Athletics News
saints highlights
SHU Student-Athletes Excel
in the Classroom
Siena Heights student-athletes earned
a 3.09 GPA in the fall 2016 semester.
Leading the way was the women's golf
team with a 3.61 GPA, followed by the
softball team (3.57). Every women's team
earned a 3.0 or higher, with an aggregate
GPA of 3.33 on the women's side. The
men's teams were led by the men's soc-
cer team with a 3.42 GPA. The men's
aggregate GPA was a 2.91.
Basketball
Women: The Saints (24-10) fell to No. 11
Morningside (Iowa) 90-73 in the opening
round of the NAIA National Tournament
in Sioux City, Iowa. SHU also dropped a
77-39 decision to No. 7 Davenport in the
Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
tournament championship. Senior April
Watson (right) was named a first team
NAIA All-American, the first player in
program history to earn the honor. The
forward/center averaged 19.4 points,
11.3 rebounds and two blocks a game
this season. Watson finished eighth
all-time in scoring with 1,073 points
in just two seasons with the program.
She also finished first in scoring average
(16.8) and sixth all-time with 661
total rebounds. Watson also holds the
single-season rebounding record with
383, set this season. She also completed
her career with a SHU record 129 career
blocks. Watson was also named to the
All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
first team and also garnered a spot on
the all-defensive team. Senior guard
Jaaliyah Arrington earned a spot on the
All-WHAC second team, as well as on
the all-academic team. Demi Russell was
named to the conference's all-freshman
team, with Avery Chezem the team's
Champions of Character recipient. The
Saints, who appeared in the national
tournament for the fourth time, finished
23rd in the final NAIA Top 25 poll.
12 | Reflections Summer ’17
Men: The Saints (16-15) made a run at
No. 2 Cornerstone before falling 74-70
in the opening round of the conference
tournament. SHU, had its first winning
season since 2009-10. Senior Jerrell
Martin was named to the All-Wolverine-
Hoosier Athletic Conference second team
after averaging 13 points and seven
rebounds this season. He also was the
team's Champions of Character recipient.
Martin also became the 37th player in
men's program history to reach 1,000
career points.
Bowling
Women: The Saints reached the quar-
terfinals of the Wolverine-Hoosier Ath-
letic Conference Championships. The
Saints also placed 13th at the American
Heartland Intercollegiate Bowling Con-
ference Championship, and also com-
peted at the Intercollegiate Team Cham-
pionships Sectional Qualifier in Tennes-
see, placing 12th out of 16 teams.
Men: The Saints finished 1-2 at Satur-
day's Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Con-
ference Championships. SHU also finished
15th at the American Heartland Intercol-
legiate Bowling Conference Championship
in Ft. Wayne, Ind., and competed at the
Intercollegiate Team Championships
Sectional Qualifier in Tennessee, placing
15th out of 18 teams.
Cheer
The host Saints placed seventh out of
12 teams at Saturday's NAIA Northeast
Regional. Senior Kortney Ouellette was
named an NAIA All-American, the first in
the program's history. Ouellette was also
named the WHAC Cheerleader of the Year,
made the All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic
Conference first team, the All-WHAC Aca-
demic Team and was the SHU Champions
of Character recipient. Siena Heights
placed fourth at the conference champi-
onships at Concordia. Safiya Best and
Kara Morley were also each named to
the WHAC's all-academic team. Best
was also named a NAIA Scholar Athlete
for the second consecutive year. Finally,
the Saints finished fourth at the CANAM
National Championship event in Myrtle
Beach, S.C.
Cross Country
Women: Junior Ashley Russo crossed
the line in 62nd place at the NAIA
Championships in Elsah, Ill. Russo ran
a time of 18 minutes, 23.01 seconds.
She was the only Saint to qualify for the
national meet. Seniors Lauren McMahon
and Mariah Ridal and junior Amber
Koprin and Kristin Stobinski were each
named NAIA Scholar-Athletes. The
Saints finished second to Aquinas at the
Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
Championships in Grand Rapids. Russo
paced SHU with a second place time of
18:26.1 to earn first team All-WHAC.
Lauren McMahon was 11th (19:13) and
Mariah Ridal 13th (19:23) and were
second team honorees.
Men: The Saints finished 29th at
the NAIA Championships in Elsah, Ill.
Stephen Merchant was 81st in a time of
26 minutes, 5.6 seconds, with Anthony
Vermilye 117th (26:19) and Kyler Van-
Wormer 169th (26:52.9). Seniors