Athletes of the Week for November 21, 2022
Women’s Cross Country
Annika Urban — Emory University — Pittsburgh, PA (Fox Chapel)
Emory University senior Annika Urban closed out her remarkable season with All-America honors, placing sixth at the NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championship in Lansing, Michigan. Her six-kilometer time of 22:09.2 earned her the second top-10 finish in program history and her second All-America honor.
Men’s Cross Country
Scott Sikorski — University of Rochester — Chicago, IL (Nazareth Academy)
University of Rochester senior Scott Sikorski earned All-America honors with a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Championship in Lansing, Michigan. He covered the eight-kilometer course in 25:25.5 to improve 174 places from last year’s championship. Sikorski became the 16th runner in program history to earn All-America honors and first since 2011.
Women’s Soccer – Offense
Camryn Hartman — Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland, OH (Magnificat)
Graduate student forward Camryn Hartman scored one goal and added three assists to lead Case Western Reserve University to two wins and its first trip to the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals. She assisted on a goal by Aniya Hartzler for the first goal and added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute in a 3-1 victory over 15th-ranked Loras College in the regional semifinal. Hartman assisted on the first and final goals in the regional final as the Spartans scored four consecutive second-half goals to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 win over sixth-ranked William Smith College.
Women’s Soccer – Defense
Katie Rishel — Case Western Reserve University — Pittsburgh, PA (Pine-Richland)
Sophomore defender Katie Rishel played all 180 minutes on the backline as Case Western Reserve University hosted a pair of ranked team victories to earn its first trip to the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals. The defense limited 15th-ranked Loras College to seven shots on goal in a 3-1 Spartans’ win on Saturday and then held sixth-ranked William Smith College without a shot after the 59th minute in a 4-2 come-from-behind victory on Sunday.
Men’s Soccer – Offense
Lyndon Hu — University of Chicago — Acton, MA (Acton-Boxborough)
Sophomore midfielder Lyndon Hu converted a penalty kick in the regional final to give second-ranked University of Chicago a 1-0 win over fifth-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College and a spot in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship semifinals. He assisted on a goal as the Maroons scored four times in the second half to defeat University of St. Thomas (TX), 4-1, in the regional semifinal.
Men’s Soccer – Defense
Griffin Wada — University of Chicago — Villanova, PA (The Haverford School)
Center back Griffin Wada anchored the University of Chicago defense that limited fifth-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College to one shot on goal in a 1-0 Maroons’ win in the regional final of the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship. The Maroons yielded one goal and six shots on goal in a 4-1 regional semifinal victory over University of St. Thomas (TX).
Volleyball
Olivia Lewandowski — NYU — San Diego, CA (Del Norte)
NYU sophomore outside hitter Olivia Lewandowski registered career-highs of 23 kills and 21 digs to lead the Violets to a four-set win over Transylvania University in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship quarterfinals. She added 13 kills and seven digs in a four-set loss to Trinity University (TX) in the national semifinals. Lewandowki hit .274 and averaged 3.50 digs per set as the Violets posted their best finish since a runner-up spot in 2003.
Lindsey Hirano — NYU — South Pasadena, CA (South Pasadena)
NYU sophomore libero Lindsey Hirano recorded 63 digs in two matches to set the program’s single-season record with 807. She recorded 30 digs and six assists in the Violets’ four-set win over Transylvania University in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship quarterfinals. She totaled 33 digs and four assists in a four-set loss to Trinity University (TX) in the national semifinals.
Women’s Basketball
Grace Hynes — University of Chicago — Chicago, IL (Mother McAuley)
University of Chicago senior guard Grace Hynes averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game to lead the Maroons to a pair of wins. She netted a career-high 32 points in an 83-72 Maroons’ win over Colorado College, adding eight boards and five assists. Hynes totaled 16 points and five rebounds in a 72-49 win over North Park University. In two games, she shot 51.7 percent from the floor (15-for-29), 42.9 percent from three-point range (3-of-7), and 88.2 percent from the free throw line (15-for-17).
Men’s Basketball
Kevin Sax — Carnegie Mellon University — Highlands Ranch, CO (Thunder Ridge)
Carnegie Mellon University senior forward Kevin Sax posted career-highs with 25 points and 14 rebounds in the Tartans’ 98-90 double overtime victory over Denison University. He hit 10 of 13 field goals and five of six free throws, while adding two assists, two steals, and one block.
