SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its March athletes of the month for baseball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, softball and men’s and women’s tennis Friday, highlighting excellence among student-athletes during the month.
BASEBALL
Player
Gunnar Heidt, College of Charleston, So., SS
College of Charleston shortstop Gunnar Heidt hit .384 with 18 runs scored, 20 RBIs, 13 walks, five stolen bases and nine extra-base hits in March, helping the Cougars to a 12-7 record and a 7-4 start in league play. The sophomore from Garden City, S.C., opened and closed his month with matching six-game hitting streaks and hit safely in 15 of his 19 March contests, posting 10 multi-hit games. In a series win over No. 30 South Alabama to open the month, Heidt was 5-for-12 (.417) with three RBIs and the first of his three triples in the month. In a series win over Elon on March 8-10, he had another five hits, picking up three in the opener and two more in the rubber game, both doubles. Heidt was 3-for-5 with three walks and a triple in a two-game set with Appalachian State on March 22-23 but saved his best series for last. In CofC’s three-game sweep of Samford last weekend, Heidt was 8-for-17 (.471) with nine RBIs, a double, a triple, a home run and five runs scored. He drove in a career-high five runs in the Cougars’ 10-0 win on Sunday. With five triples this season, Heidt leads the SoCon and is second nationally.
Other nominees: Hector Crespo (Appalachian State), Bo Thompson (The Citadel), Forrest Brandt (Davidson), Antonio Alvarez (Elon), T.D. Davis (Georgia Southern), Phillip Ervin (Samford), Tyler White (Western Carolina) and Josh Hyman (Wofford).
Pitcher
Spencer Medick, Elon, Sr., LHP
Elon left-hander Spencer Medick went 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in five March appearances, including four starts. The Baton Rouge, La., senior earned the start against No. 8 NC State on March 5, allowing just one earned run in 4 2/3 innings as the Phoenix won 24-12. In a relief appearance against College of Charleston five days later, Medick allowed two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, striking out five and not walking a batter. He picked up his first win of the month on March 17 at UNCG, allowing two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings and striking out eight. He pitched into the ninth on March 25 at Western Carolina, striking out eight and not allowing an earned run in 8 1/3 innings as Elon won 2-1. He capped his month with another stellar start on March 30, allowing just one earned run in eight innings to pick up the 8-2 win at Davidson. For the month, Medick struck out 28 batters and walked just nine and allowed just six earned runs in 32 1/3 innings. He allowed no more than two earned runs in any appearance, all of which went at least 4 2/3 innings.
Other nominees: Taylor Thurber (Appalachian State), Nathan Helvey (College of Charleston), David Rivera (The Citadel), Danny Mooney (Davidson), Matt McCall (Georgia Southern), C.K. Irby (Samford), Preston Hatcher (Western Carolina) and Jesse Morris (Wofford).
MEN’S GOLF
Drew Aimone, Samford, Sr.
Samford senior Drew Aimone turned in a win and a runner-up finish in March, averaging 71.89 strokes per round in his three events. The Savannah, Ga., native finished second among 94 golfers at the Samford Intercollegiate on March 4-5, shooting a 54-hole score of 213, highlighted by a third-round 3-under 69. The Bulldogs finished fifth in the 18-team field, which included three ranked teams. At the Auburn Tiger Invitational on March 11-12, Aimone recovered from an opening-round 78 to shoot 1-over for the next two rounds, finishing in a tie for 17th at 225. The field included six teams ranked in the top 50 and a pair of top-50 individuals. Aimone finished the month strongly, tying for medalist honors at the Furman Intercollegiate, which hosted 126 players and 21 teams. The Bulldogs finished fourth in the tournament, which included a pair of top-50 squads and five top-50 individuals. Aimone opened with a 1-over 73 on March 22 then followed that up with a 3-under 69 the following day. He scorched the course for a 5-under 67 on the final day of competition, tying No. 24 Scott Fernandez of Iowa State for medalist honors at 7-under 209 for the tournament. Aimone was a two-time SoCon Player of the Week in March.
