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, men’s lacrosse, softball and men’s and women’s tennis on Thursday, highlighting excellence among student-athletes during the month.
BASEBALL
Player
Kyle Lewis, Mercer, Jr., OF
Mercer outfielder Kyle Lewis hit .446 and slugged a SoCon-best .919 in March, hitting nine home runs and eight doubles as 17 of his 33 hits went for extra bases. Lewis drove in a league-leading 32 runs and scored 26, also drawing a league-high 22 walks – seven of them intentional – in posting a .571 on-base percentage, also a SoCon best. Lewis hit safely in 17 of his 19 contests, putting together a 15-game hitting streak from March 5-29, and had 10 multiple-hit games. The junior from Snellville, Ga., had eight games with at least two RBIs, highlighted by a two-homer, six-RBI game against Kennesaw State in which he went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning. Lewis had six three-hit games on the month and scored at least three times in five contests. Lewis, the SoCon Player of the Week on March 7, was also perfect in the field, handling 36 chances without an error.
Others nominated: Mike Deese (The Citadel), Trey York (ETSU), L.J. Kalawaia (UNCG), Frankie Navarrete (Samford), Bryson Bowman (Western Carolina) and Alec Paradowski (Wofford).
Pitcher
Chad Sykes, UNCG, So., RHP
UNCG reliever Chad Sykes was 2-1 with a save and a 2.20 ERA in 10 March appearances, helping the Spartans to a league-best 14-5 record in the month. The sophomore right-hander allowed just six hits, only one of which went for extra bases, and nine walks in 16 1/3 innings, good for a 0.92 WHIP. He ceded just four earned runs on the month, striking out 17 batters. Six of Sykes’ appearances went at least two innings, starting with a pair of scoreless frames against Coastal Carolina on March 11 to earn his second save of the season. The Creedmoor, N.C., native notched at least one strikeout in each of his last eight appearances and did not allow a hit in his last seven contests. He posted six straight scoreless outings, earning wins over Marist and Georgetown with two innings of work against each.
Others nominated: JP Sears (The Citadel), Conard Broom (Mercer), Parker Curry (Samford), Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) and Matthew Milburn (Wofford).
MEN’S GOLF
Adrian Meronk, ETSU, Sr.
ETSU’s Adrian Meronk turned in a pair of top-three finishes in March, finishing the month with a 70.0 stroke average and taking SoCon weekly honors twice. The senior from Wroclaw, Poland, opened his month with a runner-up finish at the Seminole Intercollegiate, turning in a 7-under-par 209 in a field that included seven top-100 players and four top-50 teams. The following week, Meronk tied for third at the Airstream Adventures Northwest Classic, shooting a 5-under 211 against another tough field for his seventh straight top-10 finish. Four of Meronk’s six March rounds were under par, highlighted by a 5-under 67 in the opening round of the Seminole Intercollegiate.
Others nominated: Preston Cole (Furman), Zach Hughes (Samford), Wes Gosselin (Chattanooga), Jackson Bishop (Western Carolina) and Andrew Novak (Wofford).
WOMEN’S GOLF
Emily McLennan, Chattanooga, Sr.
Chattanooga’s Emily McLennan turned in a stroke average of 73.78 and picked up a pair of top-two finishes in March. The senior from Queensland, Australia, shot a 5-under-par 67 on March 1, the final day of the Kiawah Island Spring Classic, to tie for medalist honors at the event, which featured nine top-100 teams. She earned SoCon Golfer of the Week honors after that performance. She followed that with a 14th-place finish at the UNF Collegiate before tying for second at the Low Country Intercollegiate with a 4-over 148 at the 36-hole event and taking her second weekly SoCon honor of the year. McLennan wrapped up the month by tying for 12th at the Henssler Financial Intercollegiate, which saw nine of the 12 teams in the field ranked in the top 100. Her 1-under 71 in the second round of the UNF Collegiate was her 11th round of par or better this season, setting a school record. She also set the school’s career record for birdies during the month.
Others nominated: Hee Ying Loy (ETSU), Haylee Harford (Furman), Payton Schanen (Mercer), Anna Buchanan (Samford) and Maddi Caldwell (Western Carolina).
