Buckeye Spotlight: Feb. 21
2/21/2023 4:48:51 PM | General
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Week in and week out, Buckeye student-athletes raise the standard of excellence set at Ohio State, whether that be in competition, in the classroom or in the community. ‘Buckeye Spotlight’ recognizes student-athletes who had noteworthy accomplishments both in contests and beyond the box score.
Throughout the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Ohio State Athletics continues to celebrate exceptional female student-athletes and women’s teams throughout history, highlighting a new moment or person every week. This week, Renee Powell’s journey to break the barriers in golf is highlighted. To learn more about these stories, visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Here are this week’s ‘Buckeye Spotlight’ student-athletes:
Rikki Harris | Women’s Basketball | R-Jr. | Indianapolis, Ind.
- Redshirt junior Rikki Harris led the Buckeyes to wins at Penn State and No. 12/13 Michigan last week, averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.5 steals per game.
- Harris began the week with a balanced 15 points, eight rebounds, seven assists (just one shy of her career-high) and a pair of steals and blocks against Penn State.
- Against the Wolverines, Harris scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-9 (.778) shooting, including going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, adding a career-high seven steals and five assists and four rebounds. Her steal total was more than the entire Wolverines roster.
- This season, Harris is averaging 7.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-high 3.3 assists per game as she’s stepped into a starting role.
UNLEASH THE CHAIN pic.twitter.com/DLvgaqcQyp
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) February 21, 2023
Jaimie Robinson | Track & Field | Gr. | Chicago, Ill.
- Jaimie Robinson won her second triple jump competition of the season with a 12.57m at the Arkansas Qualifier. All her marks were further than the runner-up’s best mark.
- Robinson ranks 14th nationally in the triple jump this season.
- The Buckeyes compete in the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio this Friday and Saturday.
Triple jump win! @jaimievrobinson gets her second triple jump victory of the season (12.57m) with all of her legal marks better than the runner-up!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/AT6JTk1SKr
— Ohio State T&F/XC (@OhioStateTFXC) February 18, 2023
Paddy Gallagher | Wrestling | R-Fr. | Chesterfield, Ohio
- Recorded a major decision win (14-6) in Ohio State’s 22-14 victory over No. 4 Cornell.
- Trailed early but responded with multiple takedowns for the decisive victory.
- Enters the Big Ten Championships with a 10-6 overall record.
20 seconds, 2 takedowns https://t.co/5N7Iq4OtaM pic.twitter.com/i2p1DrICkz
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) February 18, 2023
Samuel Clark | Men’s Volleyball | Sr. | Baltimore, Maryland
- Helped the Buckeyes improve to 10-4 overall, 3-2 in MIVA play in a split last weekend.
- Had 24 kills and 13 digs in a win at Purdue Fort Wayne (3-1) and at Loyola Chicago (0-3).
- Also added five blocks and an ace to go with 27.5 points.
S4| Blocked by Sam Clark for a Buckeye W!!!! 25-19. pic.twitter.com/k4PbeOfuXD
— OSU Men's Volleyball (@OhioStateMVB) February 17, 2023
Emma Maltais | Women’s Hockey | Gr. | Burlington, Ont.
- Emma Maltais was instrumental in helping the No. 1 Ohio State women’s hockey team secure four conference points over Wisconsin last weekend to earn the program’s first WCHA Regular Season Championship.
- The graduate recorded four points in the Buckeyes’ season finale series at Wisconsin to become the first player in program history to reach 200 career points.
- On the way to that milestone, she scored three goals against the Badgers, including the game-tying goal on Saturday to send the game to overtime, and the game-tying goal Sunday to push Ohio State to defeat Wisconsin, 3-1, and win the Julianne Bye Cup.
- In her fifth season, Maltais has now been on the Buckeyes’ roster for a number of firsts for Ohio State women’s hockey, including the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid and Frozen Four in 2017-18, first WCHA Final Faceoff Championship in 2020 and now the regular season conference crown.
