Athletes of the Week for March 9, 2020
Women’s Basketball
Janean Cuffee — NYU — New York, NY (The Lawrenceville School)
NYU junior guard Janean Cuffee scored 24 points in each of two NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship games as the Violets reached the tournament’s second round. She added seven rebounds and a pair of steals in the Violets’ 81-62 win over Emmanuel College on Friday. Cuffee hit four 3-pointers in an 86-67 loss to Bowdoin College on Saturday.
Men’s Basketball
Jack Nolan — Washington University — Downers Grove, IL (Benet Academy)
Washington University junior guard Jack Nolan averaged 26.5 points per game and shot 52.6 percent from the field in two NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship wins. He totaled 29 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists in a 102-68 victory over Bethany Lutheran College on Friday. Nolan connected on six 3-pointers and scored 24 points in a 79-58 win at seventh-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan University in the second round on Saturday.
Women’s Fencing
Maggie Shealy — Brandeis University — Chapel Hill, NC (East Chapel Hill)
Brandeis University first-year fencer Maggie Shealy placed sixth in the sabre at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships. She finished 6-0 in the first round and split six matches to advance to the final pool, where she posted a 6-5 mark.
Men’s Fencing
Sam Bekker — NYU — Brooklyn, NY (Midwood)
NYU junior Sam Bekker placed fifth in the epee at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships at Cornell University. He finished 17th in pool play and earned five wins in the final round to place fifth.
Women’s Indoor Track and Field
Niamh Kenney — Brandeis University — Hanover, MA (Hanover)
Junior Niamh Kenney of Brandeis University ran the fifth-fastest NCAA Division III time in the 3,000-meter run this season at the Tufts University National Qualifying Meet. She won the race in 9:51.40, which lowered her personal best by nearly 10 seconds and qualified her for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Zi’Onay Walker — Washington University — Flossmoor, IL (Homewood-Flossmoor Community)
Sophomore Zi’Onay Walker of Washington University won the triple jump at the Wartburg College Qualifier. Her leap of 11.77 meters broke the meet record and ranks 10th in NCAA Division III this season.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Andrew Whitaker — Washington University — West Chester, OH (Lakota West)
Junior Andrew Whitaker set a personal record in the 60-meter hurdles and ran on the fastest 1,600-meter relay in NCAA Division III this season at the Wartburg College Qualifier. He won the hurdles in 8.12 seconds, which ranks ninth in the nation this season. The 1,600-meter relay won in a time of 3:15.64.
Dominic Oddo — Case Western Reserve University — Mentor, OH (Mentor)
Senior Dominic Oddo broke his own Case Western Reserve University record in the heptathlon to finish second in the event at the Polar Bear Final Qualifier. His 4,768 points eclipsed his previous mark of 4,709 from the same event last year. Oddo won the long jump (6.85 meters) and 1,000-meter run (2:50.56), adding a runner-up finish in the high jump (1.82 meters).
Baseball - Hitter
Jacob Greene — Emory University — Alpharetta, GA (Mount Pisgah Christian)
Emory University senior Jacob Greene batted .538 (7-for-13) with one double, a home run, and four runs batted in as the Eagles swept a three-game series with University of Mary Washington. He scored three runs, stole two bases, led the team with an .846 slugging percentage, and tossed an inning of scoreless relief with two strikeouts.
Coltrane Tait — NYU — Newport Beach, CA (Sage Hill)
NYU senior outfielder Coltrane Tait batted .417 (5-for-12) with three runs scored, four doubles, and eight runs batted in during a 2-1 week for the Violets. He recorded multi-hit games and drove in seven runs in the Violets’ sweep of Stockton University on Sunday.
Baseball - Pitcher
James Robertson — Emory University — Studio City, CA (Notre Dame)
Emory University senior James Robertson tossed seven shutout innings to lead the Eagles to a 16-0 win over University of Mary Washington on Saturday. He allowed five hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out seven, retiring 16 of the final 18 batters he faced.
Softball - Hitter
Nicole Hay — Washington University — Rolling Hills Estates, CA (Palos Verdes Peninsula)
Washington University sophomore first baseman Nicole Hay hit .500 (7-of-14) with seven runs scored, two home runs, and eight runs batted in during a 3-2 week for the Bears. She added four walks, while recording a .579 on-base percentage and a 1.071 slugging percentage. Hay homered and drove in four runs in a 12-1 win over eighth-ranked DePauw University, and scored three times with another RBI in the Bears’ 17-13 victory over 19th-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Softball - Pitcher
Madison Schaefer — Emory University — Newton, MA (Newton North)
Emory University junior pitcher Madison Schaefer posted a 2-1 record and a 3.15 earned run average with 20 strikeouts in 20 innings. She tossed a shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts in a 7-0 Eagles’ win over Covenant College on Tuesday. Schaefer fanned six hitters and scattered five hits in seven innings in the Eagles’ 6-2 win over College of St. Benedict.
Women’s Tennis
Vinaya Rao — Carnegie Mellon University — Vernon Hills, IL (Adlai E. Stevenson)
Senior Vinaya Rao helped lead fifth-ranked Carnegie Mellon University to a 5-0 mark with a 7-0 record in singles and doubles. She posted a 3-0 record in singles with two wins at No. 2 and one at No. 1. Rao teamed with Lindy Cornwall for three doubles victories and added another doubles win partnering with Bin Zheng.
Men’s Tennis
James Hopper — Case Western Reserve University — Montgomery, NJ (Montgomery)
Freshman James Hopper earned a pair of wins as ninth-ranked Case Western Reserve University defeated Occidental College 7-2. He teamed with Matthew Chen for an 8-7 victory at No. 1 doubles before earning a 7-5, 6-0 win at first singles.
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.