Crossroads League Announces Athletes of the Week | March 20-26

Crossroads League Athletes-of-the-Week Page

JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the league's top individual performances from March 20 through 26. Sports Information Directors from the league institutions nominate student-athletes for the awards and vote on each week's winners.

Baseball Player of the Week
Landon Raczkowski, Spring Arbor
Raczkowski led SAU to a 4-0 week by hitting .533 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in during the four victories. The junior catcher also laced three doubles, ending the week with six extra-base hits and a 1.333 slugging percentage in 15 at bats.

Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Tyler Papenbrock, Huntington
Papenbrock took a win over Bethel, limiting the Pilots to just one hit over six innings and allowing three walks. The sophomore fanned six BU hitters in the 13-1 Forester victory.

Softball Player of the Week
Sierra Norman, Marian
Norman highlighted a 4-0 week for No. 17 Marian by hitting .538 with three home runs, two doubles, nine RBI and six runs scored for the Knights in sweeps of Goshen and Saint Francis.

Softball Pitcher of the Week
Olivia Stunkel, Marian
Stunkel picked up two more wins in the circle for No. 17 Marian, posting a 1.75 earned-run average and 0.75 WHIP over 12 innings. Stunkel struck out 11 hitters and only allowed five hits.

Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Elizaveta Mikhailova, Bethel
Mikhailova scored two wins for Bethel in a 4-0 team win over IU-Southeast. Mikhailova took a three-set win at No. 1 singles and a 6-1 victory at No. 1 doubles for the Pilots.

Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Ashwin Bhat, Marian
Bhat led Marian past RV Campbellsville, 6-1, by scoring wins at No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles for the Knights.

Women's Golfer of the Week
Carolyn Pacocha, Grace
Pacocha tied for first at the Spring Tiger Invite to lead Grace in the 32-golfer tournament. Pacocha shot a 77 in the single-round event.

Women's Outdoor TF Track Athlete of the Week
Erin Oleksak, Marian
Oleksak competed in four events for Marian at the Cedarville Collegiate, winning the 100-meter hurdles, 4x100-meter relay and high jump, and provisionally qualifying for NAIA Nationals in the 100-meter hurdles and high jump.

Women's Outdoor TF Field Athlete of the Week
Erica Xayareth, Huntington
Xayareth took wins in the high jump and long jump for Huntington at the IWU Polar Bear Classic. The junior's mark of 1.74 meters in the high jump is the best in the NAIA this season and set a new HU program record.

Men's Outdoor TF Track Athlete of the Week
Eli Fullerton, Indiana Wesleyan
Fullerton opened his outdoor season with a win in the 10,000-meters on his home track. Fullerton raced to a NAIA-A standard time of 31:07.67 for the third-best time in the NAIA this season.

Men's Outdoor TF Field Athlete of the Week
Christian Rios, Marian
Rios won the discus with a NAIA A-standard distance of 49.48 meters at the Cedarville Collegiate and also scored top-five showings at the NCAA D-II event in the hammer and shot put.