COLUMBUS, Ohio – This week’s “Buckeye Spotlight” recognizes 10 student-athletes who are shining in conference tournament/championship competition as well as early their respective regular seasons.
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. For Title IX stories, visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
This Week’s Spotlights:
Cole Andrews | Baseball | Graduate | Powell, Ohio
- Andrews had a phenomenal weekend for the Buckeyes as they swept a three-game series at Cal State Bakersfield.
- Andrews started behind the dish in two games and was an offensive catalyst for OSU.
- Over two games, Andrews batted .800 with an .833 on-base percentage and a 1.500 slugging percentage. He totaled eight hits and a team-high 12 RBIs.
- In game one of a doubleheader with the Roadrunners on Sunday, Andrews went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, including one double and one homerun. He batted in seven runs.
- On the season. Andrews, who was named to the Buster Posey Award Watchlist, is batting a team-best .467 with 14 hits and a team-high 15 RBIs.
Emily Ruck | Softball | Jr. | Westerville, Ohio
- Pitched a five-inning perfect game last Friday in a 8-0 win over Canisius
- Became the first Ohio State pitcher in 16 years to toss a perfect game
- Struck out a career-high 12 batters
- It was the second perfect game of her career, following one last season vs. UMass
Sophie Jaques | Women’s Hockey | Graduate | Toronto, Ont.
- Sophie Jaques tallied two goals in the Buckeyes’ 5-2 win over Quinnipiac in the NCAA Columbus Regional Final
- She is now the WCHA record holder for career goals scored by a defenseman (61).
- Scoring her ninth power play goal of the year, the defenseman is tied for the most power play goals in the country this season.
- Jaques and the Buckeyes will play Northeastern at 3:30 p.m. ET Friday, March 17 in the Frozen Four semifinals.
Roddy Gayle Jr. | Men’s Basketball | Fr. | Niagara Falls, N.Y.
- Roddy Gayle Jr. came into the Big Ten Tournament averaging 3.7 points per game with 12 total three-pointers and shooting 39 percent.
- In the four games in Chicago, Gayle averaged 12.0 points per game while shooting 64 percent from the floor and making nine three-pointers
- Against Purdue in the semifinals, he made his first five three-pointers and finished with a season-high 20 points.
- He was 9-of-11 from three-point range in the four games and also tied for the team-lead with five steals
Henry Lange | Fencing | Graduate | Beaverton, Ore.
- Henry Lange was the gold medalist in men’s epee at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Evanston, Ill., Saturday.
- He was a perfect 5-0 in the first pool of the day, advancing to the second round, where he was 9-2.
- It was his second gold medal at regionals, after placing first the event in 2020.
- He is looking for his second NCAA berth, with the field announced Tuesday afternoon. His first bid was in 2020, when the championships were canceled. He was selected a First Team All-American that year.
Parker Thackston | Men’s Gymnastics | Fr. | Robbinsville, N.J.
- Freshman pommel horse specialist Parker Thackston won the pommel horse competition this past weekend with a career-best 14.200 against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 4 Penn State.
- Thackston leads the Buckeyes to rank sixth in the country on pommel horse this season with a four-score average of 14.033. Four of his six pommel horse scores are 14.000 or above.
Adelaide Aquilla | Women’s Track & Field | Graduate | Rocky River, Ohio
- Adelaide Aquilla captured her fourth NCAA Championship in the shot put with an indoor personal-best 19.28m to break her own program record. She earned a spot on the All-American First Team with the win.
- Aquilla led the Buckeye women at the NCAA Indoor Championships as they finished tied for 18th with 11 points.
Sydney Jennings | Women’s Gymnastics | Sr. | Rochester, Mich.
- In Ohio State’s final regular season meet of the year, Sydney Jennings earned the vault title with a career-high tying 9.925.
- She also led the Buckeyes with a 9.900 on beam.
- Overall, Jennings helped the Buckeyes to their best road score of the year (196.900) to close out the regular season.
- Ohio State will compete next in the evening session of the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. in Coralville, Iowa.
Clarence Foote-Talley | Men’s Track & Field | Sr. | Germantown, Md.
- Clarence Foote-Talley finished fourth in the men’s triple jump at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships with a personal-best 16.58m and ranks second in program history. Four of his jumps exceeded his previous PR.
- Foote-Talley was named All-American First Team, earning All-American status for the second time in his career.
Justin Howard | Men’s Volleyball | R-Jr. | Pacific Palisades, California
- Defensive effort produced 11 blocks at No. 8 BYU last weekend.
- Hit .348 over nine sets played with 10 kills on 23 swings.
- Helped the Buckeyes battle the Cougars in down-to-the-wire setbacks twice in near-sellouts at Smith Fieldhouse in Provo.
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