SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its April athletes of the month Monday, highlighting excellence among 18 student-athletes across 11 sports during the month.
 
BASEBALL
Player
Justin Starke, VMI, R-Fr., 1B, Prince George, Va.

• Hit .491 (27-for-55) in 15 games with a .588 on-base percentage and .764 slugging percentage
• Scored 17 times, drove in 15 runs and hit four doubles, a triple and three home runs
• Had two four-hit games in April and three three-hit games
• Tallied a monthly high of five RBIs and four hits on April 11 against Western Carolina
• Named SoCon Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks on April 12 and 19

 
Others nominated: Bryce Hodge (ETSU), RJ Yeager (Mercer), Corey Rosier (UNCG), Tyler McManus (Samford), Will Prater (Western Carolina) and Trey Yunger (Wofford).
 
Pitcher
Colby Stuart, ETSU, Jr., Elon, N.C.

• Posted a record of 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA in his four quality starts during April
• Earned wins against UNCG, Wofford, The Citadel and Western Carolina
• Allowed only five runs in 29 innings of work, four of which were earned, and allowed 20 hits
• Tallied 25 strikeouts during the month, with three seven-strikeout games
• Began the month with a career-best eight-inning shutout performance at UNCG
• Struck out seven and allowed just three hits in ETSU's 4-1 victory over the Spartans
• Went six innings without allowing a run against The Citadel on April 17

 
Others nominated: Taylor Lobus (Mercer), Austin Parsley (UNCG), Tyler Bradt (VMI), Zebby Matthews (Western Carolina) and Elliot Carney (Wofford).
 
 
FOOTBALL
Offense
Jakob Herres, VMI, Jr., WR, Easton, Pa.

• Had more than 100 receiving yards in all three April contests, totaling 395 and a pair of touchdowns on 32 catches
• Had eight catches for 101 yards against ETSU on April 3
• Caught 11 passes for 123 yards and a score in a win over rival The Citadel on April 17 that clinched the Keydets’ first SoCon title since 1977
• Against top-ranked James Madison in VMI’s first-ever FCS playoffs appearance, caught 13 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown in the 31-24 loss
• Finalist for the Walter Payton Award and named the top offensive player in Division I football in the state of Virginia by the Touchdown Club of Richmond
• Named a first-team All-American by Stats Perform on Monday

 
Others nominated: Quay Holmes (ETSU), Carter Peevy (Mercer), Liam Welch (Samford) and Irvin Mulligan (Wofford).
 
Defense
Stone Snyder, VMI, So., LB, Richmond, Va.

• Totaled 45 tackles in three April contests (15.0 per game), including 15 solo stops
• Had 4.5 tackles for loss for 26 yards, including 4.0 sacks for 25 yards
• Had 12 tackles, including a pair of sacks for 15 yards, and two quarterback hurries against ETSU
• Had a career-best 21 tackles (seven solo), including 2.5 for loss (2.0 sacks) in a 31-17 win over rival The Citadel as VMI retained the Silver Shako and clinched its first SoCon title since 1977
• Named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week presented by GEICO after that performance
• Had 12 tackles against top-ranked James Madison in VMI’s first-ever FCS playoffs appearance
• One of three national finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award
• Named a first-team All-American by Stats Perform on Monday

 
Others nominated: Anthony Britton (The Citadel), Donovan Manuel (ETSU), Isaac Dowling (Mercer), Nathan East (Samford) and Joe Beckett (Wofford).
 
MEN’S GOLF
Archie Davies, ETSU, R-Fr., Carlisle, England

• Averaged 68.67 strokes over six April rounds with five of them in the 60s
• Turned in a pair of top-10 finishes in the month
• Tied for seventh at the Stitch Intercollegiate, shooting 11-under-par 205 with rounds of 68, 68 and 69 to help ETSU to a third-place team finish and program-record 38-under-par 54-hole total
• Named SoCon Men’s Golfer of the Week on April 14 after performance at Stitch Intercollegiate
• Earned his first collegiate win at the SoCon Men’s Golf Championship, shooting 9-under 207 with rounds of 69, 66 and 72 to lead the Bucs to their first team title since 2017
• Named the SoCon Freshman of the Year and co-Player of the Year

 
Others nominated: Keller Harper (Furman), Tyler Copp (Mercer), A.J. Lintunen (Chattanooga), Pierre Viallaneix (Western Carolina) and Ryan Marter (Wofford).
 
