CLEVELAND, OH (April 4, 2000) -- Marshall's Sam O'Dell (golf) and Central Michigan's Nikki
Liphardt (gymnastics) were named the MAC Scholar Athletes of the Week on
April 4, 2000.
Liphardt (Sr., 3.23, physical education, Ajax, Ontario) qualified for
the NCAA gymnastics championship in the floor exercise. She tied for
first place on the floor (9.925) at the NCAA regional on April 1.
O'Dell (Sr., 3.40, biology, Hurricane, W.Va.) won the University of
Kentucky's Johnny Owens Invitational golf tournament over the weekend.
The team captain shot rounds of 70, 70 and 71 for a five-under-par total
of 211. He finished with a three-stroke advantage over second-place
finisher Chris Campbell of Louisville. O'Dell led Marshall to a
second-place team finish at the 16-team tournament.
The MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honor is presented to a MAC male and
female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0
or better and performs well during that week's competition. The winners
are selected by one of the conference's faculty athletic
representatives.
Female Nominees:
Akron: Christy Smith (track and field, Sr., 3.08, physical education,
Columbus, Ohio) was a triple winner at last weekend's Akron Quad track
meet. Smith finished with 27 points after winning the 100 hurdles
(14.10), the long jump (19'6.75") and triple jump (38'8.75").
Ball State: Gina Tranquada (tennis, Jr., 3.47, business, Pickering,
Ontario) was undefeated this past weekend in helping BSU to 7-0 sweeps
over Buffalo and Akron. Tranquada posted two-set victories at No. 1
singles (6-2, 6-0 vs. Buffalo and 6-3, 6-1 vs. Akron). She also
combined with Darcy Poulos for an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles against the
Bulls. Tranquada is 15-13 overall in singles this season including 2-2
in the MAC and is 15-11 in doubles, 2-1 in MAC play.
Bowling Green: Jessie Milosek (softball, So., 3.86, human movement
science , Brighton, Mich.) had a 1-0 record and a perfect 0.00 ERA last
week. She threw complete-game one-hitter as BG opened MAC play with a
Friday win against Western Michigan. She missed the second game and
the double-header against NIU as she had to leave campus for a funeral
immediately following the first game against WMU. Milosek returned in
time for the game at Oakland on Sunday and threw two innings of one-hit
relief. She gave up just two hits in nine innings of work. Milosek
walked one and struck out one in the game. She is 15-1 on the year with
a 0.68 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .190 against Milosek.
Kent: Kristy High (gymnastics, Sr., 3.75, exercise sciences, Cortland,
Ohio) tied for 10th place on the floor exercise with a 9.875 at the NCAA
Region V Championships. She tied for 12th place on the beam with a
9.725. Both scores were team highs for the meet.
Marshall: Nichole Corrigan (softball, So., 3.74, criminal justice,
Corona, Calif.) went 2-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a three-run
triple in Marshall's 4-3 upset win at Kent. Corrigan's game-winning
triple came with an 0-2 count in the top of the seventh and final inning
of the game.
Ohio: Katie Geib (track and field, Sr., 3.89, engineering, Erie, Pa.)
won the 800-meters and placed second in the high jump at the McDonalds
Ohio Invitational on April 1. Geib won the 800-meter dash the week
before at Navy and tied for first place in the high jump.
Toledo: Keli Higgins (golf, So., 3.29, business, Grand Rapids, Mich.)
tied for second place at the Grand Valley State Spring Invitational.
Her score of 156 (77-79) was just three strokes behind the medallist.
Higgins led the Rockets to a first-place team finish, 10 strokes ahead
of fellow MAC schools Bowling Green and Western Michigan.
Male Nominees:
Akron: Mark Malaska (baseball, Jr., 3.05, physical therapy,
Youngstown, Ohio) was 4-12 (.333) with two home runs, a double, two runs
scored and five RBIs (including a winner over defending MAC Champion
Ball State) in four games last week.
Ball State: Andrew Seni (tennis, So., 3.98, business, Kettering, Ohio)
was perfect in his two matches last week to help BSU to a 7-0 win over
Eastern Michigan. Seni posted a 6-0, 6-3 at No. 3 singles, then
combined for a 9-7 win at No. 2 doubles. He is 13-14 overall in singles
this season, 2-0 in the MAC. He has also combined for a 9-7 overall
doubles mark, including a 2-0 MAC record.
Bowling Green: Alan Gilhousen (baseball, Sr., 3.10, accounting, Canton,
Ohio) started all six games last week and batted .381 (8-for-21) with
six runs scored, four RBI and a triple. He went 5-for-10 in the last
three games of the week. Gilhousen singles in BG's fifth run in
Sunday's 5-4 win over EMU. He had a two-out two-run single in BG's four
run fourth inning in Saturday's 9-6 come-from-behind win.
Central Michigan: Scott Pieratt (baseball, Sr., 3.50, elementary
education, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) helped CMU win three of four games on
the weekend. He hit 11-of-24 with six runs scored, 11 RBI, a home run
and two doubles.
Kent: Brian Hallett (track & field, So., 3.65, industrial technology,
Norton, Ohio) finished second in the shot put at the Raleigh Relays with
a throw of 58'9.25" on March 31.
