West Chester University Logo via wcupagoldenrams.com
Several of West Chester University’s female athletes have recently been recognized by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) for their performances in their respective fall sports.
Starting with field hockey, Jasmine Miller was named as one of the “Athletes of the Week” for her performance from the period of Sept. 26 through Oct. 2. Miller, a sophomore from Penn Manor High School, scored two goals for the Golden Rams on Saturday, including a game winner in overtime to knock off rival Kutztown by a final score of 4–3. She is tied for the team lead in goals with seven, already surpassing her total from last year, and has played a pivotal role in West Chester’s dominant 8–0 start to the season. The team will look to make a statement and continue their undefeated season as they travel to Millersville on Thursday for an evening matchup against the Marauders.
Bella Marchini was named the women’s cross country “Athlete of the Week” for her performance at the Paul Short Invitational last Friday afternoon. Marchini, a graduate student from Schwenksville, competed in the 6k race and finished with an impressive time of 22 minutes and 26 seconds, good enough for a seventh place finish out of 331 runners. Competing in the white division field, Marchini had the best time of any runner in the PSAC. As a unit, the Golden Rams finished 13 overall out of 42 teams at the Paul Short Invitational and will be back in action on Oct. 15 at the Jack St. Clair Invitational at Belmont Plateau. Following this, the cross country team will have one more meet before gearing up for the postseason.
Kiley Kergides was named the PSAC East “Athlete of the Week” for women’s soccer. Kergides, a junior from Rydal, scored the game winning goal for the Golden Rams on Saturday to help push them past Bloomsburg by a final score of 1–0. This was her second goal of the season, her first coming in the Rams 4–1 opening day victory against Jefferson on August 25. The win kept West Chester’s unbeaten streak alive as the team improved to 10–0, putting them in great position for a deep playoff run. The team will return to the field this Wednesday with a home matchup against Mansfield University. They have six total games remaining on their schedule as they look to maintain the top seed going into the PSAC tournament.
Each year, the University does a great job of recruiting top talent from around the area. There are many exceptional athletes performing at a high level at West Chester University, and these are just several of them. All of the Golden Rams teams have had a very successful fall sports season so far. With the postseason soon approaching, these players and many more will look to lead their squads to the ultimate goal of bringing an NCAA championship back to West Chester.
For more information on these athletes and to keep up with all things West Chester sports, visit the Golden Rams Athletics website, where you can find roster information, statistics, schedules, ticket sales and more.
Erick Klambara is a fourth-year Media and Culture major with a minor in Journalism. EK924666@wcupa.edu