He won both his matches at No. 1 singles and all three of his first doubles matches. Hopper’s singles wins came in three sets over his regionally ranked opponent from NCAA Division II’s fifth-ranked Wayne State University and a straight-set victory over Division III regionally ranked opponent from 20th-ranked Kenyon 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.