Miami: Brady Nori (baseball, Jr., 3.26, elementary education,
Middletown, Ohio) has now hit safely 14 straight games, which is the
second highest on the team this season, and has led the RedHawks to a
perfect 5-0 record this week. Miami improved to 19-7 overall, 4-0 in
MAC play. In Miami's 7-4 victory at Xavier on Wednesday, Nori went
3-for-4 with two RBI and a clutch two-run single in the fourth inning.
For the week, he batted .500 (8-for-16) with five runs and four RBI.
Coming into the week, Nori was batting .301, but raised his average to
.337 after Sunday's game. He has also registered 10 multiple-hit games
on the year, including two last week.
Ohio: Joe Hill (golf, Sr., 3.34, sport industry, Frankfort, Ohio)
finished 12th at the Johnny Owens Invitational, hosted by Kentucky. He
led the Bobcats to a fourth-place team finish. It marked the second
time this season that he has led his team and his fourth top-15 finish.
His score of 221 is his lowest three-round tournament score of the
season, while his third-round 71 matches his season-low round.
Previous Winners Female
Week 1 (Sept. 7) Ashlie Case, Akron (volleyball)
Week 2 (Sept. 13) Jennifer Mitchell, CMU (volleyball)
Kerri Schoultz, BSU (field hockey)
Week 3 (Sept. 20) Kim Branam, Akron (volleyball)
Week 4 (Sept. 27) Jocelyn Teall, BSU (field hockey)
Week 5 (Oct. 5) Alissia Thompson, MIA (volleyball)
Week 6 (Oct. 11) Sally Northcroft, BSU (field hockey)
Week 7 (Oct. 19) Heather Fueger, Ohio (women's golf)
Week 8 (Oct. 25) Courtney Seyferth, Miami (field hockey)
Week 9 (Nov. 2) Sally Northcroft, BSU (field hockey)
Week 10 (Nov. 9) Carrie Patterson, Kent (volleyball)
Week 11 (Nov. 15) Katie Mullen, Ohio (volleyball)
Week 12 (Nov. 23) Tennille Hileski, CMU (volleyball)
Week 13 (Nov. 29) Emily Sallee, BSU (volleyball)
Week 14 (Dec. 6) Emily Bresser, Ohio (swimming)
Week 15 (Dec. 13) Erinn Hitch, BSU (swimming)
Week 16 (Jan. 10) Tara Perrier, Buffalo (basketball)
Week 17 (Jan. 19) Laura Szczepanski, BSU (gymnastics)
Week 18 (Jan. 24) Jamie Stewart, Miami (basketball)
Week 19 (Jan. 31) Angie Farmer, BGSU (basketball)
Week 20 (Feb. 8) Laura Szczepanksi, BSU (gymnastics)
Week 21 (Feb. 15) Erica Glover, Akron (basketball)
Week 22 (Feb. 21) Tara Overaitis, Toledo (basketball)
Week 23 (Feb. 29) Kim van Selm, Ohio (swimming & diving)
Week 24 (Mar. 7) Julie Studer, Kent (basketball)
Week 25 (Mar. 14) Nikki Liphardt, CMU (gymnastics)
Week 26 (Mar. 21) Marny Oestreng, BGSU (gymnastics)
Week 27 (Mar. 28) Katie Geib, Ohio (track & field)
Week 28 (Apr. 5) Nikki Liphardt, CMU (gymnastics)
Previous Winners Male
Week 1 (Sept. 7) Chad Pennington, Marshall (football)
Week 2 (Sept. 13) Blake McDowell, EMU (cross country)
Week 3 (Sept. 20) Jason Strasser, BGSU (football)
Week 4 (Sept. 27) Tim Lester, WMU (football)
Week 5 (Oct. 5) Tim Rice, Toledo (men's golf)
Week 7 (Oct. 19) Scott Niles, WMU (football)
Week 8 (Oct. 25) Zac Derr, Akron (football)
Week 9 (Nov. 2) Jon Eaton, Akron (football)
Week 10 (Nov. 9) Brian Billips, Ohio (swimming & diving)
Week 11 (Nov. 15) Karoly Bozan, Kent (cross country)
Week 12 (Nov. 23) Andy Brumbergs, Miami (football)
Week 13 (Nov. 29) Mike Ensminger, Miami (basketball)
Week 14 (Dec. 6) Demetric Shaw, Kent (basketball)
Week 15 (Dec. 13) Dan Hickey, Buffalo (swimming)
Week 16 (Jan. 10) Brian Baughman, Kent (wrestling)
Week 17 (Jan. 19) Jason Grunkemeyer, Miami (basketball)
Week 18 (Jan. 24) T.J. Lux, NIU (basketball)
Week 19 (Jan. 31) Dale Cowper, WMU (track & field)
Week 20 (Feb. 8) Brian Billips, Ohio (swimming & diving)
Week 21 (Feb. 15) David Webber, CMU (basketball)
Week 22 (Feb. 21) Chad Kamstra, Toledo (basketball)
Week 23 (Feb. 29) David Webber, CMU (basketball)
Week 24 (Mar. 7) Dan Bednar, Ohio (wrestling)
Week 25 (Mar. 14) Jason Stewart, Miami (basketball)
Week 26 (Mar. 21) Nate Tekavec, Miami (baseball)
Week 27 (Mar. 28) Demetric Shaw, Kent (basketball)
Week 28 (Apr. 5) Sam O'Dell, Marshall (golf)