Athletic News

2019-20 SWORD MOMENTS

#EARNYOURSWORD CHAMPS, AGAIN

The volleyball team won its fourth Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship following a 3-1 win over Geneva in the title match and qualified for the NCAA Championship Tournament. Tammy Swearingen, in her 27th year as head coach, surpassed 600 career wins and was named PAC Coach of the Year. Senior Reilly DeGeorge was named PAC Championship Tournament’s Most

Outstanding Player, to go along with All-Region and All-PAC First Team honors. DeGeorge was the school’s first All-Region selection in the NCAA Division III era.

Title Finish

The women’s indoor track and

field team won its third—and second consecutive—PAC title after the final event of the Championship. The 4x400 relay team sealed the Titan victory with a winning time of 4:09.78, less than a second away from tying a school and PAC record. Tim McNeil ‘96 , 14th-year head coach, was named PAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. Junior Megan Parker was named Co-PAC Most Outstanding Field Performer, while first-year student Emma Rudolph earned the PAC Female Newcomer of the Year.

COURT REPORT

Men’s basketball

senior

Dylan O’Hara

was named the PAC Player of the Year, only the second Westminster player to win the award. O’Hara was also named All-PAC First Team, D3Hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Second Team, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District Second Team and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Second Team. O’Hara led the PAC in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game.

SQUAD GOALS

The women’s soccer team finished the regular season without conceding a goal in conference play. The Titans, led by 18th-year head coach Girish Thakar, finished undefeated in PAC play (7-0-1), clinching the No. 1 seed in the PAC Tournament.

ON THE GRIDIRON

The Titan football team opened the entire NCAA Division III season in record fashion with four interceptions returned for a touchdown, which tied an NCAA Division III record (Millikin, 1999), in a 66-7 win over Capital. The four pick-sixes also tied the NCAA Division I FCS and FBS records. Senior Aaron Pierce recorded two of the pick-sixes, including a 97-yarder, earning MAKING A

SPLASH

Junior Connor May and senior Kaitlyn Fast won the PAC Men’s and Women’s Diver of the Year Award, respectively. among six total national air time on ESPN’s “SportsCenter Top 10.” The Titans a 35-24 win over Morrisville State, the team’s third ECAC Bowl victory. Senior Bryce Hill was named the Bowl MVP.

SOCCER STANDOUT

For men’s soccer, junior Nick Iregui broke the school’s career goals record, finishing the season with 41. Iregui also was selected on the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Team, becoming the second Titan men’s soccer player to receive All-America status for academics. Iregui heads into his final year one point shy from tying the program record for career points.

Tee time

The women’s golf team claimed their second consecutive and fifth overall PAC Title. Third-year head coach Matt Torrence ’93 was named the PAC Women’s Coach of the Year, while PAC Player of the Year honors went to first-year Kasey Clifford, who also secured the PAC Newcomer of the Year award. First-year Erika Hoover, who was the runner-up at the PACs, broke the school record for the lowest round with a 74 (+2) at Westminster’s Fall Invitational.

May and Fast were capped off the season at the ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl with

Westminster divers who qualified for NCAA Division III Regionals. Diving coach Heath Calhoun ’16 was named the PAC Diving Coach of the Year.

200 th win

In her 18th year as

women’s basketball

head coach,

Rosanne Scott

won her 200th career game and surpassed Titan Hall of Famer and former head coach S. Kipley Haas for the best career winning percentage in program history. The Titans went 20-8 overall, the second most improved record in all NCAA Division III. The season marked Westminster’s third 20-win season. She was also named PAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

Game, set, match

Women’s tennis senior Alex Marzouca achieved 100 combined career wins (singles and doubles). Marzouca, a three-time All-PAC First Team honoree, finished her career ranked seventh in singles and 12th in doubles in the program’s record book.

Walker, Fawcett awards, MVPs announced

The Westminster College Department of Athletics announced senior team representatives for the Marjorie A. Walker and David B. Fawcett awards, along with the team MVPs, for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The Marjorie A. Walker Award and David B. Fawcett Award are given annually to one female and one male student who best exemplify the qualities of fairness, sportsmanship, leadership, determination and competitiveness. Due to the cancellation of all spring sports due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Athletics instead chose to honor one senior from each sport this year.

