January 31, 2023

Buckeye Spotlight – Jan. 31

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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, Lilli Piper, one of the best hitters in Buckeye softball history, is highlighted. Visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com to read more.

Here are this week’s Buckeye Spotlight student-athletes:

Kolie Allen | Women’s Tennis | Fifth Year | Lombard, Ill.

  • Kolie Allen was a perfect 4-0 as the Buckeyes posted ITA Kickoff wins at home over Old Dominion and No. 22 Tennessee to earn a spot in the ITA Team Indoor Championship for the seventh time in the last eight years.
  • In singles, she posted a straight-set win vs. the Monarchs and rallied vs. the Lady Vols, with her victory clinching the team win.
  • In doubles, Allen and Kathleen Jones dropped just two games on the weekend, helped the Buckeyes win both doubles points. They were 6-0 victors vs. Old Dominion and won 6-2 vs. the Lady Vols.

Leah Bertrand | Women’s Track & Field, Sprints | So. | Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago

  • Leah Bertrand continued to out-do herself this past weekend at the Texas Tech Open. On Friday, Bertrand ran her personal best in all three rounds of the 60m – finishing fourth in the qualifier (7.42), sixth in the prelims (7.36) and fifth in the finals (7.33), which gave her the fastest two Ohio State times in the event this season.
  • She ran another personal best in the 200m (23.80) on Saturday to finish 13th in a field of 107 athletes who completed the race.
  • The converted for altitude mark of 7.35 in the 60m ranks 32nd in the country.

Madison Bizal | Women’s Hockey | Gr. | Elk River, Minn.

  • Madison Bizal recorded a career-high three assists in the Buckeyes’ 6-2 win over Minnesota State last Friday at the OSU Ice Rink.
  • Her three helpers were a team-best in the series against Minnesota State.
  • Bizal also blocked a team-high three shots for Ohio State as the team held the Mavericks to 41 shots the entire weekend.
  • For her efforts, she was named the WCHA Defender of the Week for just the second time in her career.

Robert Cash | Men’s Tennis | Sr.  | New Albany, Ohio

  • Robert Cash went a combined 4-0 to help lead the men’s tennis team to a Kickoff Weekend title with wins over UCF and Oregon.
  • He won twice on court six, breezing through his two matches 6-1, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-1.
  • Cash is undefeated on the year, holding a 5-0 singles record and a 6-0 doubles record.
  • The Buckeyes advanced to the ITA Indoor Team National Championship for the 16th time program history

 Maya Geringer | Women’s Swimming & Diving | Jr. | Dublin, Ohio

  • Maya Geringer helped the Buckeyes to a win at the Tim Welsh Classic, hosted by Notre Dame, over the weekend.
  • The highlight of the weekend for Geringer was a win in the 1000 free. She finished the event in 9:38.23, breaking a pool record at Notre Dame’s Rolfs Aquatic Center.
  • The previous pool record of 9:41.74 was set in 1990 by four-time Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans, who was also the former world-record holder in the 400, 800 and 1500 free.

Gavin Hoffman | Wrestling, 197 | R-Sr. | Montoursville, Pa.

  • Gavin Hoffman helped the Buckeyes sweep matches at Michigan and home vs. Michigan State.
  • He upset No. 14-ranked Cameron Caffey of Michigan State by decision, 3-2, and knocked off Michigan’s Rylan Rogers 5-3 on the road.
  • His wins helped Ohio State improve to 11-1 overall, with a 5-0 record in the Big Ten.

Parker Thackston | Men’s Gymnastics | Fr. | Robbinsville, N.J.

  • Freshman Parker Thackston out-did last week’s career-high on the pommel horse to earn a 14.100 at No. 6 Michigan, winning the event title and capturing his first Big Ten Freshman of the Week award.
  • Thackston now ranks fourth nationally with an average pommel horse score of 13.967 and has two scores of 14+.
  • Ohio State moved up to third nationally with an average score of 401.417.

Hayden Tobias | Men’s Track & Field, Throws | Jr. | Fishers, Ind.

  • Hayden Tobias earned his second win in the shot put in as many tries with a best throw of 19.32m at the Indiana Relays. Each of his legal throws went farther than the runner-up with his 19.32m being nearly a meter farther than the next competitor’s best throw.
  • Tobias also competed in the weight throw (17.48m).
  • He ranks fifth nationally in the shot put.

Cole Young | Men’s Volleyball | So., Middle Blocker | Powell, Ohio

  • Cole Young hit .538 in two wins over Princeton at the Covelli Center last week, helping the Buckeyes extend their winning streak to five.
  • He had 19 kills on 26 swings vs. the Tigers and also added six blocks and 22 points.

#GoBucks

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