Men's Cross Country Southern Conference

SoCon Announces October Athletes of the Month

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its October athletes of the month for football, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball Thursday, highlighting excellence among student-athletes during the month.

FOOTBALL

OFFENSE
Jacob Huesman, Chattanooga, Jr., QB
Chattanooga quarterback Jacob Huesman accounted for 1,107 yards of total offense in four October games, rushing for 322 yards and four scores and throwing for 785 yards and eight touchdowns. The junior from Chattanooga, Tenn., was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a career-high 359 yards and two TDs in a win over Mercer on Oct. 25 in which he also ran for 99 yards and a score. In a win over The Citadel on Oct. 18, Huesman threw for 163 yards and two TDs and ran for 81 yards and a touchdown. He led the Mocs to 555 yards of total offense in a 55-7 win over VMI on Oct. 4, rushing for 97 yards and two TDs and throwing for 178 yards and four scores.

Other nominees: Aaron Miller (The Citadel), Chandler Curtis (Mercer), Karel Hamilton (Samford), Troy Mitchell (Western Carolina) and Lorenzo Long (Wofford).

DEFENSE
Trey Morgan, Western Carolina, So., DB
Western Carolina defensive back Trey Morgan had an outstanding October that included 25 tackles, three pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. The sophomore from North Augusta, S.C., had interceptions against Presbyterian, Mercer and The Citadel and recorded at least five tackles in all four of his contests in the month. Against the Blue Hose on Oct. 4, Morgan had seven tackles, all solo, and one interception. He followed that up with five tackles and a pass breakup in a win over Wofford the following week and had four tackles and another pick in a win over Mercer on Oct. 11. Morgan saved his biggest game for last, however, recording a career-high nine tackles (six solo, one for loss), two forced fumbles, an interception and two pass breakups in a win over The Citadel on Oct. 25. He earned SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts.

Other nominees: Alex Avant (Mercer), Jaquiski Tartt (Samford), Davis Tull (Chattanooga) and Drake Michaelson (Wofford).

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Tripp Hurt, Furman, Sr.
Furman senior Tripp Hurt led the Paladins to their second consecutive SoCon Cross Country Championship on Oct. 31, winning the 8K individual title with a time of 24:18.63 to earn SoCon Men's Runner of the Year honors. Hurt was named to the All-SoCon first team for the third consecutive season. The Bogart, Ga., native was named SoCon Runner of the Week after pacing the Paladins at the Pre-NCAA Invite on Oct. 18, finishing 41st with a time of 24:56.8 to lead Furman to a fourth-place team finish behind top-ranked Colorado, second-ranked Oregon and Georgetown.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Allie Buchalski, Furman, So.
Furman sophomore Allie Buchalski won her first SoCon Cross Country Championship individual title on Oct. 31 to lead Furman to its second consecutive team title. The Johns Creek, Ga., native took the top spot in the women’s 5K at the meet with a time of 16:44.42. Buchalski was named SoCon Runner of the Year and first-team all-conference for her performance. Buchalski also led the Paladin women at the Pre-NCAA Invite, turning in a time of 21:42.9 for 60th place, leading to a team finish of 24th place.

MEN’S SOCCER
Will Bagrou, Mercer, Fr., F
Mercer forward Will Bagrou scored 20 points on eight goals and four assists in October, leading the Bears to a 6-2-0 record, all in conference play. The freshman from Dacula, Ga., had three multi-goal games in the month, scoring twice in wins over UNCG and Wofford and recording his first career hat trick in a win over VMI. Bagrou was named the SoCon Player of the Week on Oct. 28 after his performances against Wofford and VMI, also earning national player of the week honors from Top Drawer Soccer and Disney Soccer/NSCAA. Bagrou also turned in a pair of assists in Mercer’s 3-0 win over No. 24 Furman on Oct. 11 and added helpers against UNCG and Wofford. His final goal of the month came in Mercer’s 2-1 setback to the Paladins on Oct. 28.

Other nominees: Joao Ramalho (ETSU) and Nestor Jaramillo (Wofford).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Maggie Cropp, Mercer, Jr., GK
Mercer goalkeeper Maggie Cropp led the Bears to a 5-1-1 mark in October, allowing just two goals and posting four shutouts. Cropp also made 29 saves in 617 minutes of action, turning in a 0.29 goals against average and a .935 save percentage. The junior from Morgan Hill, Calif., opened her month with back-to-back shutouts, blanking Wofford and Furman with a season-high seven saves in each contest en route to earning SoCon student-athlete of the week honors. She allowed her first goal of the month in a 2-1 win over ETSU on Oct. 10 before rattling off another two shutouts, over Western Carolina and The Citadel, and a scoreless first half against Chattanooga before departing with a 3-0 lead. The only other goal she allowed was in a 1-0 loss to regular-season champion Samford on Oct. 26.

Other nominees: Vanessa Aponte (The Citadel), Sarah Zadrazil (ETSU), Stephanie DeVita (Furman), Jermaine Seoposenwe (Samford) and Hannah Washko (Wofford).

VOLLEYBALL

OFFENSE
Michaela Reesor, Samford, Sr., OH
Samford outsider hitter Michaela Reesor helped Samford to a 9-1 record in October, averaging a SoCon-best 4.06 kills per set and 2.20 digs per set and hitting .322 on the month. The senior from Caledon, Ontario, Canada, reached double digits in kills in each match, seven of which only went to three sets. Reesor’s October was highlighted by a 22-kill, 10-dig effort in a win over ETSU on Oct. 24. That double-double was Reesor’s second in a row, as she also had 19 kills and 16 digs in a road win over Furman on Oct. 18. Reesor had 17 kills in a three-set win over Chattanooga on Oct. 29, recording just two errors for a sterling .600 hitting percentage on the day.

Other nominees: Bailey Kernodle (The Citadel), Meredith Hardy (ETSU), Ashton Gregory (Furman), Molly Locke (Mercer), Julia Westerbur (UNCG), Allie Davenport (Chattanooga) and Jordan Timmermann (Western Carolina).

DEFENSE
Katie Muey, ETSU, Sr., L
ETSU libero Katie Muey averaged a league-best 5.68 digs per set in October, totaling 193 in nine matches. Muey opened her month with 27 digs in a win over UNCG and 28 two days later in a win over Middle Tennessee, earning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors. The highlight of her month was a 40-dig match against Western Carolina on Oct. 11, which ranks in the top 10 nationally for performances in a five-set match this year and led to another weekly honor from the SoCon. The senior from Alexandria, Ind., had 19 digs in a win over Mercer on Oct. 18 and another 19 in a five-set loss at Samford on Oct. 24. Muey recorded double-digit digs in all nine matches and at least 15 in eight of them.

Other nominees: Lauren Hurt (The Citadel), Ashton Gregory (Furman), Tori Penrod (Mercer), Katherine Santiago (UNCG), Chelsi Carter (Samford) and Addy George (Western Carolina).  

Southern Conference October Athletes of the Month
Football – offense    Jacob Huesman, Chattanooga
Football – defense    Trey Morgan, Western Carolina
Men’s cross country    Tripp Hurt, Furman
Women’s cross country    Allie Buchalski, Furman
Men’s soccer    Will Bagrou, Mercer
Women’s soccer    Maggie Cropp, Mercer
Volleyball – offense    Michaela Reesor, Samford
Volleyball – defense    Katie Muey, ETSU

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