EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - A total of seven UW-Eau Claire student-athletes have been recognized by being named an Athlete of the Week for the 10th week of the 2013-14 season.
Football
Offense: Joel Sweeney, Running Back, 6-1, 249, Senior, Tomah, Wis.
Sweeney finished Saturday’s game at UW-Stout with 192 yards rushing on 33 carries and three touchdowns, the second time this season Sweeney had three touchdowns in a game. He had a big play near the beginning of the fourth quarter, running 70 yards for a touchdown to get the Blugolds back within 11 points. The run tied for the 15th longest in school history and was the longest run of Sweeney's career (previous best was 65 yards against UW-River Falls on Nov. 10, 2012). He moves into third place on the Blugolds' all-time career rushing yards list with 3,726 yards.
Defense: Thurgood Dennis, Cornerback, 6-0, 178, Junior, Allouez, Wis./Green Bay Notre Dame
Starting at cornerback at UW-Stout this weekend, his 18th straight start going back to last season, Dennis finished with two solo tackles, one of which was a loss for two yards. This season he is seventh on the team with 27 tackles (22 solo, five assists).
Special Teams: Lucas Emmerich, Tight End, 6-4, 221, Sophomore, Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial
Emmerich has been a big part of the Blugolds’ special teams this season, playing on all but one of the special teams. This past weekend at UW-Stout, he recorded one tackle on a Blugold punt early in the game to stop the return for five yards.
Volleyball
Maggie Holcombe, Setter, 5-5, Freshman, Shakopee, Minn.
Holcombe helped the Blugolds to four 3-0 victories this weekend at the Illinois Wesleyan University Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts. She led all four matches in setting and finished the weekend with 136 of the Blugolds 157 set assists, averaging 11.33 per set. Holcombe also finished with 11 total blocks, tied for third most on the team and 28 digs, also third highest on the team. Averaging a .286 hitting percentage, she had nine kills, while recording four service aces.
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Swimming: Alex Card, Senior, Prior Lake, Minn.
Card led the Blugolds to a 174-120 victory over Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) Saturday as he won two individual events while he was part of two winning relay teams. He took first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:01.73 and won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:15.42. The 400-yard medley relay team of Young, Card, Molander and Rose won with a time of 3:40.66 and the 200-yard freestyle relay team that featured Epperly, Card, Molander and Rose took first with a time of 1:30.17.
Women’s Swimming & Diving
Swimming: Maddie Gray, Sophomore, Roseville, Minn.
Competing in four events this weekend against Northern Michigan University and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), Gray took fifth in two individual events while she was part of two fourth-place relay teams. She took fifth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:02.35, a season-best for her, while taking fifth in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:15.96. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, her team took fourth with a time of 1:45.47 as she swam the best split, while the 400-yard medley relay team was fourth with a time of 4:09.27.
Competing against Northern Michigan University and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), Baker won the one-meter dive and took second in the three-meter. She won the one-meter with a score of 264.65 while taking second in the three-meter with 273.15 points. Both marks were NCAA qualifying scores.