Monday, March 17, 2003

FOUR HONORED AS MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Sophomore Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) from the softball team, junior Christina Scherwin (Denmark) of the women’s indoor track & field team, senior Bob Frey (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) from the baseball squad and junior Joe Moore (Andover, NJ/Newton HS) of the men’s indoor track & field squad have been named the Moravian College Student-Athletes of the Week for their performances last week.

Bortz, a shortstop, helped the Greyhounds to a 6-3 record last week as the team completed its spring trip to Virginia and Maryland. Bortz hit .560 for the week with 14 hits in 25 at-bats in the second spot in the line-up. Bortz also scored six runs and drove in four more. She added a double, a triple, five walks, two sacrifices and two stolen bases. Bortz had a .680 slugging percentage and a .633 on-base percentage for the week. In the field, Bortz had 16 putouts, 13 assists and three errors in 32 chances. Moravian is 9-3 on the year and will open its 2003 home season on Saturday, March 22nd in a non-conference doubleheader with Haverford College beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Scherwin, the defending NCAA Division III Champion in the javelin, earned All-American honors for the second time in her career, finishing fourth in the shot put with a toss of 14.45 meters (47 feet, five inches) on the second day of the 2003 NCAA Division Indoor National Championships hosted by DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Moravian finished tied for 31st of 52 schools earning points at the national meet after getting five points from Scherwin’s fourth place finish. Scherwin, who was eighth in the event entering the national meet, was also fourth after the preliminaries with the same distance. Scherwin's throw was her best of the season and set the Moravian indoor school record. Moravian will begin its 2003 outdoor track & field season at the Quaker Invitational hosted by the University of Pennsylvania on Sunday, March 23rd.

Frey, a first baseman and pitcher, helped the Greyhounds to a 2-2 record last week during the team’s trip to the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Frey hit .308 for the week (4 of 13) with three runs scored, an RBI, a double and a home run. The homer was the 18th of his career, a school record Frey broke last year. On the mound, Frey pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief in the Greyhounds 11-8 victory over Hiram (OH) College to earn the victory. He allowed two unearned runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. In the field, Frey had 13 putouts, an assist and an error in 15 chances. Moravian is 4-3 overall this season and 2-1 in the Commonwealth Conference. The Greyhounds are slated to return to action on Monday, March 17th in a non-conference home game with Muhlenberg College beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Moore captured the 2003 NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship in the long jump with a leap of 7.15 meters (23 feet, 5 1/2 inches) at the 2003 national meet at DePauw University, Friday afternoon. Moore, who entered the championships with the best jump in the country during the season, was in third place at 6.90 meters (22 feet, 7 3/4 inches) after the preliminaries. Moore becomes the eighth national champion in Moravian history and the sixth from the track & field programs. Moore is the first male Greyhound to win the national championship in a field event. Moravian finished in a tie for 16th of 60 schools earning points at the two-day national championship meet after Moore earned ten points. The Greyhounds will begin their 2003 outdoor track & field season at the Quaker Invitational hosted by the University of Pennsylvania on Sunday, March 23rd.