Drake Named NCCAA, CL Player Of Week

WINONA LAKE - Vironnica Drake was recognized on Monday following a record-breaking week for Grace’s women’s basketball team.
Drake was named the NCCAA National Player of the Week for the third time this season, and she also was named the Crossroads League Player of the Week.
The senior guard tallied 19 points, 5 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals to upset No. 5 Taylor 69-63, but that game incredibly was not the highlight.
Drake broke the program record for points in a game on Saturday, pouring in 46 points to go along with seven boards and two steals to beat rival Bethel 84-75. Drake's 46 points were the most any player in the Crossroads League has scored since 2014 (Huntington's Miranda Palmer, 48 points).
It's also the most any women’s NAIA Div. II player has scored since the 2016-17 season (Purdue Northwest's Cassidy Deno, 51 points). Only five players across any division (NCAA I-II-III, NAIA I-II) have scored more points this season than Drake's 46-point effort.
Drake leads the team in points (19.6 points per game), rebounds (7.0/ game) and steals (2.2/game). The Lady Lancers are currently 17-9 under head coach Dan Davis, sitting in fifth place in the league standings with four games remaining.

Johnson earns first award
WINONA LAKE – Myles Johnson of Grace’s men’s basketball team picked up the first award of his collegiate career on Monday.
The freshman forward was honored as the NCCAA National Player of the Week, helping lead the Lancers to a pair of wins.
Johnson averaged a double-double last week, all while shooting a sizzling 73 percent from the floor (16-of-22).
He had 17 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks to beat Taylor, and he added 18 points and 7 boards on Saturday to complete a season sweep of No. 9 Bethel.
The No. 23-ranked Lancers are third in the Crossroads League standings with four games to go. Grace plays at Spring Arbor on Tuesday before returning home on Saturday for a clash with No. 15 St. Francis.

Crossroads League  Athletes of the Week

AVON, Ohio – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the top athletes from February 3 through 9. Sports Information Directors from the league nominate student-athletes for the award and vote on each week’s winners.

Men’s Basketball

Cameron Wolter, Marian
Wolter led No. 5 Marian to lopsided wins over No. 6 MVNU and RV Spring Arbor, netting 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and sinking 17-of-25 field goal attempts. Walter scored 25 to sink Mount Vernon Nazarene and added a double-double against SAU.

Men’s Indoor TF Field Athlete
Thomas Jackson, Bethel
Jackson hit the NAIA A standard with a leap of 7.13 meters in the long jump, finishing second-of-33 athletes at the Wide Track Classic.

Men’s Indoor TF Track Athlete
Richard Corbitt, Bethel
Corbitt  finished with a pair of top-10 showings for the Pilots at the Wide Track Classic, taking seventh in the 200-meters and ninth in the 60-meters.

Women’s Indoor TF Field Athlete
Erin Oleksak, Marian
Oleksak added another accomplishment to her freshman campaign, hitting the NAIA A mark with a leap of 5.72 meters in the long jump. Oleksak’s mark set a new Marian record.

Women’s Indoor TF Track Athlete
Emma Jankowski, Bethel
Jankowski won the 400-meters, took third in the 600-meters and helped Bethel finish sixth in the distance-medley relay at the Wide Track Classic.

Baseball – Evan Hickman, Marian
Hickman had seven hits in 14 at bats for Marian through four games. The senior catcher added three doubles and a homer among those hits and drove in seven runs for the Knights.
– Seth Mikel