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 on Wednesday, highlighting excellence among student-athletes during the month.
FOOTBALL
OFFENSE
Derrick Craine, Chattanooga, Jr., RB
Chattanooga’s Derrick Craine averaged 110.8 yards per game rushing as the Mocs went 4-0 during October. Craine finished the month with 443 yards on the ground and eight rushing touchdowns, including a game-high 138 yards against Furman. The junior from McDonough, Ga., caught seven passes for 46 yards during October. Craine currently leads the SoCon with 97.8 rushing yards per game and is tied for the league lead with 11 rushing TDs this season.
Others nominated: Dominique Allen (The Citadel), John Russ (Mercer), Devlin Hodges (Samford), Troy Mitchell (Western Carolina) and Evan Jacks (Wofford).
DEFENSE
Daniel Riddle, Western Carolina, So., LB
Western Carolina’s Daniel Riddle earned the nod as Defensive Player of the Month for October after a strong showing during a month in which the Catamounts went 4-1. Riddle recorded 67 tackles, an average of 12.4 per game. The sophomore from Raleigh, N.C., recorded double-digit tackles in each game, including a career-high 18 stops against Presbyterian. In WCU’s win over Samford, he recorded his first career interception and returned it 46 yards to set up a Catamount touchdown.
Others nominated: Mitchell Jeter (The Citadel), Tripp Patterson (Mercer), Justin Cooper (Samford), Nakevion Leslie (Chattanooga) and Drake Michaelson (Wofford).
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Arsène Guillorel, Samford, So.
Samford sophomore Arsène Guillorel won the men’s individual crown on the 8K course at the Southern Conference Championship in Greenville, S.C., crossing the finish line with a time of 24:10.16. Earlier in the month at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Guillorel raced his way to a fourth-place finish and improved on his previous year’s mark by more than a minute. This is his first career runner of the month distinction for the Pontchateau, France, native.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Allie Buchalski, Furman, Jr.
Furman junior Allie Buchalski capped off the month of October by winning her second straight individual title at the Southern Conference Championship in Greenville, S.C. Her time of 17:37.37 on the 5K course bested the likes of Chattanooga’s Teghan Henderson (second) and teammate Laura Miller (third). The Johns Creek, Ga., native also took first at the Pre-NCAA Invitational in Louisville, Ky., on Oct. 17 with a time of 20:17.3 on the 6K course. This is her third career runner of the month honor.
MEN’S SOCCER
Jacques Francois, UNCG, Sr., F
UNCG forward Jacques Francois posted 19 points on six goals and seven assists in October, leading the SoCon in all three categories. The senior from Port Au Prince, Haiti, tormented VMI in the month, scoring two goals and adding an assist in a 7-0 win on Oct. 10 before notching a hat trick with two assists in an 11-0 win later in the month. Francois scored the game-winner and assisted on the other goal in a 2-1 win over Wofford on Oct. 13 and notched at least one assist in four straight games to close out the month. Francois, who was named the leagues’ player of the week for games the final week of October, leads the SoCon with 26 points, eight goals and 10 assists this season.
Other nominees: Will Bagrou (Mercer) and Will Puckett (Wofford).
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Maggie Grisell, Furman, Sr., GK
Furman goalkeeper Maggie Grisell went 6-0-1 with five shutouts and a 0.41 goals-against average in October, posting 27 saves in the month. The senior from Indialantic, Fla., opened the month with four straight shutouts, blanking UNCG, Wofford, VMI and ETSU in order. Grisell made a season-high eight saves in the win over the Bucs and matched that effort in her next contest, a 3-2 win over Western Carolina in which she allowed multiple goals for just the third time on the season. Grisell capped her month with four saves in a 1-0 shutout of Mercer on the final day of the regular season that secured the No. 2 seed for the Paladins in the SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship. Grisell, who took over starting duties when teammate Rose Hull suffered a season-ending injury in August, has flourished as Furman’s starter, as she leads the league with nine shutouts on the year and has fashioned a 14-2-1 record with a 0.64 GAA.
Other nominees: Mady Riegel (The Citadel), Sarah Zadrazil (ETSU), Katelyn Dimopoulos (Mercer), Chesney White (UNCG), Malcanisha Kelley (Samford), Darien Dunham (VMI), Lauren Martin (Western Carolina) and Hayley Younginer (Wofford).
VOLLEYBALL
OFFENSE
Annie Bierman, Furman, Jr., OH
Furman junior Annie Bierman had a big month for the Paladins, notching 152 total kills in nine matches as she helped lead the Paladins to a 7-2 record in October. The Hamilton, Ohio, native maintained a .305 hitting percentage on 361 attempts, and her kills-per-set average of 4.75 led the SoCon during the 31-day stretch. Her 28-kill performance in a five-set victory over Chattanooga, which was paired with a .403 hitting percentage, matched a career high. Bierman hit over .300 in six matches while totaling one-third of Furman’s attack attempts during the month. The veteran outside hitter also turned in seven double-doubles and earned two SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors in the month of October. This is her first career player of the month recognition.
Others nominated: Moriah Smith (The Citadel), Rylee Milhorn (ETSU), Kristy Wieser (Chattanooga), Ashley Muench (UNCG) and Bella Santoro (Wofford).
DEFENSE
Jessica Graham, Wofford, Sr., L
Wofford senior Jessica Graham has keyed the Terriers on the defense, as evidenced by her 222 digs in 12 matches during October. Hailing from Goose Creek, S.C., Graham posted an average of 5.05 digs per set during the month and hit double-digit digs in all 12 matches. Her best performances came against Chattanooga (29 digs), Mercer (27 digs) and Western Carolina (24 digs). The 27-dig effort against Mercer was historic, as Graham became Wofford’s all-time digs leader, surpassing the previous record of 1,631 digs set by former Terrier Reagan Styles. This is her first career player of the month honor.
Others nominated: Samantha Espy (The Citadel), Hailey Aguilar (ETSU), Meg DeMaar (Furman), Paige Alsten (Mercer), Catherine Chason (Chattanooga) and Katherine Santiago (UNCG).
Southern Conference October Athletes of the Month
Football – offense Derrick Craine, Chattanooga
Football – defense Daniel Riddle, Western Carolina
Men’s cross country Arsène Guillorel, Samford
Women’s cross country Allie Buchalski, Furman
Men’s soccer Jacques Francois, UNCG
Women’s soccer Maggie Grisell, Furman
Volleyball – offense Annie Bierman, Furman
Volleyball – defense Jessica Graham, Wofford
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