ANNVILLE, Pa. – On Monday afternoon, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) announced the Falcons earned three MAC Commonwealth Players of the Week, for the week of February 16.
Zion Buck was named Field Athlete of the week, with an impressive performance in his events.
Reese Harden was announced offensive player of the week for two strong outings against Widener University and York College of Pa. Lastly,
Ryder Slayton was named Wrestler of the Week with his two victories over the past week.
Zion Buck had an excellent performance early on at the Susquehanna Invitational in the Long Jump, registering a distance of 6.66 meters (21' 10.25") that sits just behind his personal record distance of 6.74 meters (22' 1.5"). Buck's mark was second overall, finishing only behind a Division II competitor. He returned to the pits for the Triple Jump later in the afternoon where he earned the top spot after a jump of 13.58 meters, nearly two feet further than the runner-up.
Reese Harden led the Falcons in another 2-0 week after two dominant performances on the court for the Falcons. Harden opened the week strong with a career-high 31 points in the Falcons 76-56 win over Widener. Harden also added three assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. In a tight, 61-52 win over York, Harden once again led the Falcons. She totaled 13 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and one assists in the win that clinched the top-seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament for the Falcons.
Ryder Slayton earned the sudden victory over Ganon Smith of Elizabethtown in a highly contested 184 lbs. bout. After back-and-forth action, Slayton earned a point out of an escape before both competitors were called for stalling as the referee prompted more action out of the pair. Smith took a 2-1 lead after a reversal in the third that Slayton quickly escaped from to notch the score 2-2. In overtime, it took 1:10 of the two-minute period for Slayton to secure a take down and earn the sudden victory. The next day, the Falcons took a trip to The College of New Jersey for the final dual of the season. Slayton was the lone Falcon to earn a bout win with a 4-1 decision over James Romaine.
