The Boyertown Area Times

Wojcik owning top honor

- By Bill Arsenault

It’s week after week for University of Michigan gymnastics standout Natalie Wojcik.

Wojcik, from Douglassvi­lle and a 21st Century Cyber Charter School in Downingtow­n, was named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week on March 4. It was her seventh freshman honor of the season which puts her two short of a team-record nine set by current senior Olivia Karas in 2016.

Wojcik earned her latest award when she posted an all-around score of 39.475 as the No. 9-ranked Wolverines were nipped 197.975197.350 at No. 5-ranked Utah on March 2 in Salt Lake City to drop to 13-3 overall. They are 9-0 in the Big Ten.

Besides the freshman honors, Wojcik has been named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week three times and shared that honor on another occasion. On Feb. 26, she earned both awards after she posted a season-high 39.750 in all-around that included her first career perfect 10 on vault at the Elevate the Stage meet on Feb. 23 in Toledo, OH.

“Natalie has been beyond anything we could have asked for,” coach Bev Plocki said. “From a coach’s standpoint we want to see our student-athletes compete at the same level if not higher than what we seed in the gym in practice. What Natalie does in competitio­n is what we see from her every day.”

The coach feels that Wojcik doesn’t let the pressure get to her which is amazing for a freshman.

“The beauty of it is that Natalie is just Natalie out there,” Plocki said. “She has come in and competed with a level of confidence and consistenc­y that we would expect out of an upperclass­man. She has been incredible.”

GABRIELLE TROISI (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> The 5-foot-7 junior guard was named to the PSAC East second team last Thursday for her play with the 16-14 West Chester women’s basketball team, the Golden Rams seeing their season come to an end with a 58-52 loss to Bloomsburg in the second round of the league tourney last Wednesday. Triosi became the third player in team history to score a triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds and a program record 17 assists in a 77-69 victory over Millersvil­le in the firstround of the tourney. She averaged 10.1 points and led the team in rebounding (8.5), assists (165) and steals (52).

KODY STREETER (BOYERTOWN) >> The weather has put a damper on the Susquehann­a softball season so far with five out of eight games either cancelled or postponed. The River Hawks are 2-1 and getting solid early-season play from the sophomore infielder. Streeter had two hits and two runs batted in as Susquehann­a topped Southern Virginia 9-3 on March 1 in Salem, Va. She had a double, single and an RBI in a 12-3 triumph over Frostburg State on March 2, also in Salem. Streeter is hitting .571 (4-for-7) with three runs batted in.

CHRISTIAN KELLY (PHOENIXVIL­LE) >> The junior was named to the PSAC East second team last Thursday for his outstandin­g play with the Lock Haven men’s basketball team. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder averaged 19.4 points, which was fifth in the league. He also averaged 7.9 rebounds a game which was ninth. He had five double-doubles. Kelly connected on 67 of 178 3-point attempts (37.6 percent) and added 42 assists, 21 steals and 20 blocked shots. The Bald Eagles finished 12-15 overall and 8-12 in league play.

JUSTIN JAWORSKI (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >> The Lafayette sophomore was named to the Patriot League All-Academic team last Wednesday. He carries a 3.69 grade point average in economics. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound guard was named to the Patriot third team on March 4. Jaworski led the 10-20 Leopards in scoring with a 14.1 average. He connected on 85 of 174 3-point attempts for 48.9 percent. That’s a school record and ranks second in NCAA Division I. He also led the team in assists with 81 and had 20 steals.

CHRIS KACHMAR (UPPER

PERKIOMEN) >> The 6-foot3, 178-pound senior righthande­r is 2-0 with a 3.71 earned run starting for the Lipscomb baseball team. Kachmar has worked 17 innings in three starts and has given up 15 hits and 10 runs, seven earned, with four walks and 20 strikeouts. He opened the season going six innings in a 6-0 victory over Valparaiso on Feb. 15 in Nashville, Tenn., giving up two hits and a walk with six strikeouts. The Lancers are 5-6 after a 3-2 non-league victory over Memphis in Nashville last Wednesday.

LIAM HARE (SPRING-FORD)

>> The 6-foot junior midfielder is starting for the St. Joseph’s men’s lacrosse team, the Hawks 3-2 after an 8-6 non-league victory over Monmouth on March 2 in Philadelph­ia. Hare has a goal and three assists for four points along with 11 ground balls and a teamhigh nine caused turnovers. His goal came in a seasonopen­ing 15-7 victory over St. Bonaventur­e on Feb. 9 in Philadelph­ia. Senior Zach Hare, Liam’s brother, sat out last season and has played in two games off the bench thus far this season.

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