Cougar Players of the Week

Last Week:

Nick Skala (Long Grove, Ill.) of the Cougar baseball team is honored for the two-week period of March 1-14.

Skala batted .421 with team-leading totals of 16 hits, 13 runs and 11 RBIs as the baseball team went 8-1 on their Spring Break trip to Phoenix. His best games included a 4-4 with four runs and three RBIs against Wartburg on March 11 and a 4-6 with three runs and two RBIs against Macalester on March 14. Skala’s hits included six doubles and two triples for a slugging percentage of .684. The catcher also threw out three runners on the basepaths.

Skala, the son of Joe and Donna Skala, is a 2008 graduate of St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights and a transfer from San Jacinto Community College in Houston, Texas. He is a sophomore physical education major.

Alex Schmidt (Frankenmuth, Mich.) of the Cougar indoor track team is honored for the two-week period of March 1-14.

Schmidt broke her own school record in the 5,000 meters at the Gill Last Chance Meet at Carthage College on March 5. She became the first Cougar woman to break the 20-minute mark in the event, coming in at 19:57.45 and beating her old mark by seven seconds. Schmidt accomplished this feat one week after running a total of six miles over three events in helping the Cougar women’s team to the conference title.

Schmidt, the daughter of Tyson and Sharon Schmidt, is a 2009 graduate of Frankenmuth High School. She is a freshman in Concordia’s Director of Christian Education program.

Two Weeks Ago:

The 4 x 400-meter relay team of the women’s indoor track team is honored for the week of Feb. 22-28.

The 4 x 400 relay team won the event at the Feb. 27 Northern Athletics Conference Indoor Championships. The team’s time of 4:25.15 set a new school record, beating the old mark set in 2002 by 15 seconds. More importantly, the 10 points gained for the win were enough to send the Cougar women past Concordia Wisconsin and Aurora for the team championship.

The members of the 4 x 400 relay team, in the order which they ran, include:

• Cheyenne Martinez-Trevino (Santa Maria, Calif.), the daughter of Josie Martinez, is a 2009 graduate of Righetti High School and a freshman communications major.
• Beth Munkwitz (Franklin, Wis.), the niece of Joe and Judy Beiler, is a 2006 graduate of Martin Luther High School in Greendale, Wis., and a senior social work major.
• Cassie Irwin (Shelby Township, Mich.), the daughter of Edward and Sandra Irwin, is a 2009 graduate of Lutheran High School Northwest in Rochester, Mich., and a freshman secondary education major.
• Emily Ramey (Glendale, Ariz.), the daughter of Robert and Jana Ramey, is a 2009 graduate of Ironwood High School and a freshman secondary education/history major.

Robert Fraga (Waco, Texas) of the men’s indoor track team is honored for the week of Feb. 22-28.

Fraga won the pole vault event at the Feb. 27 Northern Athletics Conference Indoor Championships. His winning effort of 13’ 9 ¾” broke his previous school record by nine inches and also set new standards for both the conference meet and all-time NAC competition, indoors and outdoors.

Fraga, the son of Robert and Evonne Fraga, is a 2009 graduate of Midway High School. He is a freshman business management major.

Previous 2009-10 Athletes of the Week:

Amanda Allen - Feb. 15-21
Larrell Gary - Feb. 15-21
Marche Smith - Feb. 8-14
Robert Fraga - Feb. 8-14
Marche Smith - Feb. 1-7
Deontay Young - Feb. 1-7
Priscilla Thermidor - Jan. 25-31
Robert Fraga - Jan. 25-31
Marche Smith - Jan. 18-24
Deontay Young - Jan. 18-24
Marche Smith - Jan. 11-17
Deontay Young - Jan. 11-17
Marche Smith - Jan. 4-10
Jeff Weberg - Jan. 4-10
James Morgan - Dec. 28-Jan. 3
Melissa Schwab - Dec. 28-Jan. 3
Larrell Gary - Dec. 7-13
Katie Leitermann - Dec. 7-13
Rachel Riske - Nov. 30-Dec. 6
James Morgan - Nov. 30-Dec. 6
Marche Smith - Nov. 23-29
Deontay Young - Nov. 23-29
Marche Smith - Nov. 16-22
Jeff Weberg - Nov. 16-22
D.J. Cooper - Nov. 9-15
Rachel Riske - Nov. 9-15
Khyree Copeland - Nov. 2-8
Malcolm Godwin - Oct. 26-Nov. 1
Rachel Riske - Oct. 26-Nov. 1
Khyree Copeland - Oct. 19-25
Lauren Souza - Oct. 19-25
Mike Marotta - Oct. 12-18
Rachel Riske - Oct. 12-18
Alex Pinotti - Oct. 5-11
Chris Jahns - Oct. 5-11
Lindsay Dyal - Sept. 28-Oct. 4
Ethan McBee - Sept. 28-Oct. 4
Andre Baker - Sept. 21-27
Rachel Riske - Sept. 21-27
Cheyenne Martinez-Trevino - Sept. 14-20
Justin Peacock - Sept. 14-20
Alex Pinotti - Sept. 7-13
Michael Warren - Sept. 7-13
Hana Mendoza - Aug. 31 - Sept. 6