Horizon League Athletes of the Week (Week of March 14)
Milwaukee
Marquis Johnson
Hometown: Lac du Flambeau, Wis.
Johnson opened his outdoor season with two victories at the Billiken Kickoff. Running a time of 21.43, the senior claimed first in the 200 meter dash, breaking his own meet record set last season. In the 400 meter dash, Johnson crossed the finish line first with a time of 48.21.
Wright State
Jessica Doepker
Hometown: Kalida, OH
Doepker kicked off the outdoor season with a first place finish in the 800 meter run at the Stan Lyons Invitational. The junior ran a time of 2:17.84.
UIC
Jordan Banks
Hometown: Bolingbrook, Ill.
Banks had a strong showing at the Stan Lyons Invitational on Saturday, placing first in the long jump with a jump of 6.64 meters. The senior went on take second in the triple jump with a bound of 14.28 meters.
Milwaukee
Kamry Gipson
Hometown: Sun Praire, Wis.
Gipson started her outdoor season by breaking the school record in shot put with a heave of 13.99 meters, placing first. The junior came back to take 11th in the Discus with a throw of 27.81m and 13th in Hammer with a hurl of 32.05m.
Wright State
Tori Turner
Hometown: Hamilton, Ohio
Turner went 3-0 in singles play last week, leading Wright State to a 2-1 team record. After wins over Western Illinois and Illinois State, the Raiders now sit 13-3 in the spring.
Northern Kentucky
Mate Virag
Hometown: Szentes, Hungary
Virag helped NKU collect its first road win of the spring season at Dayton, taking his match at No. 1, 7-6(6), 6-3.
Youngstown State
Emily Dixon
Hometown: Pataskala, Ohio
Dixon shared medalist honors at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate with a three-round total of 228. It was Dixon's fourth win this season and eighth of her career as she also captured the YSU Kickoff, a dual against Niagara and the Golden Grizzlies Invitational this season. Her eight career tournament/dual wins are a school record.
Valparaiso
Peter Webb
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
Webb put together a consistent 54-hole effort at Twin Oaks C.C. to finish just one stroke out of individual medalist honors. He opened with an even-par round of 71 on the 6,701-yard circuit, and shot a 72 later on the first day of action to sit three shots off the lead after 36 holes. Webb’s final-round 73 came up just one shot shy of moving him atop the leaderboard, but was enough to push the junior up into joint second place – matching his best career finish individually.
Valparaiso
Nolan Lodden
Hometown: West Des Moines, Iowa
Lodden boosted his batting average from .312 to a team-high .356 during the Crusaders' sweep of the Northern Kentucky Norse this past weekend in Highland Heights. He scored a run and drove in another in Saturday's 6-4 victory over the Norse. Lodden swiped two bases in that contest as well. The senior saved his best for Sunday's finale, though. He finished the day 5-for-6 with two doubles, a run, and five RBIs in the Brown and Gold's 16-1 sweep-clinching triumph.
UIC
Connor Ryan
Hometown: Homer Glen, Ill.
Ryan was magnificent on the mound as he helped the Flames claim an HL series victory with a 3-0 shutout of Oakland. In his second start of the season, Ryan did not allow a hit through seven innings of work. He added four strikeouts, while walking only one batter. He faced only three batters above the minimum, and retired the last eight Golden Grizzlies he faced.
Wright State
Ally Russell
Hometown: Greenville, Ohio
Pitched 2.2 innings or relief against IPFW with three hits and two strikeouts. Russell then pitched a complete-game six-hitter in win over Indiana while striking out two and also having two hits herself at the plate.
Wright State
Macey Gunther
Hometown: Newton Falls, Ohio
Gunther hit .444 this past week for Wright State with a .444 slugging percentage, .500 on-base percentage, four hits and three RBI. The sophomore went two for two with an RBI, run scored and two stolen bases against Michigan State and one for three with two RBI versus IPFW.
Horizon League student-athletes of the week, for the week spanning March 14-20, 2016.