 
WOMEN’S GOLF
Lauren Lightfritz, Mercer, Gr., Suwanee, Ga.

• Earned her first collegiate victory in her final regular-season tournament with an even-par 216 at the Brickyard Collegiate on April 6
• Shot 2-over-par 218 and tied for third at the 2021 SoCon Women's Golf Championship, posting her first top-10 finish at the championship
• First Mercer player to finish in the top three at a SoCon Championship
• Led Mercer to its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance as the Bears earned an at-large bid to the Louisville Regional
• Had a 72.33 scoring average and 217 stroke average for the month

 
Others nominated: Tereza Melecka (ETSU), Sarah-Eve Rheaume (Furman), Dorota Zalewska (Chattanooga) and Victoria Ladd (Western Carolina).
 
 
MEN’S LACROSSE
Offense
Sean Goldsmith, Mercer, Jr., A, Jamestown, N.C.

• Totaled 16 points in just three games, scoring nine goals and recording seven assists to average 5.33 points per game
• Scored at least two goals in each of his games in the month
• Had two goals and two assists in a 15-13 win at Air Force
• Shared game-high honors with four goals and added one assist in a 16-10 loss to eventual SoCon regular-season and tournament champion High Point
• Had a game-high seven points in a 17-9 win over VMI, scoring three points and adding a season-best four assists to surpass 100 points for his career

 
Others nominated: Ethan Grandolfo (Air Force), Brayden Mayea (High Point), Matt Stagnitta (Jacksonville) and Dalton Young (Richmond).
 
Defense
Ashton Wood, Mercer, Jr., FO, Saint Augustine, Fla.

• Averaged 11.3 ground balls per game in three April contests, totaling 34
• Was 52-for-89 in faceoff attempts (.584) on the month
• Had 10 ground balls and was 16-for-31 on faceoffs in a 15-13 win at Air Force
• Had nine ground balls and went 15-for-30 on faceoffs at eventual SoCon champion High Point
• Had 15 ground balls and was 21-for-28 (.750) in a 17-9 win over VMI
• Also contributed on the offensive end in all three contests, dishing off a season-best two assists against Air Force and one against High Point and scoring a goal against VMI

 
Others nominated: Quentin Carlile (Air Force), Eric Rubak (Bellarmine), Zack Deaken (Jacksonville) and Jack Rusbuldt (Richmond).
 
 
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Offense
Hailey Rhatigan, Mercer, Jr., MF, Holbrook, N.Y.

• Led Mercer with 25 points on 21 goals and four assists, including four free-position goals, assisting the Bears to a 3-2 record in April
• Shot .467 with a .711 shots-on-goal percentage
• Scored at least three points in all five games, averaging 5.00 points per game and 4.20 goals per game on the month, leading her to be ranked 46th in NCAA DI Lacrosse in goals per game
• Added nine draws, seven ground balls and four caused turnovers on the defensive side of the ball
• Her seven goals against Kennesaw State on April 6 rank third in program history for most goals scored in a single game
• Scored five or more goals in two games this month, doing so for the second time in her career and making her the second player in program history to do so in a month

 
Others nominated: Samantha Courtemanche (Coastal Carolina), Hannah Demis (Furman) and Ally Furnari (Wofford).
 
Defense
Anya McSorley, Coastal Carolina, R-Sr., D, Bel Air, Md.

