Athletes of the Week for February 24, 2020
Women’s Basketball
Julianna Okoniewski — University of Rochester — Selkirk, NY (Bethlehem Central)
University of Rochester sophomore forward Julianna Okoniewski averaged 17.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game as the Yellowjackets posted road wins over Case Western Reserve University and Carnegie Mellon University. She totaled 16 points, 14 boards, and three steals in a 58-54 win over the Spartans on Friday, and contributed 18 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high six blocks in the Yellowjackets’ 67-62 victory over the Tartans. Okoniewski shot 45.5 percent from the field (15-of-33).
Men’s Basketball
Monty Khela — Case Western Reserve University — Sacramento, CA (West Campus)
Case Western Reserve University senior guard Monty Khela averaged 25.0 points, shooting 60.0 percent from the floor and three-point range, to lead the Spartans to home wins over University of Rochester and eighth-ranked Emory University. He hit four of six 3-pointers and finished with 20 points in the Spartans’ 88-87 overtime victory over the Yellowjackets on Friday, and then netted 30 points, hitting five of nine from beyond the three-point line, in an 83-78 win over the Eagles.
Women’s Fencing
Jessica Gets — Brandeis University — Morganville, NJ (Freehold Township)
Maggie Shealy — Brandeis University — Chapel Hill, NC (East Chapel Hill)
Brandeis University senior Jessica Gets and first-year fencer Maggie Shealy each earned bronze medals at the 2020 North Eastern Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Championships at Vassar College. Each finished 10-2 in the team competition and went 3-2 in pool play to advance to the direct elimination with Gets competing in the foil and Shealy in the sabre. Each upset a higher seed in the quarterfinals before falling in the semifinals.
Men’s Fencing
Lucas Lin — Brandeis University — Plano, TX (Plano West)
Brandeis University sophomore Lucas Lin took the bronze medal in the sabre at the 2020 North Eastern Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Championships at Vassar College. He finished 10-1 in team competition to qualify for pool play, where he posted a 4-1 mark to earn the second seed in the direct elimination. Lin won 15-7 in the quarterfinals before falling to the eventual champion, 15-11, in the semifinals.
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Caitlyn VonFeldt — Case Western Reserve University — Kennesaw, GA (Haddam-Killingworth)
Junior Caitlyn VonFeldt led two Case Western Reserve University relay squads to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships at the Midwest Invitational. She swam on the 400-yard medley relay that notched an NCAA “B” cut time of 3:50.33 in the time trial and helped lead the 200-yard freestyle relay to a “B” cut time of 1:35.49 in the preliminaries. VonFeldt recorded a time of 56.23 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke in the medley relay that ranks 23rd in NCAA Division III this season.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Justin Britton — Carnegie Mellon University — Falls Church, VA (George Mason)
Junior Justin Britton was part of two Carnegie Mellon record-setting performances on Saturday at the Kenyon College Fast Chance Invitational. He set the program mark in the 100-yard butterfly in 48.25 seconds, which ranks eighth in NCAA Division III this season. Britton swam the first leg of the 400-yard medley relay that set a program record in 3:17.90, the 13th-fastest in NCAA Division III this season.
Women’s Indoor Track and Field
Laura Darcey — University of Chicago — Teddington, England (The Lady Eleanor Holles School)
Senior Laura Darcey broke the University of Chicago record in the 60-meter dash at the Margaret Bradley Invitational. Her time of 7.75 seconds ranks 12th in NCAA Division III this season in her first time competing in the event in her collegiate career.
Isabel Maletich — University of Chicago — Woodridge, IL (Downers Grove North)
Sophomore Isabel Maletich of University of Chicago posted the fifth-best triple jump mark in NCAA Division III history at the Margaret Bradley Invitational. Her leap of 12.58 meters shattered the program and facility record and is the top Division III distance this season by 0.52 meters. Maletich added a win in the long jump (5.74 meters).
