SLIAC Announces First Athletes of the Week for 2010 Fall Season

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) has announced the first Athletes of the Week for the 2010 Fall season.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Spalding University's Haile Jemane, a freshman from Louisville, Ky. (Central), has been named the Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of September 1-5.

In his first collegiate race, Jemane broke the Golden Eagles record in an 8K race by posting a time of 26:40.66 at the Sodexho Grizzly Cross Country Invitational hosted by Franklin College (Ind.). He finished fifth out of 68 runners and helped lead Spalding to a second place finish out of seven teams competing.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Greenville College's Michelle Sutton, a senior from Springport, Mich. (Jackson), has been named the Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of September 1-5.

Sutton ran a 4K time of 15:14 at the Wash. U. Early Bird to place fifth overall out of 147 total runners. She also helped the Panthers to an eighth place finish out of 16 teams competing.

MEN'S SOCCER - OFFENSIVE
Eureka College's Cody Halstead, a junior from Peoria, Ill. (Richwoods), has been named the Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for the week of September 1-5.

Halstead, a forward, totaled four goals and one assist for a total of nine points in Eureka's first three matches of the season. He tallied two goals in the Red Devils first season-opening win in program history with a 4-1 victory versus Knox College. He also scored both goals in a 3-2 overtime loss to Hanover College.

WOMEN'S SOCCER - OFFENSIVE
Blackburn College's Samantha Ferguson, a freshman from Jerseyville, Ill., has been named the Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for the week of September 1-5.

Ferguson, a forward, recorded a hat trick in her first collegiate game with three goals in Blackburn's 7-1 victory over Lincoln Christian University. She also added two assists in the win.

WOMEN'S SOCCER - DEFENSIVE
Westminster College's Courtney Howe, a sophomore from Ladue, Mo., has been named the Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for the week of September 1-5.

Howe, a goalkeeper, played every minute in goal for the Blue Jays in their first three games of the season. She went 1-2 in goal with 16 saves and a 2.00 goals against average. Her lone victory was a 1-0 overtime shutout versus Illinois College.

VOLLEYBALL - OFFENSIVE
Greenville College's Jessica Dothager, a senior from Brighton, Ill. (Southwestern), has been named the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week for the week of September 1-5.

Dothager, a middle hitter, averaged 2.9 kills per game and recorded a .489 attack percentage in four matches played. She had nine kills and only one error in 12 total attempts in Greenville's 3-0 loss to nationally ranked #1 Washington University-St. Louis. Dothager recorded 10 kills in a 3-0 loss to Monmouth College (Ill.) and added six kills and no errors in nine total attempts in the Panthers 3-1 victory versus MacMurray College.

VOLLEYBALL - DEFENSIVE
Webster University's Sarah Bailey, a senior from Columbia, Ill., has been named the Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week for the week of September 1-5.

Bailey, a libero, recorded 65 total digs in three matches for an average of 5.9 digs per game for the week. She recorded 29 digs in a 3-1 loss to Simpson College, and she added 23 digs in a 3-1 victory versus Illinois College.