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Troy Reeder, Furman, Jr.
Troy Reeder, a Furman junior, earned men’s track athlete of the month honors by posting a time of 13:59.86 in the 5,000-meter run at the Raleigh Relays on March 25. His time shattered the Paladins’ previous record of 14:09.61 set by Tanner Hinkle last season and was good for a first-place finish in the heat. At the time, it was the nation’s first sub-14-minute performance of the outdoor season. Reeder’s mark currently sits 16th overall in the NCAA East Qualifying List.
Field
Capers Williamson, The Citadel, Gr.
Williamson, a graduate student at The Citadel, claimed men’s field athlete of the month honors by finishing third of 28 competitors in the javelin throw at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational on March 19. The senior’s toss of 70.44 meters (231’ 1”) broke his own school record by 12 feet. His mark is tops in the SoCon by more than 52 feet and ranks 19th nationally.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Allie Buchalski, Furman, Jr.
Furman’s Allie Buchalski, a junior from John’s Creek, Ga., snagged women’s track athlete of the month honors after winning the women’s 5,000-meter at the Raleigh Relays on March 25. Her time of 16:11.71 broke Sinead Haughey’s program record of 16:26.04 from 2015 and was the country’s fastest mark at the time of the race. It currently ranks 22nd nationally and is eighth-best in the NCAA East Qualifying List, in addition to being tops in the league.
Field
Ashley Kessler, ETSU, Sr.
ETSU’s Ashley Kessler, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., took women’s field athlete of the month accolades after winning the pole vault at the Charlotte 49er Classic on March 18. Her mark of 3.80 meters (12’ 5.5”) was the third best of her career and is tied for first among SoCon competitors.
MEN’S LACROSSE
Offense
Chris Walsch, Air Force, So., A
Chris Walsch, a sophomore attacker for Air Force, scored a goal in every game in March as the 12th-ranked Falcons went 5-0 overall and 2-0 in league action. The Hampstead, Md., native notched three points in a win over reigning SoCon champion High Point on March 19 before racking up a season-high seven points as the Falcons toppled No. 9 Duke three days later. Walsch tallied a hat trick against the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C., including a dramatic overtime game-winner with time winding down in the extra session. The game-winning goal marked his second game-winner and completed his 12th hat trick of the season. Walsch closed out the month with a pair of goals and an assist as Air Force earned a 7-5 road win over Detroit. He has scored a goal in 14 straight games and leads in the SoCon in points per game (3.60) and assists per game (1.50). Walsch collected SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors for March 29, his second weekly award of the season.
Others nominated: Tucker Ciessau (Bellarmine), Matt Quinn (Mercer) and Mitch Goldberg (Richmond).
Defense
Doug Gouchoe, Air Force, Sr., GK
Doug Gouchoe was a defensive stalwart for Air Force in March, earning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week accolades three times over the course of the month. The senior goalkeeper led the 12th-ranked Falcons to a perfect 5-0 record (2-0 SoCon) by posting a .625 save percentage and a 6.11 goals against average across the five contests. Gouchoe managed to hold opponents to five goals or fewer in three games, including an 11-save effort that limited High Point to four goals on March 19. His month was highlighted by a 17-save performance as the Falcons took down No. 9 Duke on the road in overtime, 10-9. His 17 saves marked a career best and helped hold the Blue Devils’ third-ranked scoring offense to well below their season average of 15.0 goals per game entering the contest. The Concord, Mass., product ended the month by making nine stops in a 7-5 win at Detroit on March 26. Gouchoe leads the SoCon in save percentage (.589) and goals against average (6.81), marks that rank fourth and fifth nationally, respectively.
Others nominated: Taylor Stuart (Bellarmine), Ben Gleichenhaus (Jacksonville), Mike Nugent (Mercer) and Brendan Hynes (Richmond).