Senior women athletes for the Marjorie A. Walker Award:

SOFTBALL

Lauren McNany, biochemistry major from Emlenton. Highlights: Team captain. All-PAC Second Team utility player. Three-year starter. Lettered every year. Tied for a team-high in doubles junior year.

VOLLEYBALL

Josie Toporcer, psychology major from Warren, Ohio. Highlights: Team captain. All-PAC Second Team Libero. 2019 PAC Championship Team. 2019 PAC All-Tournament Team. 2019 WESPYs Female Unsung Hero. Led the PAC with 721 total digs, 11th in NCAA Division III, senior year. Three-year letter winner.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Emily Fromknecht, biology major from Erie. Highlights: Four-time All-PAC forward. Four-year starting, never missed a start, starting in every game (108 total). Scored 1,000th career point, becoming the ninth women’s basketball player in school history to achieve the milestone and first since Titan Sports Hall of Famer Emilee Ackerman Atkins ’08. Finished career with a school-record 218 blocks, while ranking fourth in career rebounds (870) and eighth in career points (1,138) in program history. PAC Freshman of the Year. Peter Mattocks and Alex Marzouca

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Katie Schrantz, early childhood/special education major from New Castle. Highlights: Two-time All-PAC selection, including First Team senior year. Multiple ECAC Division III South Runner of the Month honors. Won the Chatham Eden Hall Invitational (2019), the Grove City Twilight (2018) and the W&J Invitational (2018). PAC Runner of the Week and SAAC Titan Athlete of the Week. Team MVP. Four-year letter winner.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Emily Marcus, criminal justice studies major from South Park. Highlights: Four-time All-PAC selection, including First Team as a junior and Second Team as a senior. Member of back-to-back PAC Champions. Fired the third-lowest round in school history with a career-best 79 (+7) at the Westminster Invitational (2019). PAC Player of the Week. Earned fourth letter. Starter on the women’s lacrosse team that won the inaugural PAC Championship in 2019.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Romie Schweickert, early childhood/special education major from Hiram, Ohio. Highlights: Four-year starter and letter winner at the attack position. Member of the PAC Championship and NCAA qualifying team in 2019.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Kiki Kawarizadeh, biology major from New Albany, Ohio. Highlights: Three-year team captain. Four-time All-PAC, including Second Team senior year, midfielder. All-Great Lakes Region Third Team and All-ECAC Third Team junior year. Team MVP first year.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

Abigail Jones, biology major from Cabot. Highlights: Fourtime All-PAC selection, including First Team in first year. All-PAC Second Team senior, junior and sophomore years. Member of the first-place 800 freestyle relay at the 2016-17 PAC Championships. Member of the 200 freestyle relay team who posted a school record time in 2017 (1:37.41).

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Alex Marzouca, Spanish and marketing major from Kingston, Jamaica. Highlights: Two-year team captain. Three-time All-PAC First Team in singles. Two-time All-PAC First Team in doubles. Second Team All-PAC in doubles and singles (sophomore year). Achieved 100 career combined wins (singles and doubles). Her 58 career singles wins rank seventh all-time in school history, while her 43 doubles wins rank 12th. Multiple PAC Player of the Week honors. Team MVP junior and senior years.

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Maura Belding, biochemistry major from Columbiana, Ohio. Highlights: AllPAC First and Second Team. Member of the two-time, back-to-back PAC Indoor Track & Field Championship Teams. Was part of the winning 4x400-meter relay team at the 2020 Indoor PAC Championships that helped Westminster seal the conference title. Member of the winning 2019 PAC Outdoor 4x100-meter relay team. Four-year letter winner.

Senior men athletes for David B. Fawcett Award are:

BASEBALL

Jared Lee, business administration major from Lordstown, Ohio. Highlights: Four-year letter winner first baseman.