• Led the team with 18 draw controls and seven caused turnovers
• Tallied 11 groundballs in the Chanticleers' five games
• Scooped up a season-high seven five groundballs against Mercer on April 16 in Coastal's 11-10 win
• Won a season- and career-high seven draws at Liberty on April 10
• Won 3.60 draw controls per game in April, which ranks third in the conference for the month

 
Others nominated: Regan Lingo (Furman), Lily Morin (Mercer) and Tori Saylor (Wofford).
 
 
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Ryan Adams, Furman, Sr., Hudson, Ohio

• Three-time SoCon Track Athlete of the Week in April
• Finished sixth in the 1,500-meter run at the Joe Walker Invitational on April 10 in a school-record 3:38.29, the top time in the SoCon and No. 5 in NCAA Division I at the time
• Won the 1,500m at Eastern Kentucky’s Rick Erdmann Twilight a week later, lowering his school record to 3:37.82
• Won the event again at the Drake Relays, turning in a time of 3:38.74 to break a meet record that had stood since 1990 by 3 full seconds

 
Field
Justin Stuckey, Samford, Jr., Helena, Ala.

• Competed in three events in the month, earning SoCon Field Athlete of the Week honors on April 21
• Won the high jump at the War Eagle Invitational (April 16-17) with a personal-best and school-record height of 2.21 meters, the top mark in the SoCon, No. 5 in the NCAA East Region and No. 8 in all of NCAA Division I
• Also finished seventh in the long jump at that meet (6.80 meters) in his first competition of the season in the event
• Opened the month with a win in the high jump at the UAB Spring Invitational (April 2-3), clearing 2.06 meters
• Finished second in the high jump at the Crimson Tide Invitational (April 8-10), clearing 2.14 meters

 
 
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Gabbi Jennings, Furman, Sr., Slidell, La.

• Set a pair of school records in as many races in April, earning SoCon Track Athlete of the Week honors on both occasions
• Won the 1,500-meter run at the Joe Walker Invitational on April 9, turning in a personal-best and school-record time of 4:12.60, which was the top time in NCAA Division I at the time
• Finished seventh overall and was the top collegiate finisher in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Drake Relays on April 23, as she posted a personal-best, school-record and Olympic Trials-qualifying time of 9:43.48, which sits third on the NCAA Division I Outdoor Qualifying List

 
Field
Maggie Johnston, Samford, Sr., Macon, Ga.

• Two-time SoCon Field Athlete of the Week in April, taking the honor on April 14 and 21
• Won for the first time after turning in a school-record and SoCon-leading throw of 51.99 meters to take fourth in the discus at the Crimson Tide Invitational (April 8-10); also finished ninth in the shot put (14.11m, No. 1 in the SoCon) and 12^th in the hammer throw (47.78m) at the meet
• Claimed her second weekly award of the month after adding on to her school record with a third-place finish in the discus at the War Eagle Invitational (April 16-17); turned in a mark of 53.25 meters, which was good for No. 18 in the NCAA East Region and No. 38 overall in NCAA DI; also finished 10^th in the shot put (13.98m) and 17^th in the hammer (49.22m) at the meet
• Opened her month at the UAB Spring Invitational (April 2-3), where she finished second in the hammer (51.78m) and discus (50.04m) and fifth in the shot put (13.82m)

 
 
SOFTBALL
Player
Bailey Huneycutt, Western Carolina, SS, Jr., Oakboro, N.C.

• Recorded at least one hit in 16 of Western Carolina's 19 contests as the Catamounts went 14-5 overall and 8-1 in conference play to sit atop the standings in April
• Hit .423 with 22 hits, 16 RBIs and 15 runs scored, while drawing 14 walks
• In the month of April, she reached base safely in the last 19 games, had four multiple-hit games and four-multiple RBI games
• Finished with a .981 slugging percentage and .545 on-base percentage
• Named SoCon Player of the Week on April 12 after hitting .571 with eight hits, five RBIs and five runs scored as Western Carolina won five games, three of which came in a sweep of ETSU over the weekend, and ran its win streak to 11 games

 
Others nominated: Mackense Greico (Furman), Allie Jones (Mercer), Makenna Matthijs (UNCG) and Timberlyn Shurbutt (Samford).
 