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Jacob Ridderhoff — Washington University — Woodridge, IL (Downers Grove North)
Greig Dimailig — Washington University — La Grange, IL (Fenwick)
Arthur Santoro — Washington University — Chicago, IL (Jones College Prep)
Nick Matteucci — Washington University — Des Peres, MO (Parkway South)
The distance medley relay unit of sophomore Jacob Ridderhoff, junior Arthur Santoro, and seniors Greig Dimailig and Nick Matteucci broke the Washington University record at the Illinois College Hilltop Invitational on Friday. Their time of 9:56.14 ranks second in NCAA Division III this season.
Alexander Scott — University of Chicago — Plover, WI (Stevens Point Area)
Senior Alexander Scott of University of Chicago swept the shot put and weight throw events at the Margaret Bradley Invitational. His heave of 17.38 meters in the shot put would rank fourth in NCAA Division III this season if he was not already ranked third. Scott won the weight throw with a mark of 16.35 meters.
Wrestling
Kade Loughney — NYU — Long Valley, NJ (West Morris Central)
NYU sophomore Kade Loughney captured the 165-pound championship at the Futures Tournament in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Sunday. He won by decision in the quarterfinals, technical fall in the semifinals, and recorded a fall just 1:06 in the final to win the title.
Baseball - Hitter
Luke Hall — Brandeis University — Georgetown, MA (Georgetown)
Junior catcher Luke Hall batted .500 with a 1.000 slugging percentage to help lead Brandeis University to a 5-0 start this week, its best opening to a season since 2002. He finished 11-for-22 with 12 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, two home runs, and nine runs batted in. Hall registered at least one hit in every game, including three multiple-hit contests, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI in a 14-2 win over Elmira College.
Baseball - Pitcher
Matt Ashbaugh — Washington University — Houston, TX (St. Thomas)
Senior pitcher Matt Ashbaugh tossed 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball as eighth-ranked Washington University opened the season with a 10-0 win over Hendrix College in the Bears’ season opener. He allowed four hits and struck out three hitters.
Softball - Hitter
Sarah Katz — Emory University — Lake Charles, LA (Barbe)
Emory University senior second baseman Sarah Katz hit .444 (4-for-9) with three runs scored and four runs batted in as the second-ranked Eagles opened their season with a split with 15th-ranked Birmingham-Southern College. She totaled two hits, including a double, and two runs scored in an 8-4 Eagles’ win in the first game and drove in four runs in a 12-10 loss in the nightcap.
Softball - Pitcher
Sydney Goldman — Brandeis University — Sherman Oaks, CA (Notre Dame)
Brandeis University sophomore pitcher Sydney Goldman tossed a pair of complete game wins as part of a 2-1 week in a 2-2 week for the Judges. She allowed three earned runs in each start, in 7-3 Judges’ victories over Occidental College and Whittier College. Goldman posted a 3.00 earned run average, while striking out 16 batters in 21 innings.
Women’s Tennis
Anastasiia Balyk — NYU — Odessa, Ukraine (Boca Prep International, FL)
NYU first-year player Anastasiia Balyk won all four of her matches as the 19th-ranked Violets defeated 24th-ranked Swarthmore College and 25th-ranked Christopher Newport University. She dropped just seven games in posting two wins at No. 4 singles and teamed with Coco Kulle for 8-2 and 8-1 victories at second doubles.
Men’s Tennis
Hassan Kenawi — Emory University — Katy, TX (Weil College Prep, CA)
Emory University senior Hassan Kenawi posted a combined 4-1 record to help lead the top-ranked Eagles to the title at the ITA Division III National Men’s Team Indoor Championship. He teamed with sophomore Andrew Esses for three wins at No. 3 doubles, including 8-7 in a 5-4 win over UAA rival Brandeis University in the semifinals, and 8-3 in a 5-3 victory over second-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in the championship. Kenawi also recorded a 7-5, 6-1 win at sixth singles against the Judges and was leading 4-3 in the third set against the Stags when teammate Rex Serituk clinched the match.
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.