SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its April athletes of the month Friday, highlighting excellence among 14 student-athletes across nine sports during the month.
 
BASEBALL
Player
Lawson Hill, Wofford, 5th., C/INF, Canton, Ga.

• Hit .540 (34-for-63) in 17 games with a .613 on-base percentage and .698 slugging percentage
• Scored 13 runs, tallying 10 RBIs and recording 10 doubles
• Had six three-hit games and six two-hit games in April
• Struck out only once in the month, while also drawing 12 walks
• Recorded his 266th career hit in Wofford's 4-17 loss to Clemson on April 27 to become the Terriers' all-time hits leader

 
Others nominated: Ryan McCarthy (The Citadel), Tommy Barth (ETSU), Colby Thomas (Mercer), Dallas Callahan (UNCG), Maurice Hampton Jr. (Samford), Brett Cook (VMI) and Pascanel Ferreras (Western Carolina).
 
Pitcher
Jackson Kelley, Mercer, Jr., RHP, Marietta, Ga.

• Went 3-0 with four saves and a 1.42 ERA in nine appearances in April, beating ETSU, UNCG and then-No. 24 Wofford and earning saves against Seton Hall, The Citadel, Florida A&M at ETSU
• Allowed only three runs in 19 innings of work, all of which were earned, and allowed 11 hits and five walks
• Registered 26 strikeouts during the month, with three four-plus strikeout games
• Struck out three and allowed just three hits in three innings in Mercer's 12-10 series-finale victory over Wofford
• Named SoCon Pitcher of the Week on May 2 for all games played from April 25 to May 1

 
Others nominated: Fisher Paulsen (The Citadel), Andrew Ronne (ETSU), Alex Hoppe (UNCG), Michael Ross (Samford), Zach Franklin (Western Carolina) and Josh Vitus (Wofford).
 
 
 
MEN’S GOLF
Remi Chartier, ETSU, R-So., Montreal, Quebec, Canada

• Averaged 70.17 strokes over six April rounds with three of 67 or lower
• Earned his first collegiate win at the SoCon Men's Golf Championship, posting an 18-under-par 198 to set a program record for a 54-hole score versus par and tie the program record for the lowest 54-hole total
• Averaged 66.0 strokes per round over the course of the tournament, shooting rounds of 68, 63 and 67, with his second-round score of 63 tying a program record and setting a SoCon tournament record for the lowest round score
• Became ETSU's 17th SoCon medalist and third in the last three tournaments in leading the Bucs to their second consecutive team title and 22nd in program history
• Shot a 7-over-par 223 to tie for 29th with teammate Ben Carberry at the Stitch Intercollegiate

 
Others nominated: Nick Lyerly (UNCG), Paul Conroy (Chattanooga) and Jake Peacock (Western Carolina).
 
 
WOMEN’S GOLF
Dorota Zalewska, Chattanooga, Jr., Szczecin, Poland

• Averaged 71.40 strokes over five rounds in April, winning both of her tournaments by one stroke to become just the second back-to-back winner in program history
• Opened her month with a victory at the Brickyard Collegiate, shooting a first-round 4-under-par 68 and following that with a 2-over 74 in round two for a 2-under 142 tourney total when the third round was canceled by inclement weather
• Followed that with a 1-under 215 (71-73-71) to claim the individual title at the SoCon Women’s Golf Championship, hitting a hole-in-one on the par-3 17^th hole in the final round
• Tied Chattanooga’s single-season record of 14 rounds of par or better
• Two-time SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week (April 6, April 20) and April 6 SoCon Golfer of the Week

 
Others nominated: Hollie Muse (ETSU), Sophia Burnett (Furman) and Elizabeth Lohbauer (Western Carolina).
 