FOOTBALL

Paul Gonzalez, sports management major from Miami, Fla. Highlights: Twotime All-PAC First Team linebacker. PAC Player of the Week and D3football.com’s Team of the Week. Led the PAC in tackles junior year. Finished career with 236 tackles and 34.5 tackles for a loss. Fouryear letter winner.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Dylan O’Hara, early childhood/special education major from Girard, Ohio. Highlights: 2019-2020 PAC Player of the Year. Multiple PAC Player of the Week. All-PAC First Team. D3Hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Second Team. NABC AllDistrict Second Team. All-ECAC Second Team senior year. One of two players from the PAC to earn All-Region honors. Senior year led the PAC in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game and led the league in free throw percentage (82.4%). Career-high 36 points in Westminster’s win over Geneva on Feb. 12, 2020. Two-time NABC Honors court.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Evan Vent, marketing and business administration major from Pittsburgh. Highlights: Two-time regional NCAA regional qualifier in cross country. Team MVP (2018). Three-year letter winner. Member of the track and field team where he was named to the 2020 PAC Sportsmanship Team.

MEN’S GOLF

Avery Andric, a computer science major from Lisbon, Ohio. Highlights: AllPAC Second Team (2020). Member of 2020 PAC runner-up team, the program’s first second-place finish at the PAC Championships since 2005-06. All-PAC Honorable Mention (2019). Medalist honors (first place) at the La Roche Invitational (Sept. 18, 2018). PAC Player of the Week. Led the team with four top-10 finishes junior year. 64 career birdies rank second all-time in school history. Tworound score of 148 (+4) at the 2018-19 Mount Union Invite is tied for 11th best in school history.

MEN’S LACROSSE

Dante Serra, international studies major from Center Valley. Highlights: All-PAC Second Team (2019) midfielder. 2019 PAC and 2019 ECAC Championship runner-up teams. Totaled 115 career points and 94 career ground balls. Played in 45 games (32 starts). Four-year letter winner.

MEN’S SOCCER

Peter Mattocks, marketing major from Saegertown. Highlights: All-PAC First Team selection all four years at midfielder. Finished career ranked third in school history in both career goals (36) and career points (88). United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men’s All-Great Lakes Region Third Team (2019). Multiple PAC Player of the Week awards. ECAC Division III South Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. SAAC Titan of the Week.

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

Aaron Dunlany, biology major from Boardman, Ohio. Highlights: Three-time All-PAC First Team selection. 2018-19 AllPAC Second Team. Member of two PAC Championship Teams (2016-17, 2017-18). Seven-time PAC Champion. 2019-20 PAC Champion in the 500 free, 1650 free, 400 free relay, and 800 free relay. 2017-18 PAC Champion in the 800 free relay. 2016-17 PAC Champion in the 1650 free and 800 free relay. Member of the school-record 800 freestyle relay team (6:50.98).

MEN’S TENNIS

Miguel Ascencio, biology major from Venetia. Highlights: Team captain the past two years. No. 1 singles every year. No. 1 doubles for most of career. Two-time All-PAC honoree, including First Team as a junior. Multiple PAC Rookie of the Week honors. Led team in both singles and double wins the past two years; 10 singles and eight doubles wins in 2018 and seven singles and five doubles victories in 2019. Back-to-back Team MVP.

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Tim Maxwell, business administration major from Washington. Highlights: Threetime PAC champion in pole vault—indoor (2019, 2020) and outdoor (2019). S

TEAM MVPs

Basketball (M): Dylan O’Hara Basketball (W): Kayla Bennett Cross Country (M): Harrison Keenan Cross Country (W): Katie Schrantz Football: Brady Hogue, Keano Grice Golf (M): Michael Bell Golf (W): Kasey Clifford Lacrosse (M): Jack Granahan Lacrosse (W): Bria Braddock Soccer (M): Ahmed Cisse Soccer (W): Kayla Trozzi Swim/Dive (M): Aaron Dunlany Swim/Dive (W): Kaitlyn Fast Tennis (M): Miguel Ascencio, Jimmy Oberlin Tennis (W): Alex Marzouca Indoor Track/Field (M): Dalton Anderson Indoor Track/Field (W): Morgan Gossard Volleyball: Reilly DeGeorge

Due to the cancellation of spring sports, the following teams did not have an MVP: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.