EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - A total of 12 UW-Eau Claire student-athletes have been recognized by being named an Athlete of the Week for the ninth week of the 2013-14 season.
Football
Offense: Paul Santi, Offensive Line, 6-1, 295, Kingsford, Mich.
Starting at center for the Blugolds, his 37th straight start going back to 2010, Santi helped the Blugolds to a 13-6 victory over UW-River Falls this weekend, the Blugolds’ first win of the year. The Blugolds finished with 137 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns while they threw for 176 yards to combine for 313 yards of total offense.
Defense: Luke Hoyord, Cornerback, 5-11, 183, Senior, Scandinavia, Wis./Iola-Scandinavia
Hoyord finished with five tackles while breaking up two passes Saturday as the Blugolds beat UW-River Falls 13-6 for the team’s first win of the season. One of his tackles was a loss for seven yards early in the game.
Special Teams: Chris Cummings, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 165, Sophomore, Milwaukee, Wis./Riverside University
Cummings returned two kickoffs and recorded one special teams tackle Saturday as the Blugolds beat UW-River Falls 13-6 for the team’s first win of the season. He returned two kicks for 39 yards, including a long of 27 yards. His tackle came on the opening kickoff of the game, stopping River Falls for a 15-yard return.
Soccer
Offense: Caroline Henderson, Forward, 5-5, Sophomore, Duluth, Minn./East
In three games this week, Henderson scored three goals as the Blugolds ended the regular season. She recorded a hat-trick against UW-Superior on Wednesday as the Blugolds won 9-0. Saturday against UW-River Falls, she scored the game-winner 33 seconds into overtime as the Blugolds won 2-1. Sunday at Saint Benedict (Minn.), she tied for a team-high with two shots and finished with a total of 13 for the week, eight of them on-goal. Henderson has nine goals on the season.
Defense: Ashley O’Connell, Defender, 5-6, Sophomore, Appleton, Wis./East
O’Connell and the rest of the Blugold defense gave up just two goals this weekend while the Blugold offense scored 11 and the team went on to win two out of three games. Against UW-Superior on Wednesday, a game the Blugolds won 9-0, the defense allowed just two shots, one on-goal. Saturday in a 2-1 overtime win over UW-River Falls, the Falcons tallied five shots, four on-goal. For the week, the Blugolds gave up 21 shots, 10 on-goal, while Eau Claire had 61, 37 of them on-goal. The defense also defended against 14 corner kicks.
Volleyball
Lauren Sutherland, Libero, 5-10, Senior, Dayton, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian
Playing in three conference matches this week, the Blugolds went 2-1 to finish in second place in the WIAC. Sutherland led the Blugolds in digs all three times, totaling 63 for the week. She also had six set assists and two service aces. Facing 21st-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday, a match the Blugolds lost 3-0, she recorded 17 digs to lead the match. The Blugolds bounced back Friday with a 3-1 win over 25th-ranked UW-Whitewater and she had 26 digs to lead both teams. In a 3-0 win over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, she led the Blugolds with 21 digs. In her career, she now has 1,669 digs, third most in school history.
Women’s Cross Country
Angie Gasser, Senior, Tomah, Wis.
Gasser was the top Blugold finisher Friday at the Blugolds’ Lake Wissota Invitational. She placed fourth overall with a 5,000-meter time of 19:49.
Men’s Cross Country
Jordan Rathke, Sophomore, Green Bay, Wis./Bay Port
Rathke was the top Blugold finisher Friday at the Blugolds’ Lake Wissota Invitational. He was the top collegiate finisher and placed second overall with an 8,000-meter time of 26:54, a season-best.
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Swimming: Alex Card, Senior, Prior Lake, Minn.
Competing against UW-Stevens Point and St. Cloud State (Minn.) on Saturday, Card won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:02.88. He was third in the 100-yard breaststroke and fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke. Competing in the 200-yard medley relay, his team came in third place.
Diving: Shawn Westphal, Sophomore, Eau Claire, Wis./North
Competing against UW-Stevens Point and St. Cloud State (Minn.) on Saturday, Westphal took seventh in the three-meter dive with a score of 181.80 while he was ninth in the one-meter dive with 182.15 points.
Women’s Swimming & Diving
Swimming: Elissa Hermsen, Freshman, Waunakee, Wis.
Competing against UW-Stevens Point and St. Cloud State (Minn.) on Saturday, Hermsen picked up a win in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:01.57. She also took third in the 200-yard butterfly and was part of the runner-up 400-yard freestyle relay team while her 200-yard medley relay team took fifth. The prior weekend as the Blugolds opened the season against Minnesota-Mankato, Hermsen won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:01.07 while securing runner-up finishes in the 200-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Diving: Sara Axness, Sophomore, Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial
Axness led the way this weekend for the Blugold divers against UW-Stevens Point and St. Cloud State (Minn.) by winning both the one and three-meter events with scores of 288.50 and 297.20, respectively. Her mark on the three-meter board was a new pool record, beating out Blugold Hall of Famer Sara Mulatz, who held the record of 293.20 since 1995. It was also just one point shy of the school record, which Mulatz also holds. The marks were also national qualify scores. The prior weekend as the Blugolds opened the season against Minnesota-Mankato, Axness won the three-meter dive with a score of 249.10 while taking third in the one-meter with 238 points.