Pitcher
Jayme Eilers, Western Carolina, So., Sterling, Ill.

• Made 12 appearances and started nine games, pitching 55 1/3 innings and amassing a 1.52 ERA and 6-2 record with a save as Western Carolina went 14-5 and 8-1 in league play
• Tallied five complete games and two shutouts
• Had 59 strikeouts to just 18 walks and held batters to a .195 batting average
• In game one against North Carolina A&T, on the last day of the month of April, she tossed the first no-hitter of her career and carried a perfect game into the top of the six; faced the minimum, as the Aggie who draw a walk was caught stealing second, while striking out a career-high 13, third-most in program history

 
Others nominated: Bailey Tanner (Furman), Ashlyn Donner (Mercer) and Morgan Scott (UNCG).
 
 
MEN’S TENNIS
Dimitri Badra, ETSU, R-So., Maracay, Venezuela

• Helped ETSU to a 6-1 record on the month, including a 5-0 conference record as the Bucs won the regular-season title, earned the No. 1 seed in the SoCon Championship and earned their third straight SoCon Championship title
• Ranked as high as 56th nationally in singles, went 5-1 in the No. 1 singles spot, downing the top players from Chattanooga, The Citadel, Elon, Samford, and Furman, including a win over Furman's Ivan Mitric that clinched the 2021 Championship in ETSU's 4-2 victory
• Was 6-0 at No. 2 doubles with teammate Miguel Este
• Named SoCon Player of the Week on April 5 and April 12 and was named the SoCon Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year

 
Others nominated: Jim Hendrikx (Samford), Turner Voges (Chattanooga) and Omar Williams (Wofford).
 
 
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Katarina Kozarov, Furman, Sr., Novi Sad, Serbia

• Helped No. 34 Furman, ranked as high as 31st nationally, to a 6-0 record in April, going undefeated in the top singles spot and finishing 4-2 in doubles play, including 4-1 with teammate Julia Adams
• Ranked as high as ninth nationally in the month, Kozarov won all six singles matches, all conference contests, in straight sets, pacing the Paladins to a regular-season title, No. 1 seed in the SoCon Championship and 20^th SoCon tournament title
• Ranked as high as 22nd as a doubles duo, Kozarov and Adams won 6-0 over Chattanooga’s and Mercer's top teams, 6-2 over Samford's top pair in the SoCon tournament, exacting revenge from their lone loss of the month (4-6), and 6-1 over ETSU's top duo in the SoCon Championship title match
• Named SoCon Player of the week on April 12

 
Others nominated: Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga (ETSU), Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg (Samford), Emma Van Hee (Chattanooga) and Lilie Steryous (Wofford).
 
 

Southern Conference April Athletes of the Month
Baseball – player	Justin Starke, VMI
Baseball – pitcher	Colby Stuart, ETSU
Football – offense	Jakob Herres, VMI
Football – defense	Stone Snyder, VMI
Men’s golf	Archie Davies, ETSU
Women’s golf	Lauren Lightfritz, Mercer
Men’s lacrosse – offense	Sean Goldsmith, Mercer
Men’s lacrosse – defense	Ashton Wood, Mercer
Women’s lacrosse – offense	Hailey Rhatigan, Mercer
Women’s lacrosse – defense	Anya McSorley, Coastal Carolina
Men’s outdoor track and field – track	Ryan Adams, Furman
Men’s outdoor track and field – field	Justin Stuckey, Samford
Women’s outdoor track and field – track	Gabbi Jennings, Furman
Women’s outdoor track and field – field	Maggie Johnston, Samford
Softball – player	Bailey Huneycutt, Western Carolina
Softball – pitcher	Jayme Eilers, Western Carolina
Men’s tennis	Dimitri Badra, ETSU
Women’s tennis	Katarina Kozarov, Furman