MIAMI, Fla. (April 3, 2023) – Sun Conference is halfway through the spring sports conference season and the standings are still open to anyone. This week had six repeats this week, welcoming nine new faces.
These awards are based on performances from March 27 to April 2.
Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week
Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week
Katie Grose – Sr. – Brighton, Mich. / Reina Thomas – Jr. – Pembroke Pines, Fla. – Ave Maria
Grose and Thomas finished the regular season with wins over Truett McConnell and St. Andrews, helping the Gyrenes finish second in The Sun Conference for the third year in a row. The duo finished 8-2 in conference play this season, and their nine overall wins made them AMU's winningest duo.
Women’s Flag Football Players of the Week
Sun Conference Women’s Flag Football Offensive Player of the Week
Jada Graham – St. Thomas | Jr. – Wide REceiver – Miami, Fla.
Jada Graham has been all of the offense for the Bobcats who are red hot on a five-game win streak going 2-0 on the week. Graham scored a touchdown in every way this week going for 285 total offensive yards and recording 5 touchdowns. The Bobcats are averaging 15 points per game in the win streak.
Sun Conference Women’s Flag Football Defensive Player of the Week
Miranda Ferradaz – St. Thomas | Jr. – Defensive Back – Miami Lakes, Fla.
Miranda Ferradaz has helped ground a defense that has led STU to a five-game win streak. This week STU picked up a huge conference victory over Webber International 25-14. The Bobcats then came and blew out Reinhardt 43-7. Ferradaz had five tackles and an interception in each game. The Bobcats are keeping opponents to under 6 points a game in the last five games.
Golfers of the Week
Sun Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week
Hoi Ki Lau – #3 Keiser | Fr. – Hong Kong
Hoi Ki Lau claimed her second individual tournament title, winning the Music City Classic last week. The native of Hong Kong shot a one-over, 217, to help lead the Seahawks to a second-place finish in the 16-team tournament. The field consisted of 14 teams that appeared in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll. During the tournament, Lau recorded a team-high 37 par putts and led the squad with nine birdies. After shooting two of the three rounds even-par, Lau has now registered seven rounds of par or under par in 23 total this season. She has notched a season stroke average of 74.52 in eight events played and has finished in the top 10 five times. She is currently ranked No. 8 in GolfStat - the highest ranked player in the Sun Conference.
Sun Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week
Juan Suarez – (RV) St. Thomas | Fr. – Doral, Fla.
Juan Suarez was the only golfer to shoot under par at the event. The tournament was cut short due to weather. The team placed second overall.
Women’s Lacrosse Players of the Week
Sun Conference Women’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Clarke Haas - #7 SCAD Savannah | Jr. – Midfielder – Pensacola, Fla.
Haas continues to be an offensive force, scoring 10 goals, five in each game this week, with one assist for a team-high 11 points as the Bees went 2-0. Currently, the Junior leads the team in goals (39) and points (44).
Sun Conference Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Leanne Windon – #11 Life | r. – Defender – Fayetteville, Ga.
Windon played a huge role in a Running Eagles' defense that limited No. 9 Ave Maria to only three goals, collecting game highs in both caused turnovers, 6, and ground balls, 8.
Baseball Players of the Week
Sun Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Danny Batcher – #1 Southeastern | Sr. – Outfielder – Ames, Iowa
Batcher allowed just one hit over eight innings of work in a 7-2 win at Ave Maria. He struck out six to pick up his seventh win of the season.
Sun Conference Baseball Player of the Week
Brian Garcia – #18 St. Thomas | Sr. – Outfielder – La Habana Cuba
Brian Garcia helped #18 St. Thomas Baseball get back on track with a series win over #6 Webber International. Garcia went 7-for-10, slugging .900 and driving in six runs. The senior reached base safely in 8-of-11 plate appearances and did not strike out.
Softball Players of the Week
Sun Conference Softball Player of the Week
Sarah Thinger – #24 Coastal Georgia | Jr. – Infielder
Has now reached base safely in 14 straight games. Was perfect in the field in 12 total chances.
Sun Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week
Madalyn Morton – Warner | Sr. - Williamsburg, VA
Madalyn Morton was lights out this week for the Royals, as she went 3-1 against Sun Conference opponents with three complete games. The Williamsburg, VA native received her only loss of the week against the STU Bobcats in a game where she threw a nine inning no hitter, with 12 strikeouts and two walks. She finished the week with just under 30 innings pitched, 11 hits given up, and an ERA of 0.48.
Tennis Players of the Week
Sun Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Violet Apisah – #1 Keiser | Sr. – Sydney, Australia
Led by Apisah on court one, the top-ranked Seahawks added three more wins to their record this week with their fifth over a top-5 Division II team. Apisah was dominant throughout her matches, needing seven or fewer games in all but one set. In doubles, the Australian pairing continued their strong run of play, improving their season record to 13-1 with three more wins.
Sun Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week
Shaheed Alam – #1 Keiser | Fr. – Singapore
Shaheed Alam had another strong week of play leading the Seahawks to three ranked wins on the week. Posting a 3-0 week on court one, Alam played at least one shutout set against each of his opponents. In doubles action, he and Martin Carrizo cruised to two wins and were on the way to a third against West Alabama when the point was clinched.
Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Sun Conference Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Julia Rohm – Southeastern | Gr. – Palm Coast, Fla.
Rohm won the 10,000 in an A Standard and anchored the winning 4x800 team
Sun Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Irmiris Mendez – Southeastern | So. – Orlando, Fla.
Irmiris was third in the Heptathlon and posted the top time in The Sun Conference and No. 5 time nationally at 11.89 in the 100 meters for an 'A' Standard.
Sun Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Davien Worrels – Southeastern | So. – Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Worrels posted the No. 2 time nationally with a 10.35 to win the Spikes Classic.
Sun Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Noam Pritchett – Keiser | So. – Zurich, Switzerland
The sophomore from Zurich placed first overall, set a program record, and hit a B-standard qualification at the Spikes Classic hosted by Embry-Riddle. Pritchett's mark is currently tied for second in the NAIA.
ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now entering its 33rd year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Under the guidance of Commissioner Dustin Wilke, the league sponsors championships in 20 NAIA sports: Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Football, Flag Football, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field, Women's Lacrosse, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field and Women’s Volleyball. Learn more at thesunconference.com
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