Ryan Algier — University of Rochester — Fairport, NY (Fairport)
University of Rochester graduate student Ryan Algier was named Most Valuable Player of the Mark’s Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout, averaging 22.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high 28 points and pulled down a game-high eight boards in a 75-69 win over Nazareth College on Saturday. Algier hit six of seven field goals, including four of five 3-pointers, to score 16 points in the Yellowjackets’ 81-76 comeback win over St. John Fisher College on Thursday. In two games, Algier shot 73.9 percent from the floor (17-for-23) and 63.6 percent from three-point range (7-of-11).
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Savannah Xu — Carnegie Mellon University — Chapel Hill, NC (Chapel Hill)
First-year swimmer Savannah Xu broke two Carnegie Mellon University records and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in five events, including three individual events at the Kenyon College Total Performance Invitational. She posted the second-fastest times in NCAA Division III this season in the 200-yard individual medley (2:02.89) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:00.09). Xu set the Tartans’ record in the 200 IM and the 100-yard butterfly with a preliminary time of 55.86 seconds, which ranks ninth nationally this year.
Annabel Olivo — University of Chicago — Aurora, IL (West Aurora)
First-year swimmer Annabel Olivo broke a University of Chicago record and posted several nationally ranked times at the Maroons’ Phoenix Fall Invitational. She won the 100-yard freestyle in a Maroon-record time of 50.29 seconds, which ranks second in NCAA Division III this season. Olivo captured the 50-yard freestyle in 23.58 seconds and the 100-yard backstroke in 56.10 seconds, which sit fifth and seventh, respectively in the nation. She swam on four relays that posted top-three NCAA Division III times this season, including the nation’s fastest time in the 800-yard freestyle relay (7:26.25).
Cynthia Tang — University of Chicago — Eastvale, CA (Stanford)
Sophomore Cynthia Tang of University of Chicago exceeded the NCAA Division III diving regional qualifying marks in both events at the Maroons’ Phoenix Fall Invitational. She finished first on the one-meter board (476.50 points) and second in the three-meter event (471.25).
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Peter Meng — Case Western Reserve University — Alpharetta, GA (Alpharetta)
Case Western Reserve University sophomore Peter Meng set two school records and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in three events at the Magnus Cup Invitational. He surpassed the NCAA “B” mark with a program-record time of 15:36.75 in the 1,650-yard freestyle, which ranks second in NCAA Division III this season. Meng also met the “B” standard in the 500-yard freestyle (4:31.07) and the 400-yard individual medley (3:58.75), which rank third and fourth, respectively, in the nation. He broke the program record from 2014-15 in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:29.11.
Jesse Ssengonzi — University of Chicago — Cary, NC (Green Hope)
University of Chicago junior Jesse Ssengonzi swam the fastest NCAA Division III time this season in the 200-yard butterfly and swam on three relays that rank first or second as the Maroons hosted the Phoenix Fall Invitational. His time of 1:45.84 in the event broke the program and pool record, and leads the nation by 2.4 seconds. Ssengonzi broke the pool record in the 100-yard butterfly with a preliminary time of 47.71 seconds in an event he won in 47.78 seconds. He swam on the 400-yard medley relay that recorded the top NCAA Division III time this season in 3:14.42, and the 200-yard medley (1:29.38) and 400-yard freestyle (2:58.29) relays that both rank second in the nation.
Spencer Dearman — University of Chicago — Oakton, VA (Oakton)
University of Chicago freshman Spencer Dearman topped the NCAA Division III diving regional qualifying marks in both events at the Maroons’ Phoenix Fall Invitational. He captured the three-meter board (530.65 points) and placed second in the one-meter event (484.55).
Wrestling
Cole Fibranz — University of Chicago — Sartell, MN (Sartell)
University of Chicago senior Cole Fibranz earned three first-period pins and one technical fall as he placed second in the 285-pound weight bracket at the Concordia University Wisconsin Open. He recorded falls at 2:11, 2:56, and 2:46, respectively, in his first three bouts. Fibranz earned a technical fall, 16-0, over his opponent from North Central College in the semifinals before falling to his Wabash College opponent in the final.
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.