Athletes Beyond Bartow: Fall collegiate athletes shine, basketball season opens
Former Cass soccer standout Cody West wrapped up his collegiate career and former Lady Canes' volleyball star Katie O'Connor set a new career attack record to lead this week's Fall sports 'Athletes Beyond Bartow' update. College basketball season got underway for several NAIA programs including local athletes and the update also includes women's soccer, golf, cross country, tennis, and swimming.
NOTE: This past week's football edition of 'Athletes Beyond Bartow' will be published separately.
SOCCER
MADISON BENNETT — North Greenville University (Soph., D, Woodland HS)… played 16 minutes in the Crusaders 1-0 opening round win over Barton College in the Conference Carolinas tournament last Monday at home. Bennett then added 18 minutes Thursday as NGU (9-7-4) was eliminated by top-seeded Limestone College, 4-0.
KATELYN HARBEKE — Life University (Jr., MF, Cass HS)… played all 90 minutes as the Eagles were eliminated from the Mid-South Conference tournament 4-0 by 23rd-ranked Lindsey Wilson (KY). Harbeke started 13 games and played in 15 of 16 this season for Life (4-12). She scored five goals and had three assists for the season, putting 15 of her 21 shots on goal.
CODY WEST — Duquesne University (Grad., D, Cass HS)… played all 90 minutes as the Dukes finished their season with a 2-1 loss at Rhode Island. West, a grad student in his final season of eligibility, started all 16 games for Duquesne this season and put one of three shots on goal. Duquesne (3-13-1) was 1-7 in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season.
VOLLEYBALL
KATIE O’CONNOR — Western Carolina University (Sr., MB, Cartersville HS)… recorded 10 kills, a defensive dig, and three blocks in a 3-1 home win over Wofford last Friday. She then added a career-high 21 kills (.677 attack percentage), a dig, and four blocks in her career final home game which was a 3-1 loss to Furman. The Catamounts (10-17, 5-9 Southern Conference) conclude the regular season Wednesday and Friday with matches at UNC-Greensboro and The Citadel. WCU will then host the SoCon Championship Tournament that begins Friday, November 17.
CROSS COUNTRY
CASEY BOLAN — Reinhardt University (Fr., Woodland HS)… finished 72nd individually in 24:14 as the Eagles finished fifth at the Appalachian Athletic Conference 5K Championship this past Saturday. The conference championship included 13 teams and 100 runners. Reinhardt finished with 150 points, only two points behind Truett-McConnell University. Milligan won the title with SCAD Atlanta second and Tennessee Wesleyan College third.
GOLF
HANNAH MAE DEEMS — Mercer University (Senior, Taylorsville, GA, Darlington HS)… shot rounds of 79-77-78 to tie for 25th in the 70-player field as the Lady Bears won and hosted the Idle Hour Collegiate in Macon last Monday through Wednesday. Mercer defeated runner-up Western Kentucky by nine shots. Eastern Kentucky, Rutgers, and Troy rounded out the top five teams in the 11-team field. This was the final Fall 2017 event. The Bears return to the links in February at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Collegiate.
TENNIS
PEYTON GOLLHOFER — Ball State University (Jr., Cartersville, GA; Laurel Springs Academy)… picked up a Line 2 singles win over West Virginia’s Paula Goetz (7-6, 6-2) in a Ball State 4-2 singles victory Saturday at the University of Louisville Hidden Duals. She also had a 6-4, 6-4 loss at Line 2 to her Michigan State opponent, Habiba Shaker, in a 5-1 loss to the Spartans Friday and 6-2, 6-1 loss at Line 1 singles to Mariana Humberg of Louisville on Sunday. Gollhofer partnered with teammates Isabelle Dohanics and Julia Sbircea in three doubles losses Friday and Saturday at the final Fall event of the year for the Cardinals.
SWIMMING
ELISE HART — U.S. Air Force Academy (Sr., Sprint-Free/Fly/Back, Cartersville HS)… in a loss at Northern Arizona University last Friday was part of the first place 200-yard medley relay team (1:46.57). She was part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:35.49); finished fourth (59.40) in the 100-yard backstroke; and placed fourth (58.62) in the 100-yard butterfly. In a Saturday win at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Hart was part of the second place 200-yard medley relay team (1:45.52), finished eighth in the 50-yard freestyle, and placed fourth in the 100-yard butterfly. USAFA swims next at the University of Houston Invitational November 16-18.
BASKETBALL
DARIUS THROWER — Truett McConnell University (Soph., G, Excel Christian Academy)… scored one point and played 20 minutes in the Bears’ opener at Toccoa Falls College last Tuesday night. Thrower gave the Bears a spark off the bench by hitting a pair of three-pointers in the second half of last Saturday’s 81-60 home win over Ave Maria University. TMU (3-0) hosts Columbia International University Tuesday night and Crown College Saturday afternoon.
COREY TOBIN — Reinhardt University (Sr., G, Cartersville HS)… started all three games for the Eagles and averaged almost 30 minutes as Reinhardt started the season winning two of three. They lost 99-98 to Voorhees College (SC) last Monday, but defeated Ave Maria 99-84 last Friday night and Welch College 128-91 this past Saturday. Tobin averaged 17.7 points per game and had a .667 shooting percentage behind the 3-point arc. He added 4.7 rebounds per game and had two blocks and five steals. The Eagles (2-1) travel to Vorhees College (SC) Monday night and host Selma University Tuesday in Waleska.
HAKEEM WINTERS — Point University (Jr., F, Cartersville HS)… averaged four points, 3.3 rebounds, and added a block, a steal, and two assists in 12.7 minutes per game as the Skyhawks opened the season winning two of their first three. Point lost 95-86 to Thomas University (GA), but defeated Asbury University 94-91 and Toccoa Falls College 117-79. The Skyhawks (2-1) host Pensacola Christian College Thursday night and travel to Voorhees College (SC) for a Saturday afternoon game.
