Monday, May 6, 2002

SIX NAMED MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Senior Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) and sophomore Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) of the softball team, seniors Sarah Shaneberger (Bethlehem, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) and Emily Shertzer (Hummelstown, PA/ Hummelstown HS) and sophomore Christina Scherwin (Denmark) from the women's track & field squad and sophomore Joe Moore (Andover, NJ/Newton HS) of the men's track & field team have been named the Moravian College Student-Athletes of the Week for their performances last week.

Mowrey, a pitcher, posted a 2-0 record last weekend at the 2002 Commonwealth Conference Tournament hosted by Lebanon Valley College and she led the Greyhounds to their second straight Commonwealth Conference Tournament Championship, their third straight Commonwealth Conference title and the squad's fifth straight berth in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. Mowrey allowed just eight hits and one run in 14 innings in the Commonwealth tournament. Mowrey, who will be pitching in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fourth straight year, won her final 17 decisions against Commonwealth Conference opponents. Moravian is 34-6 overall and seeded second in the NCAA Division III East Regional to be played at Cabrini College this weekend.

Soroka, an outfielder, led the Greyhounds at the plate in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament last weekend. Moravian outscored its opponents 20-1 in the tournament.  Soroka was five-for-ten in the three playoff games with two runs scored and five RBIs. She picked up four RBIs on her first home run of the season, a grand slam in the championship game that gave the Greyhounds a 6-0 lead.

Shaneberger, Shertzer and Scherwin helped the Moravian women's track & field team to its tenth straight Middle Atlantic Conference Championship and each won two individual championships at the meet.

Shaneberger was the MAC Champion in the discus with a toss of 38.91 meters (127 feet, eight inches) and she captured the hammer throw with a MAC record toss of 40.67 meters (133 feet, five inches). Shaneberger also took second in the shot put with a NCAA Division III provisional qualifying toss of 12.66 meters (41 feet, 6 ½ inches).

Shertzer won her fourth straight MAC championship in the 10,000 meters with a time of 39:17.76 and she captured the inaugural 3,000-meter steeplechase in a MAC record time and NCAA provisional qualifying standard of 11:25.90.

Scherwin set a pair of MAC records competing in her first MAC outdoor championship. Scherwin won the javelin with a throw of 50.19 meters (164 feet, eight inches), a NCAA automatic qualifying distance and she captured the shot put with a toss of 13.28 meters (43 feet, seven inches), a NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Scherwin missed the 2001 MAC Championships after tearing an ACL while warming up at the Penn Relays a week before the meet.