ST. PAUL, Minn.-- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced their Athlete of the Week award winners Tuesday in the sports of baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s tennis. The awards are nominated by UMAC coaches and athletics communications staff and selected each week by the latter group.
Baseball Player of the Week
Gary Swann, Sr, Bethany Lutheran
Peoria, Ariz./Liberty
Swann helped Bethany sweep Martin Luther in the three-game UMAC series over the weekend. Swann batted 6-for-10 (.600) with seven runs, seven RBI, two doubles, two home runs, and a sac fly. He did not strike out once and improved his season batting average from .267 to .350.
Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Dreyer Homan, Sr, Northwestern
Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY
Homan pitched another gem Friday against North Central in just his third-career start. The senior struck out 9 in 7 innings, giving up just 5 hits and 1 run. He now has 30 strikeouts on the season in 3 starts.
Softball Player of the Week
GingerAnn Lucas, Fy, Minnesota Morris, INF
New Richmond, Wis.
Lucas led the Cougars across seven games batting .438. In the Cougars 3-2 win against La Verne she had one hit and scored one run. In the three-game UMAC series, she totaled three hits, five RBIs, five runs and drew four walks. In the series finale, Lucas scored the winning run. Across the week the first year third baseman tallied seven hits, six RBIs, six runs, four stolen bases, four walks, and two doubles. In the field she did not commit an error on 19 chances.
Softball Pitcher of the Week
Alyssa Thornton, Minnesota Morris
San Diego, Calif./West Hills
Thornton pitched in four games in the week going 2-2. Her first win came against the University of La Verne where she went 7 innings, striking out two batters, and only gave up five hits and two earned runs. Her other win came against Crown where she pitched a complete game shutout with seven strikeouts and only gave up one hit in the contest. Over the week she had 17 strike outs and an ERA of 4.73.
Men’s Tennis North Division Athlete of the Week
Yash Chhabra, Jr, UW-Superior
Jaipur, Rajasthan/Sanskar School
Chhabra took home a pair of victories this past Saturday as the Yellowjackets took on Wartburg. In doubles play, he joined forces with Vitor Sakakibara at No. 1 doubles to defeat the Knights 7-6 (7-3). At No. 2 singles, he defeated Robert Matera in straight sets (6-1, 6-1). With the win, Chhabra has extended his singles win streak to five.
Men’s Tennis South Division Athlete of the Week
Jorge Ortiz Catala, Jr, The W
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
MUW secured a historic victory over Principia College, marking the program’s first-ever win against Principia and just the second conference win in school history. Ortiz Catala earned a 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles before winning in straight sets at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-2.
Women’s Tennis North Division Athlete of the Week
Sarah Langridge, Fr, Northwestern
Savage, Minn./Prior Lake
Langridge had a successful weekend, going 3-1 across two team matches. The freshman won Northwestern's only point against Wartburg, gutting out a 4-6, 7-5, 10-8 win at No. 2 singles. Against Martin Luther, she moved up to No. 1 singles and secured a 6-3, 6-4 win, and added a 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles.
Women’s Tennis South Division Athlete of the Week
Kimbeley Peterson, Sr, Principia
Mutare, Zimbabwe/St. Dominic’s
Peterson went 3-0 in singles and 2-1 in doubles this past week as the team went 2-1 overall. In singles, she won 6-4, 6-0 at #3 vs Belhaven, 6-4, 6-1 at #3 vs MUW, and 6-0, 6-1 at #2 vs Monmouth. In both of her victories at #1 doubles, she and her partner Mafe Quintero did not lose a single game.