Horizon League Athletes of the Week

For the week of January 9, 2012

Samantha Hamilton Youngstown State Track and Field

Hometown: Jackson Milton, Ohio Hamilton competed in the 3000-meter run at the Akron Open for Youngstown State. In her first indoor race of the season, she had a first place finish with a time of 9:53.58, which is a school record and it broke her previous personal best (9:57.31) by four seconds.

Moriah Myles Milwaukee Track and Field

Hometown: Harvey, Ill. Myles competed in the shot put and the weight throw for Milwaukee at the Carthage Invitational. The junior had a first place finish in the shot put with a toss of 42-8.75 out of 31 competitors. In the weight throw, she took second to her teammate with a heave of 50-4.75.

Julian Smith Valparaiso Track and Field

Hometown: Chicago, Ill. Smith, who competed in three events for the Crusaders, had two second place finishes at the Bob Eubanks Open. His first event for the day was the 60m dash where he clocked a 6.95. In the 200m dash, his time of 22.11 beat out 54 competitors. Smith was also on the 4x400 relay team where he ran the first leg. The team completed the race with a time of 3:31.54.

Aaron Dillon Milwaukee Track and Field

Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis. In his first-ever collegiate meet, Dillon won the triple jump title for the Panthers with a leap of 47-7.75. The mark is tied for fifth place in the Milwaukee record book. He also competed in the 55m hurdles and took fifth place with a time of 7.85.

Kevin Van Wijk Valparaiso Men's Basketball

Hometown: Hoofddorp, Netherlands On Friday night, Van Wijk posted a career-best 23 points, going 7-for-14 from the floor and adding nine free throws as Valpo knocked off visiting Youngstown State, 76-62. The junior saved his best performance for Sunday afternoon, matching his 23-point effort by going 10-of-13 from the field as the Crusaders held off Cleveland State, 72-66.

Kim Demmings Wright State Women's Basketball

Hometown: Richmond, IN Demmings scored 38 points, including 24 in the second half, as Wright State battled back to defeat Milwaukee, 75-72, in overtime. Demmings hit a three-pointer as time expired in regulation to force overtime. The 38 points are the most by a Horizon League player this season.

Berry Thompson Cleveland State Swimming and Diving

Hometown: Woodmere, Ohio Thompson took top honors in both individual events he entered at the Oakland Tri-Meet. Thompson won the 50-freestyle in a time of 20.95 and also won the 100-freestyle with a time of 45.55. The two-time Swimmer of the Week this season also swam a 44.90 split for the 400-freestyle relay team which finished second out of 10 teams.

Sierra Townsend Milwaukee Swimming and Diving

Hometown: Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Townsend took home women’s top honors after winning all three events she competed in in Milwaukee’s dual-meet over Carthage College Saturday. Townsend won the 50-freestyle in 24.54 and the 100-freestyle in 53.02. She also anchored the first place 400-medley relay team that won by nearly 15 seconds.

Mike Greco UIC Swimming and Diving

Hometown: Naperville, Ill. Greco earned diver of the week placing first in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events in UIC’s 158-83 win over Green Bay. Greco won the 1-meter dive with a score of 293.55 and the 3-meter dive with a score of 323.40.

Whitney Johnson UIC Swimming and Diving

Hometown: Roscoe, Ill. Johnson won the 1-meter dive and finished second in the 3-meter dive to help UIC’s women’s team also knock off Green Bay. Johnson’s winning time on the 1-meter dive was 229.20 while her score of 249.23 in the 3-meter event finished second.

Simone Law Loyola Women's Basketball

Hometown: South Holland, Ill. Law had two double-doubles last week as the Ramblers defeated Youngstown State and Cleveland State on the road. She scored 18 of her 21 points in the second half against YSU, while scoring 14 points against CSU. She had 10 rebounds in both games. She now has five double-doubles this season the most by a Loyola freshman since the 1997-98 season.

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