 
MEN’S LACROSSE
Offense
Ryan Lanchbury, Richmond, Gr., A, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

• Averaged 6.20 points per game in April, totaling 31 points on 20 goals and 11 assists, and scoring at least three goals in each contest
• Had one five-point game, two six-point games and two seven-point games as Richmond went 4-1
• Opened his month with four goals and an assist as Richmond knocked off No. 2 Virginia on April 2 for the highest-ranked win in school history
• Had four goals and two assists in a 13-11 setback to No. 12 Jacksonville on April 9
• Had seven points on five goals and two assists in a 16-5 win over rival High Point on April 23

 
Others nominated: Jackson Intrieri (Jacksonville) and Sean Goldsmith (Mercer).
 
Defense
Zach Vigue, Richmond, R-Fr., GK, Apex, N.C.

• Went 4-1 in goal with a 10.67 goals-against average in 292 minutes of play
• Made 69 saves and allowed 52 goals against 195 shots for a .570 save percentage
• Had 16 saves in a 17-13 win over No. 2 Virginia on April 2, ending the Cavaliers’ 73-game winning streak against instate opponents that dated to 1977
• Had 14 saves in a 13-11 loss to No. 12 Jacksonville on April 9
• Had a career-high 19 saves and .792 save percentage in a 16-5 win over rival High Point on April 23, earning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors

 
Others nominated: Colin Hinton (Jacksonville) and Garrett LeClaire (Mercer).
 
 
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Jordin Poindexter, VMI, Sr., Richmond, Va.

• Turned in a pair of top-five finishes in the sprints at the Colonial Relays to open the month, placing fifth in the 100-meter dash in 10.70 seconds and fourth in the 200-meter dash in 21.42, the latter of which was a SoCon-leading time
• Also ran the anchor leg on VMI’s 4x100-meter relay, which finished eighth
• Named the SoCon Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week for his efforts at the Colonial Relays
• At the Gamecock Invitational on April 16, finished 11th in the 100m and 16th in the 200m and helped the Keydets’ 4x400-meter relay to fourth place
• Finished first in the prelims of both the 100m (10.61) and 200m (21.11) at the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships on April 30, going on to win both finals the next day and later earning Most Outstanding Track Performer laurels for the second straight season

 
Field
JP Caglione, The Citadel, Gr., Viera, Fla.

• Opened the month by winning the hammer with a school-record throw of 58.99 meters at the Bill Carson Invitational, also placing second in the shot put en route to being named the SoCon Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
• Finished 12^th in the shot and 13^th in the hammer at the Duke Invitational
• Finished third in the hammer and eighth in the shot put at the Gamecock Invitational on April 16
• Finished 10^th in the hammer and 19^th in the discus at the UofSC Open on April 23
• Claimed silver in the hammer at the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships on April 30, going on to win the shot put and finish fifth in the discus the next day

 
 
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Megan Marvin, Furman, So., Chapel Hill, N.C.

• Ran a conference-leading time of 2:06.85 in the 800-meter run at the Ole Miss Joe Walker Invitational (April 8-9), while her 4:20.54 in the 1,500-meter run would have led the conference if she didn’t already have a faster time this season
• Turned in a personal-best time in the 1,500m at the Virginia Challenge, finishing fourth among collegiate competitors in the invitational event with a SoCon-best 4:14.97, which ranked 17th on the overall NCAA Division I Outdoor Qualifying List
• Named the SoCon Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week on April 27 for that performance, her second honor of the outdoor season
• At the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships to close the month, finished first in the prelims of the 1500m and second in the 800m on April 30 before going on to win both finals the following day

 
Field
Brittany Bishop, Samford, Jr., Clinton, Tenn.

• Took second in the pole vault at the UAB Green and Golf Invite and Multi to open the month, clearing 4.06 meters, and finished ninth in the 100-meter hurdles
• Upped her seasonal best and conference-leading pole vault mark with a school-record height of 4.17m at the War Eagle Invitational
• That performance ranked 16^th on the NCAA East Qualifying List and earned her SoCon Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this outdoor season
• Capped her month with a win in the pole vault at the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships on April 30, setting a meet record with her height of 4.01m

 
 
SOFTBALL
Player
Makenna Matthijs, UNCG, Gr., OF, Greenville, N.C.