SOFTBALL
Player
Lindsay Thomas, UNCG, Sr., C
Lindsay Thomas had a terrific month for UNCG, hitting .415 (27-of-65) and driving in 22 runs across 20 games. The senior catcher hit nine home runs during the month, including three jacks in a doubleheader with Bryant on March 15 to break the Spartans’ career home runs record, which previously stood at 46. Her best performance came in game one against Bryant. The Irvine, Calif., native was 3-for-3 in the contest with two home runs and five RBIs in an 11-3 UNCG rout, setting a SoCon season high with 10 total bases. Thomas added seven doubles and was responsible for only one error in the field in March. She concluded the month by blasting her 50th career home run – a solo shot – at North Carolina on March 30. Thomas leads the SoCon in total bases (87) and batting average (.423).
Others nominated: Madison Boyd (ETSU), Sieara Bishop (Furman), Taylor Miller (Mercer), Hannah Trombley (Samford), Sam Taylor (Chattanooga) and Crystal Cyr (Western Carolina).
Pitcher
Alicia Bazonski, UNCG, So., RHP
Alicia Bazonski, a sophomore pitcher for UNCG, was 10-1 in the circle in March with an ERA of 0.77 in 63 2/3 innings. The Sheffield, Mass., native had her signature performance against Presbyterian on March 13, tossing the program’s 12th no-hitter in a 1-0 victory over the Blue Hose. Bazonski’s no-hit effort and included five strikeouts. The right-hander did not allow an earned run in seven of her 10 starts during the month, including a one-hit effort across five innings in a 9-0 blanking of Appalachian State on March 9. She became the third Spartan in program history to earn SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors three times in one season after winning back-to-back times on March 14 and March 21, and she currently leads the league in ERA (2.14) and opposing batting average (.218) and is tied with Samford’s Mollie Hanson with 13 wins.
Others nominated: Lindsey Fadnek (ETSU), Megan Bilgri (Mercer), Mollie Hanson (Samford) and Courtney Buchanan (Western Carolina).
MEN’S TENNIS
Adam Steryous, Furman, Jr.
Furman’s Adam Steryous was a perfect 6-0 at No. 1 singles for the Paladins in March. The junior from Taylors, S.C., claimed five wins in straight sets as the Paladins went 5-1 during March with a 2-0 record in SoCon play. He picked up conference wins over Chattanooga’s Lucas Plesky and The Citadel’s Nicholas Bradley at the top singles position. Steryous spent time at both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles during the month and put together a 5-0 record paired with both Josh Pistorius and Cameron Green.
Others nominated: Artemi Amari (The Citadel), Robert Herrera (ETSU), Connor Thompson (UNCG), Trey Carter (Samford) and Lucas Plesky (Chattanooga).
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Katarina Weymouth, Furman, Fr.
Furman’s Katarina Weymouth went 4-0 at No. 2 singles and was 4-0 at No. 1 doubles as the Paladins went 4-0 during the month with a 2-0 record in league play. After opening the month with a pair of nonconference wins, Weymouth topped Mercer’s Xandra Fougner and Wofford’s Cassidy Hicks at No. 2 singles. The London, England, freshman teamed with Ansley Speaks at No. 1 doubles, where Furman’s top tandem won all four matches. Weymouth and Speaks topped Mercer’s Katia Stravroulaki and Grace Korta, 6-3, before holding off Wofford’s Hicks and Kalli Karas, 7-6 (8-6).
Others nominated: Marina Espana (ETSU), Katia Stravroulaki (Mercer), Sarah Swiderski (UNCG), Savannah Wood (Samford), Katie Polk (Chattanooga), Stacia Kissell (Western Carolina) and Kalli Karas (Wofford).
Southern Conference March Athletes of the Month
Baseball – player Kyle Lewis, Mercer
Baseball – pitcher Chad Sykes, UNCG
Men’s golf Adrian Meronk, ETSU
Women’s golf Emily McLennan, Chattanooga
Men’s outdoor track & field – track Troy Reeder, Furman
Men’s outdoor track & field – field Capers Williamson, The Citadel
Women’s outdoor track & field – track Allie Buchalski, Furman
Women’s outdoor track & field – field Ashley Kessler, ETSU
Men’s lacrosse – offense Chris Walsch, Air Force
Men’s lacrosse – defense Doug Gouchoe, Air Force
Softball – player Lindsay Thomas, UNCG
Softball – pitcher Alicia Bazonski, UNCG
Men’s tennis Adam Steryous, Furman
Women’s tennis Katarina Weymouth, Furman
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