Other nominees: Casey Komline (Appalachian State), John Duke Hudson (College of Charleston), Sam Echikson (Davidson), Scott Wolfes (Georgia Southern), Benni Weilguni (Chattanooga), J.T. Poston (Western Carolina) and Charles Moore (Wofford).
WOMEN’S GOLF
Laura Wearn, Furman, Sr.
Furman senior Laura Wearn posted top-15 finishes in each of her two tournaments in March. The Charlotte, N.C., native tied for 14th at the highly competitive Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head Island, S.C., on March 8-10. In a tournament that featured 13 of the top 50 teams in the country and 14 of the top 50 individuals, Wearn shot 222 over three rounds. At the Briar’s Creek Invitational in Johns Island, S.C., on March 25-26, Wearn shot a career-best 5-under 67 on the final day of the tournament to vault up from 10th place into second among the 96 competitors with a 220 for the tournament. The Briar’s Creek field was also stout, boasting six top-50 teams and four top-50 individuals. Wearn was the SoCon Player of the Week on March 27.
Other nominees: Yue Xu (Appalachian State), Julia Neumann (College of Charleston), Eraina Manor (The Citadel), Natalie Mitchell (Samford), Emily McLennan (Chattanooga), Maria Kjelldorff (Western Carolina) and Lauren Dunbar (Wofford).
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Brandon Hairston, Western Carolina, Sr.
Western Carolina sprinter Brandon Hairston turned in several outstanding performances at the Georgia Relays on March 14-16. He recorded a SoCon-leading 10.53 seconds in the 100 meters, finishing fourth in the event, and ran the second leg of WCU's winning 4x100m relay into extremely windy conditions, helping the squad post a SoCon-best time of 40.85 seconds in the event. Hairston also split a 20.6 leg on the sprint medley relay squad and anchored WCU's 4x400m relay, turning in a 47.5 split to help WCU to another SoCon-leading performance of 3:12.59. The Walkertown, N.C., senior is also atop the conference leaderboard in the 200m with a 21.40, a time he posted in a second-place finish at the Beynon Sports Catamount Classic, which was held in Cullowhee, N.C., on March 22-23. Hairston also took second in the 400m at the meet. Hairston was also the February Indoor Track Athlete of the Month.
Field
Jared Stalling, Appalachian State, Sr.
Appalachian State thrower Jared Stalling finished third in the shot put at the Wake Forest Open (March 15-16) with a personal-best throw of 55' 11" (17.04 meters), the fourth-best in school history and the top mark in the SoCon this season. The Greensboro, N.C., senior also took sixth in the hammer throw with a toss of 184' 3" (56.15m) and finished second in the discus with a throw of 166' 3" (50.68m), also the best marks in the league in both events. The following week, Stalling continued his assault on the Appalachian State record books with another standout performance at the High Point VertKlasse Meeting track and field meet. He finished first in the shot put and set a new personal record and took second in the discus with a toss of 173' 0" (52.73m). That throw was more than 1.5 feet further than his previous best and just 6 inches shy of the Appalachian State school record. His discus throw supplanted his own SoCon-best effort on the season.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Tayla Carter, Western Carolina, Fr.
Western Carolina sprinter Tayla Carter turned in the fastest time in the SoCon in the 100 meters and second-fastest in the 200 meters in March. At the Georgia Relays (March 14-16), the freshman from Marietta, Ga., finished third in the 100m in a league-leading 11.52 seconds. Carter was also part of WCU’s 4x400m relay team, which placed third (3:52.13), and the 4x100m relay squad, which finished fourth in 46.46, the second-best mark in the conference to that date. The following week at the Beynon Sports Catamount Classic, Carter won the 100m in a time of 11.67 and the 200m in a time of 23.93, the second-best SoCon time this season, and anchored WCU’s winning 4x400m relay. At the Mountains vs. Beaches meet last weekend, Carter took second in the 100m and 200m. She was part of the 4x400m relay unit that finished second in 3:44.69, which, even after being converted to 3:45.13 for altitude, is the top time in the league this season. Carter was also part of the victorious 4x100m relay, which turned in a converted time of 46.45, the second-fastest in the SoCon. Carter was named the SoCon Track Athlete of the Week on March 28 after her performances at the Catamount Classic.
