Posted: Apr 13, 2021
LANCASTER, Pa. -- The spring 2021 Centennial Conference season is now more than halfway complete as competition continues in the sports of baseball, softball, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's outdoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field. The Centennial women's golf championship will take place this weekend at Conestoga Country Club in Lancaster, Pa.
Weekly conference awards were won by Jared Minnichbach from Ursinus baseball, Jack Vener from McDaniel baseball, Jamie Belfer and Jill Holoboski from Franklin & Marshall softball, Jack Fletcher from Gettysburg men's lacrosse, Max May from Muhlenberg men's lacrosse, Jordan Basso and Caroline Sullivan from Gettysburg women's lacrosse, Benedict Kohler from Muhlenberg men's tennis, Anjali Devireddy from Johns Hopkins women's tennis, Mickey Van Gieson from Johns Hopkins men's outdoor track & field, Josh Sproul from McDaniel men's outdoor track & field, and Ariel Keklak and Victoria Kadiri from Johns Hopkins women's outdoor track & field.
More information about the weekly award winners is provided below.
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BASEBALL
Player of the Week
Jared Minnichbach, Fr., INF, Ursinus
Langhorne, Pa. | Holy Ghost Prep
Minnichbach swung a red-hot bat on Saturday, smashing three home runs as the Bears split with Gettysburg. The freshman notched his first career round-tripper and added a double in the opener, then homered twice and drove in four more runs in the nightcap. He finished 4-for-9 with three homers, five RBIs, and three runs scored for the day with a 1.556 slugging percentage. Minnichbach's three homers now lead the conference this season.
Pitcher of the Week
Jack Vener, So., RHP, McDaniel
Easton, Md. | St. Michael's
Easton, Md. | St. Michael's
Vener led the Green Terror to a 9-2 victory in game one against first-place Franklin & Marshall. He fanned 11 batters in 8.0 innings of work, scattering six hits, walking one batter and surrendering just one earned run.
SOFTBALL
Player of the Week
Jamie Belfer, Jr., OF, Franklin & Marshall
Berkley Heights, N.J. | Governor Livingston
Belfer earned back-to-back Player of the Week honors after hitting .556 (5-for-9) during F&M's sweep of McDaniel over the weekend that propelled the Diplomats into first place. The junior left fielder drove in two runs during the game one victory, including an RBI double in the seventh before coming around to score the game-tying run during the eventual extra-inning victory. After going 3-for-5 in the opening game with a pair of runs scored, she added two more hits during the run-rule victory in game two. Belfer also showed off her defensive skills with a diving catch in bottom of eighth of game one and a backtracking grab into the left field fence during the opening frame of game two.
Pitcher of the Week
Jill Holoboski, So., P, Franklin & Marshall
South Plainfield, N.J. | South Plainfield
South Plainfield, N.J. | South Plainfield
Holoboski allowed just one earned run over nine innings of work as she was the winning pitcher in both of F&M's wins versus McDaniel on Saturday. Holoboski was the starter in game one but was removed after being hit by a pitch in the top of 1st. She re-entered the game in top of the seventh inning and proceeded to tie the game with a RBI hit and also pitch two scoreless innings, securing the 9-7 victory for F&M. Holoboski went the distance in game two, scattering six hits and one earned run while striking out three in 7.0 innings.
MEN'S LACROSSE
Offensive Player of the Week
Jack Fletcher, Sr., A, Gettysburg
Charlotte, N.C. | Providence Day School
Fletcher led Gettysburg with three goals, including the game-winner in overtime of a 10-9 triumph against No. 13 Ursinus. The senior attacker scored a man-up goal in the first half and tied the game 7-7 in the third quarter. In overtime, Fletcher evaded his defender and fired a lefty shot past the goalie to keep the Bullets perfect on the year and knock off the defending conference champions.
Defensive Player of the Week
Max May, So., GK, Muhlenberg
Hewlett, N.Y. | Hewlett
May tied a career high with 15 saves while allowing only seven goals to earn his first career win as the Mules defeated Dickinson (15-9) for the first time since 2009. May made 11 of his saves in the first half, which ended with the score tied 5-5.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Offensive Player of the Week
Jordan Basso, Fr., M, Gettysburg
Rye, N.Y. | Rye
Basso posted seven points for the second consecutive game and grabbed six draw controls as part of a 20-5 win over Ursinus. The first-year midfielder set the tone for a dominating draw inside the draw circle for Gettysburg, winning six of the game's first seven draws with the team finishing 23-of-26 overall. Basso scored a goal and dished out three consecutive assists as part of a 9-0 run in the first half before adding a goal and two helpers in the second. She tallied two goals and five assists with a 50% shooting percentage in the victory.
Defensive Player of the Week
Caroline Sullivan, Fr., M, Gettysburg
Fairfield, Conn. | Fairfield Ludlowe
Sullivan was all over the turf in a 20-5 win over Ursinus. The freshman midfielder did most of her damage in the first half, racking up four ground balls and two caused turnovers on the defensive end and tallying a goal and assist. Sullivan accounted for the game's last goal inside the final minute.
MEN'S TENNIS
Player of the Week
Benedict Kohler, So., Muhlenberg
Durban, South Africa | British International College
Kohler registered wins at No. 1 singles and doubles, helping the Mules defeat Dickinson for the first time in 18 years. In doubles, Kohler teamed with Jason Grant for a narrow 8-7(6) win as the Mules jumped out to a 3-0 advantage entering singles. In singles, he posted a 6-1, 6-3 win against Dickinson's Leonid Sorkin, the 2019 CC Rookie of the Year and first-team All-CC selection.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Player of the Week
Anjali Devireddy, So., Johns Hopkins
Austin, Texas | Westwood
Devireddy helped Johns Hopkins to a 9-0 win at Washington College with wins at first doubles and second singles. She and Emily Javedan secured the doubles sweep with an 8-2 win at the No. 1 position. Devireddy then beat Piper Sartison 6-0, 6-3 at second singles.
MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Track Athlete of the Week
Mickey Van Gieson, Gr., Johns Hopkins
Damascus, Md. | Rockville High
Van Gieson placed sixth in the 200 meters against primarily Division I competition at the George Mason Spring Invitational. Van Gieson finished the race in 22.14 seconds, which ranks tops in the Centennial and is tied for 35th nationally.
Field Athlete of the Week
Josh Sproul, Jr., McDaniel
Princess Anne, Md. | Washington Academy
Sproul won a pair of events at the Dickinson Quad Invitational on Saturday, clearing 1.92 meters to win the high jump and 6.49 meters to take the long jump title. His mark in the high jump ranks fourth in program history, while both marks rank second in the conference this season.
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Track Athlete of the Week
Ariel Keklak, Sr., Johns Hopkins
Sudbury, Mass. | Lincoln-Sudbury
Keklak had an impressive weekend in the 1,500 meters, crossing the finish line in 4:31.57 to place in the top-five at the Mason Spring Invitational against Division I competition. Keklak's time is one of the 10-fastest in JHU history and currently places her third in Division III.
Field Athlete of the Week
Victoria Kadiri, Fr., Johns Hopkins
Lynn, Mass. | Phillips Academy
Kadiri broke her own freshman record in the long jump at the George Mason Spring Invitational, upping her mark from 5.55m to 5.66m on Sunday afternoon. Her jump currently ranks atop the conference and third nationally.