Reflections Magazine Issue #86 - Summer 2017 | Page 12

Athletics News saints highlights SHU Student-Athletes Excel in the Classroom Siena Heights student-athletes earned a 3.09 GPA in the fall 2016 semester. Leading the way was the women's golf team with a 3.61 GPA, followed by the softball team (3.57). Every women's team earned a 3.0 or higher, with an aggregate GPA of 3.33 on the women's side. The men's teams were led by the men's soc- cer team with a 3.42 GPA. The men's aggregate GPA was a 2.91. Basketball Women: The Saints (24-10) fell to No. 11 Morningside (Iowa) 90-73 in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. SHU also dropped a 77-39 decision to No. 7 Davenport in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament championship. Senior April Watson (right) was named a first team NAIA All-American, the first player in program history to earn the honor. The forward/center averaged 19.4 points, 11.3 rebounds and two blocks a game this season. Watson finished eighth all-time in scoring with 1,073 points in just two seasons with the program. She also finished first in scoring average (16.8) and sixth all-time with 661 total rebounds. Watson also holds the single-season rebounding record with 383, set this season. She also completed her career with a SHU record 129 career blocks. Watson was also named to the All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference first team and also garnered a spot on the all-defensive team. Senior guard Jaaliyah Arrington earned a spot on the All-WHAC second team, as well as on the all-academic team. Demi Russell was named to the conference's all-freshman team, with Avery Chezem the team's Champions of Character recipient. The Saints, who appeared in the national tournament for the fourth time, finished 23rd in the final NAIA Top 25 poll. 12 | Reflections Summer ’17 Men: The Saints (16-15) made a run at No. 2 Cornerstone before falling 74-70 in the opening round of the conference tournament. SHU, had its first winning season since 2009-10. Senior Jerrell Martin was named to the All-Wolverine- Hoosier Athletic Conference second team after averaging 13 points and seven rebounds this season. He also was the team's Champions of Character recipient. Martin also became the 37th player in men's program history to reach 1,000 career points. Bowling Women: The Saints reached the quar- terfinals of the Wolverine-Hoosier Ath- letic Conference Championships. The Saints also placed 13th at the American Heartland Intercollegiate Bowling Con- ference Championship, and also com- peted at the Intercollegiate Team Cham- pionships Sectional Qualifier in Tennes- see, placing 12th out of 16 teams. Men: The Saints finished 1-2 at Satur- day's Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Con- ference Championships. SHU also finished 15th at the American Heartland Intercol- legiate Bowling Conference Championship in Ft. Wayne, Ind., and competed at the Intercollegiate Team Championships Sectional Qualifier in Tennessee, placing 15th out of 18 teams. Cheer The host Saints placed seventh out of 12 teams at Saturday's NAIA Northeast Regional. Senior Kortney Ouellette was named an NAIA All-American, the first in the program's history. Ouellette was also named the WHAC Cheerleader of the Year, made the All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference first team, the All-WHAC Aca- demic Team and was the SHU Champions of Character recipient. Siena Heights placed fourth at the conference champi- onships at Concordia. Safiya Best and Kara Morley were also each named to the WHAC's all-academic team. Best was also named a NAIA Scholar Athlete for the second consecutive year. Finally, the Saints finished fourth at the CANAM National Championship event in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Cross Country Women: Junior Ashley Russo crossed the line in 62nd place at the NAIA Championships in Elsah, Ill. Russo ran a time of 18 minutes, 23.01 seconds. She was the only Saint to qualify for the national meet. Seniors Lauren McMahon and Mariah Ridal and junior Amber Koprin and Kristin Stobinski were each named NAIA Scholar-Athletes. The Saints finished second to Aquinas at the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Championships in Grand Rapids. Russo paced SHU with a second place time of 18:26.1 to earn first team All-WHAC. Lauren McMahon was 11th (19:13) and Mariah Ridal 13th (19:23) and were second team honorees. Men: The Saints finished 29th at the NAIA Championships in Elsah, Ill. Stephen Merchant was 81st in a time of 26 minutes, 5.6 seconds, with Anthony Vermilye 117th (26:19) and Kyler Van- Wormer 169th (26:52.9). Seniors