NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - A pair of first-year student-athletes helped their teams to tremendous weeks last week, leading Mirabela Klebart and Lashay Ross to be named a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Softball and Women's Lacrosse Co-Rookie of the Week, respectively, by the conference office on Monday.
It is the first time that each student-athlete has been honored by the CACC, as Klebart (Magnolia, Del.) paced the softball team to a 3-1 week and Ross (Hamilton, N.J.) led the women's lacrosse team to a comeback victory in their only contest.
Klebart's week started with an outstanding doubleheader at Bloomfield, as she went 5-for-8 with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored. The freshman catcher also went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in game one against Goldey-Beacom. She batted 7-for-12 (.583) with four RBI and three runs scored for the week.
She was named the CACC Co-Rookie of the Week with Holy Family's Alina Ponce de Leon.
Softball's Meghan Brown was named to the CACC Weekly Honor Roll after hitting .750 (9-for-12) with a homer and six runs scored.
Ross helped the Wildcats back from a 15-11 deficit with five minutes left to force overtime at Philadelphia, before eventually winning the game, 16-15. Ross scored a team-high six goals in the win, adding three ground balls and three draw controls. Five of her goals came in the second half, including the last two goals of regulation to tie the game, 15-15. Her game-tying goal came with 1:21 showing on the clock.
She was named the CACC C-Rookie of the Week with Dominican's Jenna Fox.
Women's Lacrosse's Shawna Chopko was mentioned on the CACC Weekly Honor Roll after leading the team with six ground balls and two caused turnovers in the team's win at Philadelphia.
Baseball's Sean Deely and Julian Kurych were also mentioned on the sport's CACC Weekly Honor Roll after leading the team to a 4-1 week. Deely pitched into the ninth inning in his lone start last week, going 8.0 innings in game one at Post. He struck out three while allowing two unearned runs in the ninth. Kurych batted .526 (10-for-19) in five games, hitting three doubles with four RBI and five runs scored.