Field
Alisha Bradshaw, Western Carolina, So.
Western Carolina thrower Alisha Bradshaw turned in some of the top efforts in the SoCon in March. The sophomore from Salisbury, N.C., swept the throws at the Beynon Sports Catamount Classic on March 22-23, taking first in the shot put, hammer and discus. Her throw of 148’ 3” (45.20m) in the discus was the second-longest in the league this season and she was named the SoCon Field Athlete of the Week after her performance that weekend. Bradshaw nearly repeated the sweep at the Mountains vs. Beaches meet last weekend, winning the shot and discus and finishing second in the hammer. Her winning toss of 44’ 6” (13.56m) in the shot put was the third-best mark in the league this season, while her 164’4” (50.09m) effort in the hammer was second-best. At the Georgia Relays on March 14-16, Bradshaw was second in the shot and fourth in the hammer. Bradshaw was also the February Indoor Field Athlete of the Month.
SOFTBALL
Player
Allie Cashion, Appalachian State, Sr., OF
Appalachian State outfielder Allie Cashion hit .446 with 20 RBIs, 15 runs scored, six home runs and eight doubles in March, helping the Mountaineers to a 14-7 overall mark and a league-best 9-3 SoCon record. Cashion opened her month with a seven-game hitting streak in which she had five multi-hit games and batted .520 (13-for-25). In a doubleheader sweep of Western Carolina on March 9, the Waxhaw, N.C., senior was 4-for-6 with two homers, a double, five RBIs and three runs scored. She added two more hits against the Catamounts the following day en route to earning SoCon Player of the Week honors. Cashion was 4-for-9 with three RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of Charleston Southern on March 13 and homered in both games of a doubleheader with Winthrop on March 20, finishing the day with four RBIs. Against Chattanooga on March 23, she was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles in the first game of a doubleheader and added another double in game two. In a series sweep of College of Charleston to end the month, Cashion was 4-for-9 with four RBIs and four runs scored. For the third time in the month, she homered in both games of the doubleheader. Cashion finished the month with eight multi-hit games and recorded at least one hit in 15 of her 17 contests.
Other nominees: Kelsey Hodgson (College of Charleston), Tomeka Watson (Elon), Ambree Muller (Furman), Shelby Morrill (Georgia Southern), Lindsay Thomas (UNCG), Alex Adams (Samford), Sara Poteat (Chattanooga) and Taylor Sigmon (Western Carolina).
Pitcher
Raeanne Hanks, UNCG, R-Jr., RHP
UNCG right-hander Raeanne Hanks went 8-2 with a save and a 2.04 ERA in 12 March appearances as the Spartans went 14-6. The redshirt junior from Rainier, Ore., threw a pair of one-hitters in the month, shutting out Samford on March 9 and dropping a 1-0 game to Towson on March 20. Hanks allowed one earned run or fewer in nine of her appearances, including a stretch of three straight appearances early in the month in which she didn’t allow a run. She struck out 50 batters against just 29 walks in March, highlighted by nine strikeouts with just one walk in a win over Western Carolina on March 16. She also had nine Ks in a win over Elon on March 29. She earned a save against Monmouth on March 3, throwing a pair of scoreless innings in a 5-3 win. Hanks allowed just seven extra-base hits in 58 1/3 innings of work. Hanks was the SoCon Pitcher of the Week for the final week of March and was the pitcher of the month in February, as well. She is a league-best 14-4 on the year and her 2.03 ERA is second-best in the league.