2? points tonight makes @emmamaltais17 the program's first skater to reach 2?0?0? career points #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/dbsHM2Yy7j
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) February 20, 2023
Skylar Wahlund | Men’s Lacrosse | Sr. | Powell, Ohio
- Skylar Wahlund posted 12 saves in goal for Ohio State last weekend against then-ranked No. 19 North Carolina to help the Buckeyes earn an 8-5 win over the Tar Heels at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium.
- In the Buckeyes’ first matchup against a ranked opponent of the year, he allowed just one goal in the second half as the team came back from a 4-2 halftime deficit to win the game.
- The senior is now 3-0 on the year for Ohio State.
Sunday afternoons at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium >>>#GoBucks
— Ohio State Men's Lacrosse (@OhioStateMLAX) February 19, 2023
Jake Wise | Men’s Hockey | Fifth Year Senior | Reading, Mass.
- Jake Wise led the Buckeyes to five team points in a 1-0-1 weekend vs. No. 4 Michigan, earning his first career Big Ten weekly honor.
- The Buckeye captain had a goal, two first assists, a shootout tally and 38 faceoff wins vs. the Wolverines. On Senior Night in Columbus in front of a soldout crowd, he scored the lone shootout goal to clinch the important extra point in the Big Ten standings.
- Saturday outdoors in Cleveland in front of an Ohio State record 45,523 fans, Wise had a game-high three points. He scored a power play goal, set up a shorthanded tally and then assisted on a power play goal to help seal the 4-2 win. He also won 24 faceoffs and helped the Buckeyes to a 7-for-7 day on the penalty kill.
- Wise and the Buckeyes enter the final week of the regular season tied for second place in the Big Ten standings, looking to secure home ice for the first round of the Big Ten Tournament that gets underway March 3-5.
Halliday Treloar Wise PPG#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/1CjHg5xvKd
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) February 18, 2023
Nick Erwin | Baseball | Sr. | Grove City, Ohio
- After missing all but one game a season ago due to injury, Nick Erwin returned to game action with one of the best weeks of his career.
- In a four-game series against Big East favorite UCONN, Erwin batted a team-best .528 with a team-high seven hits and six RBIs. He had an impressive .556 on-base percentage through the series.
- In game one, Erwin led the Buckeyes with three hits, which is just one short of his career-high.
- In the third game of the series, Erwin had a solo homerun; it was his first homerun since the 2020 season. He also recorded a career-high four RBIs.
BOTTOM 4? | THAT ONE IS OUTTA HERE A solo homerun from @_nickerwin_ cuts the UCONN lead in half, 4-2#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/AurfAlWlVH
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 19, 2023
Nyah Funderburke | Women’s Swimming & Diving | So. | New Albany, Ohio
- Funderburke had a strong week as she helped the Buckeyes to a fourth-straight Big Ten title.
- Funderburke won her first individual Big Ten gold in the 100 back, touching the wall at 51.52 to win gold.
- She was part of three gold-medal relay teams; the 200 medley relay (1:33.95), the 400 medley relay (3:26.68) and the 200 free relay (1:26.70). All three relays times were Canham Natatorium pool records and the 200 free relay set a Big Ten Championships records.
- Funderburke earned a fifth-place finish in the 50 free with a time of 21.95.
Sophomore Nyah Funderburke secures the 8th win of these championships for the Buckeyes: the 100 backstroke in a time of 51.52. pic.twitter.com/P9iAGTyzXo
— Ohio State Swim/Dive (@OhioStSwimDive) February 17, 2023
Robert Cash | Men’s Tennis | Sr. | New Albany, Ohio
- Went a combined 7-0 last week between single and doubles.
- Helped the team to a pair of Top 10 wins and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the ITA Indoor Team National Championship.
- Is a perfect 13-0 in singles matches this season.
Robert Cash finishes next with a 6-4, 6-2 win followed by JJ Tracy with a 6-4, 6-4 win, and the Buckeyes clinch!
#1 OSU 4, #5 Virginia 0 #GoBucks
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) February 20, 2023
#GoBucks
