OXFORD, Ohio - The River States Conference is pleased to announce the Player of the Week honorees for the past week.
All awards represent contests played from Monday, February 9 through Sunday, February 15.
Men's Basketball Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Delon McCloud, Rio Grande | Sr. - Guard - Grand Rapids, Michigan
McCloud surpassed the 30-point mark twice in Rio's 2-1 week. In a win over RSC West leader IU Kokomo, the senior scored 32 points in the first half alone, finishing with 37 points. He tied a Rio Grande record with ten three-pointers in the win.
Defensive Player of the Week
Tyreon Payne, Shawnee State | Sr. - Guard - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Bears kept rolling, moving just two wins away from the first undefeated season for an RSC men's basketball team in more than a decade. Payne logged six steals in a victory over St. Mary-of-the-Woods on Saturday, and averaged four steals per game on the week.
Women's Basketball Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Marlee Grinstead, Rio Grande | Sr. - Forward - Albany, Ohio
Grinstead poured in a career-high 35 points at Midway, helping the RedStorm clinch the East Division title on Thursday. For the week, she averaged 25 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks for the RSC's first entrant into the NAIA Tournament.
Defensive Player of the Week
Sophia Kline, Rio Grande | Jr. - Forward - Sugar Grove, Ohio
In three games this past week for the East Division champions, Kline averaged a double-double with 10.7 points and 11.3 rebounds. She had 17 points and eight rebounds in the win over WVU Tech, then had 13 rebounds in back-to-back games against Midway and IU Kokomo.
Indoor Track Athletes of the Week
Male Track Athlete of the Week
Isaac Agee, WVU Tech | Fr. - Hines, West Virginia
Agee delivered three top performances for WVU Tech at the Joe LaRocco Invitational. He clocked 7.22 in the 60-meter dash in the semifinals after a 7.25 (7.247 FAT) in prelims, both personal bests and school-record marks at the time of competition. In the 60-meter hurdles, Agee won the collegiate final in 8.28 (8.277 FAT), a personal best that ranked No. 30 in the NAIA at the time of the meet and set a new school record. He also placed third in the long jump with a mark of 6.74m (22-01.50), adding a podium finish in the field events to his sprint and hurdle performances.
Male Field Athlete of the Week
Gabe Wedmore, IU Kokomo | Sr. - Summittville, Indiana
Gabe Wedmore recorded an NAIA “B” standard in the weight throw, placing sixth at GVSU. He now leads the conference by 0.23 meters and is ranked 26th nationally. He also hit an NAIA “B” standard in the shot put while finishing second at GVSU. Wedmore holds a narrow 0.01-meter lead in the conference and currently ranks fifth in the nation.
Female Track Athlete of the Week
Becca Spohn, Rio Grande | Jr. - New Concord, Ohio
Spohn will enter the race walk at this weekend's RSC Indoor Championships as the favorite, logging a time of 16:14.35 at the Concordia Invitational. Spohn is more than 100 seconds faster than her nearest competition, and won the Concordia Invitational by more than a minute.
Female Field Athlete of the Week
Sydney Duncan, IU Kokomo | Jr. - Anderson, Indiana
Sydney Duncan recorded an NAIA “A” standard in the weight throw, placing second in the Women’s Invite Flight at GVSU. She continues to lead the conference by 2.59 meters and currently ranks fifth in the nation. She also hit an NAIA “A” standard in the shot put while winning the event at GVSU. Duncan maintains a 3.91-meter lead in the conference and extended her national lead to 1.83 meters.
Men's Volleyball Players of the Week
Attacker of the Week
Pedro Zavatini, Campbellsville | Jr. - Middle Blocker - Itajai, Brazil
Zavatini was an unstoppable force in the middle, posting double-digit kills in both contests while hitting an astounding .613 across the two matches. His elite efficiency anchored the Campbellsville offense, highlighted by a 12-kill performance on a .647 clip to help take down a top-10 Bethel squad.
Setter of the Week
Alonzo Vega, Campbellsville | Jr. - Setter - Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
Vega orchestrated the Tigers' high-powered offense to near perfection, averaging a massive 12.14 assists per set over the weekend. He was particularly surgical in the sweep of Governors State, dishing out 40 assists in just three sets to guide the team to a blistering .434 hitting percentage. The junior also reached 2,000 career assists with the Tigers against Governors State.
Defender of the Week
Andrew Ovalle, Campbellsville | So. - Defensive Specialist - Miami, Florida
Ovalle anchored the Tigers' defense all weekend, averaging an impressive 3.71 digs per set. His back-row dominance was on full display in the top-10 clash against Bethel, where he racked up a match-high 18 digs to consistently neutralize the Pilots' attack and keep Campbellsville in system during extended rallies.
Baseball Players of the Week
Player of the Week
Diego Mendoza, Shawnee State | Sr. - Catcher/Infield - Carolina, Puerto Rico
Mendoza led the way for the Bears against Toccoa Falls. The All-Conference catcher drove in nine runs, belting two home runs for Shawnee State. He hit nearly .500 on the week, going 6-for-13.
Pitcher of the Week
Tyler Pyles, Midway | Sr. - Pitcher - Prospect, Kentucky
Pyles struck out 10 batters while allowing just five hits and one run in a series-clinching win against Indiana Tech Saturday. He recorded a strikeout for ten of his 15 outs, leading the Eagles to a 4-1 victory over Indiana Tech.
Softball Players of the Week
Player of the Week
Kaitlyn Chitwood, IU Southeast | So. - Infield - Louisville, Kentucky
Chitwood reached base in eight of eleven plate appearances this week, leading the Grenadiers to a 4-0 record inside the dome in Rosemont, Illinois. The sophomore logged eight hits in ten at-bats, scoring seven runs and driving in three more.
Pitcher of the Week
Emmie Bullington, Brescia | Jr. - Pitcher - Owensboro, Kentucky
Bullington pitched a pair of complete games for the Bearcats against UHSP and Spring Arbor. She logged an earned run average of 1.50, allowing just three earned runs across 14 innings of work. The junior struck out nine in that time, compared to just two walks.