ATLANTA, Ga. (October 3, 2022) – The Southern Athletic Association has announced its Players of the Week for competitions played between Sept. 26-Oct. 2 in the sports of football, field hockey, cross country, soccer, swimming, and volleyball.
MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive Player of the Week: Kristian Reed / Hendrix / Jr. / Conway, Ark.
Reed powered Hendrix to a pair of wins last week, including a big SAA victory over Millsaps. The junior got off two shots in a midweek tilt with Belhaven where the Warriors cruised to a 4-0 win. On the road in Jackson, Reed banged in two second half goals for a 2-0 win over the Majors. Hendrix is now 5-1-2 and off to its best start since the 2012 season.
Defensive Player of the Week: Michael Gul / Berry / Sr. / Cumming, Ga.
Playing center back for the entire 90 minutes, Gul was instrumental in the Vikings’ SAA win over Centre. Berry allowed just four shots in the game with only one being on target in a 2-0 victory. The win evened the Vikings conference record and gave them five shutouts on the season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive Player of the Week: Camy McKenzie / Hendrix / So. / Conway, Ark.
McKenzie led Hendrix to a pair of wins last week, scoring two goals and adding an assist for five points. She tallied the game winner against Belhaven, driving in a PK in the 63
rd minute. She also assisted on the game’s second goal in the first half. In an SAA match at Millsaps, she broke a scoreless tie in the 82
nd minute to keep the Warriors unbeaten in conference play.
Defensive Player of the Week: Sophia Coon / Berry / Jr. / Benton Harbor, Mich.
Behind a defense anchored by Coon, Berry tallied a big upset, beating 20
th-ranked Centre 2-1 on Friday. She and the back line allowed the Colonels one goal, two under their season average, and held an offense averaging 22 shots a game to 16 with just six on goal. Coon also scored the first goal of the game, breaking a scoreless tie in the 67th minute.
VOLLEYBALL
Offensive Player of the Week: Laurel Burkhardt / Sewanee / Jr. / Hoover, Ala.
Burkhardt posted two standout matches for the Tigers over the weekend, facing Millsaps and 25
th-ranked Birmingham-Southern. In two matches, she totaled 25 kills with a .344 attack percentage. She added 26 digs and assisted on five blocks for 28.5 points. Burkhardt didn’t have error against Millsaps, recording nine kills on 27 swings for a .333 percentage to go along with 18 digs. She posted 16 kills and a .351 attack percentage against BSC.
Defensive Player of the Week: Peyton Nance / Hendrix / Sr. / Deer Park, Texas
Nance had a stellar weekend as Hendrix split SAA matches with No. 7 Berry and Oglethorpe. The senior totaled 57 digs over eight sets, averaging seven digs per set overall. She posted 7.25 digs per set against Berry and seven in a four-set win over Oglethorpe. Nance also totaled two service aces and had one kill on the weekend.
FOOTBALL
Offensive Player of the Week: Michael McGhee / Sewanee / Sr. / Chattanooga, Tenn.
McGhee was nearly unstoppable on the ground for Sewanee as the Tigers narrowly dropped their SAA opener to Millsaps. The senior ran for a career-best 241 yards and a touchdown, ripping off two runs over 70 yards. His 75-yard run on the Tigers second play from scrimmage led to a touchdown and 70-yard burst in the third led to another Sewanee score. His touchdown run was a 47-yard scamper in the fourth that made it a 10-point game.
Defensive Player of the Week: Armon Wells / Centre / Sr. / Louisville, Ky.
A pick-six to seal a victory over Rhodes capped Wells big game for Centre. The senior totaled seven tackles, to go along with two sacks and two forced fumbles. His strip sack in the first led to a scoop and score that put the Colonels ahead 14-0. With Centre holding onto a 14-7 advantage and Rhodes driving late in the fourth, he picked off a Lynx pass and raced 20-yards for the Colonel’s second defensive TD of the game.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Wiley Henshaw / Rhodes / Sr. / Gurley, Ala.
Henshaw was perfect in PATs and stellar in the punting game in Rhodes close loss to Centre. The senior averaged 45.3 yards over his six punts, including a 59-yard boomer that pinned the Colonels back deep in their own end early in the crucial fourth quarter. For the game, he put Centre inside their own 20 five times.
FIELD HOCKEY
Offensive Player of the Week: RC Kugler / Rhodes / So. / Woodstown, N.J.
Kugler led the Lynx to a pair of wins last week, totaling five points. Against Division II Maryville, she assisted on the lone goal of the game, a score late in the third quarter. In SAA play against Transylvania, she tallied the game’s first and second goals, sparking an offensive explosion in Rhodes 6-0 victory. The sophomore got off 11 shots in the game, including seven on goal.
Defensive Player of the Week: Erin Bozdech / Centre / Sr. / St. Louis, Mo.
Bozdech led a stout Colonels defense that posted a pair of shutouts in three games last week. She played a total of 163 minutes and started the week by anchoring a defense that held Transylvania to just three shots, one on goal. Two days later at Earlham, Centre allowed two shots en route to a second-straight shutout. Bozdech also led an effort that stifled Denison’s high-powered offense, surrendering seven shots and one goal to close the week.
