FOOTBALL
PSAC Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Week
Teagan Brown
Edinboro
Wide Receiver
Junior
Severn, Md. / Archbishop Spalding
Brown hauled in eight catches for 80 yards and scored the first touchdown of the game as Edinboro knocked off FCS Robert Morris, 23-21. Brown was also a critical contributor on the Scots' second scoring drive, making three catches for 48 of the drive's 55 yards, including a 29-yard reception down to the one yard line to set up the touchdown that gave Edinboro a 14-0 lead.
PSAC Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Eddie Faulkner IV
Slippery Rock
Defensive Back
Senior
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shady Side Academy
Faulkner IV was all over the field in leading a dominant defensive effort for Slippery Rock, which limited defending Northeast 10 Conference champion and preseason favorite New Haven to just seven points and 2-of-17 on third down. Faulkner had seven tackles, all solo, 2.0 solo tackles for loss, a solo sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery that he took 32 yards for a touchdown, and two pass breakups. His strip sack in the second quarter resulted in a fumble that he recovered himself and raced 32 yards for a TD, marking the first fumble recovery TD for Slippery Rock since the 2019 season. SRU was the only PSAC team to defeat a team this week that played in the NCAA Playoffs last fall.
PSAC Western Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Reed Martin
Edinboro
Punter/Kickoff
Senior
Plum, Pa. / Plum
Martin was once again a weapon in the kicking game, punting six times for an average of 43.5 yards. His 74-yard punt in the fourth quarter was downed at the 1-yard line and set up the Edinboro's game-winning safety on the very next play. Martin also landed a second punt inside the 20 as well as executing a surprise onside kick after the Scots' first touchdown of the game.
PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Athlete of the Week
Malakai Brown
Shepherd
Running Back
Senior
Martinsburg, W. Va. / Martinsburg
Brown rushed 19 times for 163 yards and a score to lead Shepherd in a 23-0 win at Southern Connecticut State. He also added three receptions for 26 yards. He ripped off a 55-yard touchdown run with 13:23 remaining in the second quarter to break the game open and give the Rams a 9-0 lead. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry for the game.
PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Freddie Retter
Kutztown
Defensive Line
Redshirt Sophomore
Quakertown, Pa. / Quakertown
Retter had an all-around standout performance during Kutztown's 24-6 win over Assumption last Thursday night at Andre Reed Stadium. The redshirt sophomore from Quakertown, Pa., finished with seven tackles, a sack, and two fumble recoveries -- including one in the endzone for a touchdown with 9:11 remaining in the fourth quarter that extended the 10th-ranked Golden Bears' lead to 24-6. Retter helped set up a third quarter field goal for KU by diving on a botched snap by the Greyhounds at the Assumption 27-yard line for his first fumble recovery of the evening. In the fourth quarter, Retter smothered his second fumble of the game -- this one coming off a strip sack by cornerback Lee Coleman -- in the endzone for KU's final points of the night. Retter was also tied for third on the team in tackles with seven (three solo, four assisted.)
PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Jerry Griffen-Batchler
Bloomsburg
Punt Returner/Wide Receiver
Junior
Norristown, Pa. / Germantown Academy
Griffen-Batchler showed off his speed and agility as a punt returner in Bloomsburg's 35-7 win over Fairmont State, returning four punts for 70 yards. He averaged 17.5 yards per return and had a long of 22 yards. He went 15 yards on his second return of the game to start the second quarter and set the Huskies up at the Bloomsburg 30 to start the drive, in which The Huskies went on to score their second touchdown of the game. Griffen-Batchler's third punt return was for 16 yards down to the Bloomsburg 45, once again setting up a short field for the Bloomsburg offense to take advantage of and score. Griffen-Batchler's longest punt return came in the fourth quarter when he went 22 yards to get down to the FSU 40, though the drive stalled on the FSU-1 yard line. He also hauled in four passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns as a wide receiver.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Western Division Athlete of the Week
Makayla Neelands
Edinboro
Outside Hitter
Sophomore
Clio, Mich. / Clio
Neelands was the top offensive threat for the Scots who went 3-1 at the Ram Rumble over the weekend. She tallied 65 kills in four matches with a .311 hitting percentage. In a 3-0 sweep over Bowie State, Neelands finished the match with 17 kills and a .600 hitting percentage. She also contributed with 35 digs, 11 service aces and seven total blocks.
Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Lauren VonderHaar
Slippery Rock
Middle Hitter
Junior
Aurora, Ohio / Aurora
VonderHaar paced The Rock’s defense with an outstanding all-around performance in leading SRU to a 3-1 record at the Fairmont State Classic. Slippery Rock earned wins over Virginia Union, Bloomsburg and host Fairmont State with a close four-set loss to Lenoir-Rhyne serving as The Rock’s lone blemish on the weekend. Over four matches, VonderHaar produced 24 total blocks (seven solo / 17 assisted) in addition to adding 18 kills on a .216 attack percentage. VonderHaar posted at least five blocks in three of SRU’s four matches last weekend with the highlight being a nine-block, seven-kill showing in a four-set win against Fairmont State.
Eastern Division Athlete of the Week
Anna Coulter
East Stroudsburg
Middle Blocker
Junior
Hershey, Pa. / Hershey
In a 2-2 week against tough competition, Coulter recorded 3.57 kills/set, with a .488 hitting percentage. In total, she tallied 50 kills, 51 points, and 13 blocks (.93 per set.) Her week-high for kills came in the 3-1 loss to Ashland, where she had 17 kills with a .483 hitting percentage.
Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Joi Fairweather
Shepherd
Right Side
Senior
Tamarac, Fla. / Cavalry Christian Academy
Fairweather recorded a team-best 23 blocks (2 solos) in a 4-0 week for the Rams. In the 3-2 win over Edinboro she totaled a week-high nine blocks (one solo) and added seven blocks (one solo) in the 3-1 victory over Mars Hill. She added 30 kills offensively.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Week
Brooklyn Respecki
Gannon
Forward
Sophomore
McKean, Pa. / General McLane
Brooklyn Respecki scored two first-half goals to break a 1-1 tie as Gannon opened the season with a 3-1 victory over an outstanding Charleston team. She led all players in the game with five shots, including four shots on goal. Respecki didn't score in a 1-0 win over Concord on Saturday, but she did take four shots, including four shots on goal.
PSAC Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Makenna Yarrow
IUP
Goalkeeper
Senior
Brandon, Miss. / Northwest Rankin / Jones College
IUP goalkeeper Makenna Yarrow made eight saves against Frostburg State in the season opener. Yarrow only allowed one goal, allowing IUP to win 2-1.
PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Week
Lia Francis
Millersville
Midfield
Freshman
Eastleigh, U.K. / Barton Peveril Sixth Form College
As a true freshman, Lia Francis made her first starting official debut for the Marauders. She not only scored the first goal of the season but found the back of the net two more times in the span of 15 minutes. She recorded her first goal and a hat trick in black and gold. She ended up giving the Marauders a comfortable 3-0 lead early to help the team win 5-1.
PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Samantha Merklin
Bloomsburg
Goalkeeper
Junior
Effort, Pa. / Pleasant Valley
Samantha Merklin has yet to concede a goal in the 2024 season, posting seven saves in a pair of shutout victories during the Huskies opening weekend. Merklin made easy work of the one shot she faced against Goldey-Beacom on Wednesday before recording six saves during the maroon and gold's trip to West Virginia State.
MEN'S SOCCER
PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Week
Per Kristian Laufstad
Gannon
Forward
Freshman
Nesoya, Norway
The freshman from Norway came off the bench midway through the first half against Lake Erie and scored his first career goal and the second of the match at the 34:36 mark. He added a second goal at 50:07. He finished with four shots, three on goal, as GU outshot LEC 23-4. Lauvstad started on Saturday against Saginaw Valley State and had two shots.
PSAC Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Adam Davies
Slippery Rock
Goalkeeper
Senior
Cranberry Township, Pa. / Seneca Valley / Rutgers
Slippery Rock goalkeeper Adam Davies recorded his third career shutout while boosting The Rock to a 1-0 start to the season after a 1-0 victory over D'Youville Thursday. Making one save in the process, Davies came up clutch late in the game when he was able to find midfielder Colton Swanson to roll the ball through traffic, who launched the ball downfield to Aitor Jorde, who ultimately scored the game-winning goal in the 87th minute.
PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Week
Maksym Komperda
West Chester
Forward
Sophomore
Whitehall, Pa. / Allentown Central Catholic
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) enjoyed a strong opening week to the 2024 season for West Chester men’s soccer, scoring a pair of goals as the Golden Rams went 1-0-1 on the week. Komperda started his week by scoring the Golden Rams lone goal vs Jefferson in a 1-1 draw in the season opener before scoring his second goal of the year on just one shot at Holy Family on Saturday afternoon.
PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Ryan Krumenacker
Shippensburg
Goalkeeper
Sophomore
Cranberry Township, Pa. / Seneca Valley
Ryan Krumenacker made five saves as SHIP blanked Chestnut Hill in its season opener, 3-0, at CHC. Last year, SHIP had to come from behind to beat CHC, 3-2. It was Krumenacker's second career shutout.
FIELD HOCKEY
PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Week
Aydan McFarland
Bloomsburg
Forward
Senior
Bloomsburg, Pa. /
Bloomsburg Area
McFarland is off to a strong start in her senior season, scoring five goals as the No. 8 Huskies opened the season 3-0. The Bloomsburg native is already more than halfway to matching her goal total from the 2023 season. She opened the season with a hat trick in the Huskies' 7-2 road victory against No. 9 Pace. She followed that performance with a goal in each of the Maroon and Gold's next two contests, a 5-0 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas and a 4-0 win against Franklin Pierce.
PSAC Field Hockey Defensive Athlete of the Week
Emma Albee
Shippensburg
Goalkeeper
Redshirt Junior
Basking Ridge, NJ / Ridge
Albee was stellar in goal as the Raiders produced a pair of shutouts in North Carolina, first blanking No. 7 Mount Olive (1-0) before blanking Belmont Abbey (6-0). Albee made three saves against Belmont Abbey but shone brightest against the host Trojans – finishing with seven saves including several critical stops at close ranges on penalty corners.
CROSS COUNTRY
PSAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Anna Igims
Slippery Rock
Senior
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Avonworth
Igims cruised to an individual win and led Slippery Rock to a team win at the Edinboro Doug Watts Open, which featured four regionally ranked teams from the Atlantic and East Regions. She won the 5K race in 17:57, finishing 22 seconds ahead of her teammate Ruthie Hughes in second place and 44 seconds ahead of the next runner from another school. Slippery Rock took the team title with 35 points after putting all five scorers in the top 16 places.
PSAC Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Dan Gibney
IUP
Senior
Stewartstown, Pa. / Kennard-Dale
Gibney won the West Liberty Invitational 6K men's race to open the 2024 season with a time of 18:45.2. It was Gibney's first collegiate cross country individual victory and the Crimson Hawks as a team finished third in the team standings behind first place West Virginia Wesleyan and second place and host West Liberty.
GOLF
PSAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Week
Alex Swinnerton
IUP
Junior
Saskatchewan, Canada / Centennial Collegiate
Swinnerton finished second at the season-opening 54-hole University of Charleston Invitational. He posted a three-round score of -6, just one stroke from tying the individual medalist. He carded rounds of 72 (+1), 68 (-3) and 67 (-4) for a total of 207 and played the front nine of his third round at -5, finishing with just one bogey over the final 18 holes. IUP as a team finished as runner-up in the team standings, just three strokes behind host Charleston for the top spot. This is the sixth career PSAC Athlete of the Week award for Swinnerton.
PSAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Week
Morgan Kunze
West Chester
Sophomore
Limerick, Pa. / Spring-Ford
Kunze fired a career-best 75 in the second round of the WCU Battlefield Classic on Tuesday afternoon to climb into 12th on the individual leaderboard and help West Chester finish third in the team standings. Kunze (+21; 165) opened the tournament with a 90 on Monday afternoon and knocked 15 strokes off her second-round score to climb four spots and help West Chester climb two spots in the first tournament of the new season.