• Hit .411, slugged .696 and had an on-base percentage of .450 to lead UNCG to a 12-4 record in April
• Had 14 RBIs and scored 15 runs, with nine of her 23 hits in the month going for extra bases (five doubles, one triple and three home runs)
• Finished the month on a 10-game hitting streak and had just three hitless games in 16 starts
• Had seven multi-hit games, including a pair of 3-for-4, two-run, three-RBI efforts, against Chattanooga on April 9 and Furman on April 30
• Struck out just five times in 56 at bats

 
Others nominated: Diamond Williams (Mercer), Gwynnie Hornibrook (Samford), Reagan Armour (Chattanooga) and Bailey Huneycutt (Western Carolina).
 
Pitcher
McKenzie Newcomb, Samford, Fr., RHP, Meridianville, Ala.

• Went 9-0 with a 0.89 ERA in April, earning the win in each of her nine appearances
• Allowed just 39 hits in 55 1/3 innings pitched, limiting opponents to a .197 batting average and striking out 47 batters with just seven walks
• Was a three-time SoCon Pitcher of the Week for her performances in April
• Threw six complete games, three of which were shutouts, including a one-hitter against Western Carolina on April 9
• Also threw seven innings of scoreless relief in Samford’s 8-4, nine-inning win over Mercer on April 3

 
Others nominated: Morgan Scott (UNCG).
 
 
MEN’S TENNIS
Thiago Pernas, ETSU, So., Buenos Aires, Argentina

• Went 7-0 in singles play, mostly at No. 5, and 7-2 in doubles, primarily at No. 3, helping ETSU to SoCon regular-season and tournament titles
• Won each of his singles matches in straight sets
• Only two doubles losses came at No. 1 and No. 2, including a tiebreaker loss to UNCG’s all-conference top pair
• Was 3-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles at the SoCon Men’s Tennis Championship, earning Most Outstanding Player honors
• Downed Furman’s Emil Westling 6-4, 6-3 on April 12 to clinch the match and at least a share of the SoCon regular-season title, which ETSU would secure outright later in the month

 
Others nominated: Jamie Connel (Furman), Mohammed Ali Bellalouna (Samford), Simon Labbe (Chattanooga), and Mark Endler (Wofford).
 
 
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Julia Adams, Furman, Sr., Knoxville, Tenn.

• Went 8-0 at No. 1 singles and 8-0 at No. 1 doubles in April, helping Furman to SoCon regular-season and tournament titles
• Named the SoCon Player of the Year and SoCon Women’s Tennis Championship Most Outstanding Player in the month
• Clinched Furman’s 4-2 win over ETSU in the SoCon tournament title match, grinding out a 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6) singles win over fellow All-SoCon No. 1 Laylo Bakhodirova
• Named the SoCon Player of the Week for the third time this season on April 5 after going 2-0 in both singles and doubles in wins over Chattanooga and Mercer
• Enters NCAA tournament play ranked No.  38 nationally in singles, No. 34 in doubles with partner Ellie Schoppe and with Furman ranked No. 36 as a team

 
Others nominated: Daniela Rivera (ETSU), Emma Van Hee (Chattanooga), Jordyn King (Western Carolina) and Georgia Fischer (Wofford).
 
 
 
Southern Conference April Athletes of the Month
Baseball – player                                    Lawson Hill, Wofford
Baseball – pitcher                                   Jackson Kelley, Mercer
Men’s golf                                              Remi Chartier, ETSU
Women’s golf                                         Dorota Zalewska, Chattanooga
Men’s lacrosse – offense                        Ryan Lanchbury, Richmond
Men’s lacrosse – defense                        Zach Vigue, Richmond
Men’s outdoor track and field – track        Jordin Poindexter, VMI
Men’s outdoor track and field – field         JP Caglione, The Citadel
Women’s outdoor track and field – track   Megan Marvin, Furman
Women’s outdoor track and field – field    Brittany Bishop, Samford
Softball – player                                     Makenna Matthijs, UNCG
Softball – pitcher                                    McKenzie Newcomb, Samford
Men’s tennis                                           Thiago Pernas, ETSU
Women’s tennis                                      Julia Adams, Furman