Other nominees: Alissa Schoelkopf (Appalachian State), Kayla Caruso (Elon), Lauren Collier (Furman), Sarah Purvis (Georgia Southern), Mollie Hanson (Samford), Taylor Deason (Chattanooga) and Jordan Garrett (Western Carolina).
MEN’S TENNIS
Stefan Fortmann, Elon, So.
Elon sophomore Stefan Fortmann went 10-2 at No. 2 singles and 8-1 at No. 1 doubles in March, helping the Phoenix to a 10-2 team mark (6-0 SoCon) and into the ITA national rankings. Eight of Fortmann’s singles wins came in straight sets in the month and five wins came in league play. The Wartburg, South Africa, native started his month with a straight-sets win over The Citadel’s Dillon Berkabile on March 3, starting a streak of seven straight victories before he suffered a three-set setback to Chattanooga’s Manuel Barroetavena on March 23. Fortmann then went 3-1 in singles play to end the month. Paired with Cameron Silverman, the February SoCon Player of the Month, Fortmann won his final seven March doubles matches after dropping an 8-6 decision to USC Upstate’s Yvon Haessig and Gonzalo Blanco on March 9. Fortmann and Silverman, the 34th-ranked doubles duo in the country, won five matches by scores of 8-4 or better and took a 9-7 win over No. 52 Garrison Laduca and Zac Dunkle of Samford on March 24. Elon jumped into the ITA rankings at No. 72 on March 26.
Other nominees: Zach Bost (Appalachian State), Zach Lewis (College of Charleston), David Orces (The Citadel), Connor Evins (Davidson), Rayane Djouad (Georgia Southern), Gaston Murray (UNCG), Zac Dunkle (Samford) and Manuel Barroetavena (Chattanooga).
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Christin Newman, College of Charleston, Sr.
College of Charleston senior Christin Newman went 9-3 at No. 1 singles and 8-2 at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles in March for the Cougars, who went 8-5 overall and 3-1 in league play. After opening the month 2-2 in singles play, including a loss to No. 47 Petra Januskova of 34th-ranked Penn State, Newman finished the month with seven wins in her last eight matches. Eight of her nine singles wins in the month came in straight sets, beginning with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Andrea Crespo of Stetson on March 2 that clinched the 4-3 win for CofC. In doubles play, she won her final eight matches with Samantha Maddox at Nos. 2 and 3 after starting the month 0-2 with teammate Brooke McAmis at No. 2. Newman was named the SoCon Player of the Week on March 26 after a week in which she went a combined 8-0 in doubles and singles. Newman was also named one of the SoCon’s postgraduate scholars in the month, earning the Dorothy Hicks Graduate Scholarship. The Cougars faced three nationally ranked teams in the month, falling 5-2 to Penn State and No. 68 Elon and beating No. 70 UNCG 7-0 on March 29.
Other nominees: Ellie Linsell (Appalachian State), Nisha Crouser (Davidson), Frida Jansaker (Elon), Lauren Kline (Furman), Paola Garrido (Georgia Southern), Alex Whitehead (UNCG), Emily Mallory (Samford) and Kelsey Coots (Chattanooga).
Southern Conference March Athletes of the Month
Baseball – Player Gunnar Heidt, College of Charleston
Baseball – Pitcher Spencer Medick, Elon
Men’s Golf Drew Aimone, Samford
Women’s Golf Laura Wearn, Furman
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field – Track Brandon Hairston, Western Carolina
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field – Field Jared Stalling, Appalachian State
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field – Track Tayla Carter, Western Carolina
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field – Field Alisha Bradshaw, Western Carolina
Softball – Player Allie Cashion, Appalachian State
Softball – Pitcher Raeanne Hanks, UNCG
Men’s Tennis Stefan Fortmann, Elon
Women’s Tennis Christin Newman, College of Charleston
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