CROSS COUNTRY
Men’s Runner of the Week: Bradshaw Lathbury / Berry / Sr. / Woodstock, Ga.
Traveling to Geneseo, New York for the Mike Woods Invitational, Lathbury posted a solid time and place in a loaded field. The senior finished ninth among 365 runners, recording a time of 25:16 over the 8k course. He led the Vikings to a ninth-place team finish in the field of 24 schools.
Women’s Runner of the Week: Erin Haugh / Centre / So. / Louisville, Ky.
Running on the 2022 national championship course in Michigan, Haugh posted a time of 23:56 and finished 91
st of 316 runners that included some of the top in all of Division III. Her time was just a few seconds off her career best set at last year’s Great Lakes Regional. Centre finished 16
th as a team with 36 schools competing at the event.
SWIMMING
Men’s Swimmer of the Week: Bryan Sullivan / Millsaps / Grad / Jackson, Miss.
Sullivan started the 2022-23 season with strong swims in two meets. Against Delta State and Alabama, he finished second in the 50-yard freestyle (21.04) and fifth 100-yard butterfly (51.41). At Rhodes, he won the 50-meter freestyle (24.16) and helped the Majors finish second in the 200-meter free relay (1:44.51).
Women’s Swimmer of the Week: Cece Werth / Hendrix / Fr. / Baton Rouge, La.
Werth started her first collegiate action strong with two wins and two runner-up finishes against Division II competition. Against Ouachita Baptist, she won the 200-yard freestyle in 2:00.27 and took first in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:23.09. In the pool with Henderson State, Werth was second in the 100-yard freestyle (10:59.25) and 200-yard butterfly (2:22.90).
2022-23 Players of the Week Archive
MEN’S SOCCER (Offensive; Defensive)
Sept. 6 - Will Hawgood (Sewanee); Mitchell Fenton (Rhodes)
Sept. 12 - Coleman Jennings (BSC); JP Furman (Sewanee)
Sept. 19 – Coleman Jennings (BSC); Zach Shunnarah (Sewanee)
Sept. 26 – Tyler Cozzie (Sewanee); Zack Roberts (Hendrix)
Oct. 3 – Kristian Reed (Hendrix); Michael Gul (Berry)
WOMEN’S SOCCER (Offensive; Defensive)
Sept. 6 - Abby Walker (Birmingham-Southern); Lacey Carder (Sewanee)
Sept. 12 - Megan Propp (Rhodes); Emily Lozano (Millsaps)
Sept. 19 – Alexis Kronenthal (Centre); Julia Massa (Berry)
Sept. 26 – Mills Mullen (Centre); Julia Massa (Berry)
Oct. 3 – Camy McKenzie (Hendrix); Sophia Coon (Berry)
VOLLEYBALL (Offensive; Defensive)
Sept. 6 - Camryn Presley (Hendrix); Maggie Mathis (Rhodes)
Sept. 12 - Josie Grace-Mudd (Centre); Madi Barron (Centre)
Sept. 19 – Peyton Breissinger (Berry); Kate Whittle (Berry)
Sept. 26 – Camryn Presley (Hendrix); Sophia Cendoya (Oglethorpe)
Oct. 3 - Laurel Burkhardt (Sewanee); Peyton Nance (Hendrix)
FOOTBALL (Offensive; Defensive; Special Teams)
Sept. 6 - Jon Lewis (Birmingham-Southern); Brock Skinner (Berry); Matthew Syverson (Berry)
Sept. 12 - BJ Steward (Trinity); Caleb Harmel (Trinity); Tondarrius Stallion (Millsaps)
Sept. 19 – Michael McGhee (Sewanee); Brock Skinner (Berry); BJ Stewart (Trinity)
Sept. 26 – Luke Macias (Rhodes); Garrett Smith (BSC); Zach Ford (BSC)
Oct. 3 – Michael McGhee (Sewanee); Armon Wells (Centre); Wiley Henshaw (Rhodes)
FIELD HOCKEY (Offensive; Defensive)
Sept. 6 - Allyson Nichols (Marian); Brenna Abrahamson (Marian)
Sept. 12 - Lorri Pitock (Concordia); Carlie McKendry (Centre)
Sept. 19 – Peyton Gahm (Centre); Erin Bozdech (Centre)
Sept. 26 – Allyson Nichols (Marian); Carlie McKenry (Centre)
Oct. 3 – RC Kugler (Rhodes); Erin Bozdech (Centre)
CROSS COUNTRY (Men's; Women's)
Sept. 6 - Ashton Deriso (Oglethorpe); Emma Grace Hendrickson (Sewanee)
Sept. 12 - Reeve VanDemark (Centre); Meghan Owens (Centre)
Sept. 19 – Bradshaw Lathbury (Berry); Sophie Bouldin (Centre)
Sept. 26 – Patrick Elliott (Millsaps); Sarah Strickland (Millsaps)
Oct. 3 – Bradshaw Lathbury (Berry); Erin Haugh (Centre)
MEN’S SWIMMING (Swimmer; Diver)
Oct. 3 – Bryan Sullivan (Millsaps); none
WOMEN’S SWIMMING (Swimmer; Diver)
Oct. 3 – Cece Werth (Hendrix); none