EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - Six UW-Eau Claire student-athletes have been recognized by being named an Athlete of the Week for the 31st week of the 2013-14 season.
Softball
Position – Taylor Pierce, Shortstop, 5-2, Junior, Ashwaubenon, Wis.
Pierce started six games at shortstop this week and helped the Blugolds to a 5-1 conference record. She led the team batting, with a .522 average, recording 12 hits in 23 at-bats, both of which were team-highs. Two of her hits were for extra bases, a double and a triple, and both came against UW-Superior, driving in two runs as the Blugolds won 2-0. She also scored four runs and led the Blugolds with eight RBI. Pierce finished the week with a .652 slugging percentage with 15 total bases and had an on-base percentage of .560. She was also 2-for-2 in stolen bases. In the field, Pierce accumulated eight putouts with 11 assists.
Pitcher – Laura Raflik, Righthanded Pitcher, 5-6, Junior, Plover, Wis./Pacelli
Raflik appeared in three games this week as the Blugolds went 5-1 in conference play. Against UW-River Falls on Monday, Raflik started and pitched 3.1 innings in a game the Blugolds won 11-6. Facing the Falcons, she struck out five batters and allowed just six hits and three runs, only two of which were earned. Wednesday against UW-Superior, a game the Blugolds won 15-2 in five innings, Raflik pitched a complete game, striking out three batters while allowing four hits and two runs. Saturday against UW-Oshkosh she started again and pitched 5.2 innings, allowing six hits and just one run as the Blugolds won 6-1. For the week she had a 2.50 ERA, pitching 14 innings total.
Men’s Golf
Brady Hanson, Freshman, Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge
At a weather-shortened Saint John’s Invitational, Hanson led the Blugolds to tie first place after he tied for third place with 71 strokes (-1). He also was the Blugolds’ second-highest finisher at the Bobby Krig Invitational earlier in the week, tying for ninth place with 228 strokes as the Blugolds finished in second place.
Women’s Golf
Kate Engler, Junior, Beloit, Wis./F.J. Turner
At a weather-shortened Carleton College Invitational, Engler took home medalist honors after recording 77 strokes, four in front of the rest of the field. As a team, the Blugolds finished in fourth place.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
Track – Matt Scott, Senior, Kiel, Wis.
At the Gina Relays in Hillsdale, Mich. on Friday, Scott broke a school record by more than three seconds in the 1,500-meter run, taking fifth place with a time of 3:47.56. The time is also currently the best in Division III by over one second.
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Track – 4x100-Meter Relay – Kayla Kelsey, Junior, Sparta, Wis.; Megan Mulligan, Junior, Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger; Brooke Patterson, Junior, Sussex, Wis./Sussex-Hamilton; Carly Fehler, Junior, Oak Creek, Wis.
At the Drake Relays on Saturday, the 4x100-meter relay team of Kelsey, Mulligan, Patterson and Fehler had the Blugolds' best finish, taking sixth by tying a school record of 47.11 seconds. The mark was also the third best so far in Division III this season.
