Four Baldwin Wallace University Winter Student-Athletes Named as Ohio Athletic
Conference Players-of-the-Week
BEREA, OHIO -- Four Baldwin Wallace University student-athletes have been named as Ohio Athletic Conference Winter Sport Players-of-the-Week on Nov. 17.
The four are senior men's basketball player Keith Aufmuth (Brooklyn), senior wrestler Bryan Kmetz (Brunswick), senior women's swimmer Emily Wood (Carrollton) and junior men's swimmer Alex de la Pena (Elyria Catholic). The honor is the third this year and fifth in three years for Kmetz, the second this season and fourth overall for de la Pena in the past two years and marks the first time for each Aufmuth ands Wood.
Aufmuth earned his honor by virtue of scoring 44 points, grabbing seven rebounds, passing for six assists and making four steals last week as BW defeated OAC and Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University (92-69) and OAC rival Marietta College (105-87). Aufmuth canned 17-of-23 field goal attempts and eight-of-13 three-pointers. He tied a career-high with 26 points against Marietta. Aufmuth has 923 career points and needs 77 more to become the 34th player in school history to join the 1,000-Point Club. Aufmuth and the Yellow Jackets are home on Wednesday (Jan. 18) when they host Heidelberg College at 7:30 p.m.
Kmetz earned his third OAC honor of the season by compiling a perfect 5-0 record last week, including a 4-0 slate at the annual Division III Dual Match Championships at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Last Tuesday (Jan. 10), Kmetz beat John Carroll University's John Francis 9-2 in a dual match and then was 4-0 at Lycoming with a pin and a technical fall. To date, Kmetz is ranked seventh nationally in Division III at 285 pounds and has compiled a 19-1 overall record (.950 winning percentage) with a team-leading nine pin/ falls. During his career, Kmetz has a 68-12 record with 17 pin/ falls. Kmetz and the Yellow Jackets are idle until this Saturday, Jan. 21 when they host Thiel (Pa.) College in the Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea at 7:00 p.m. Previously, Kmetz won the OAC honor once as a sophomore (2003-2004) and once as a junior (2004-2005).
de la Pena earned his second honor this season by virtue of winning three events individually in meets against NCAA Division II Ashland University and versus Westminster (Pa.) College. Against Ashland, de la Pena won the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:22.06 and the 200-yard individual medley in 2:03.92. Versus Westminster, he won the 200 IM in 2:03.18 and also swam on the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team. de la Pena is the school-record holder in the 200 and 400 IM. He twice earned OAC Men's Swimmer of the Week honors a year ago in the inaugural year of the award. This Saturday (Jan. 21), the Yellow Jacket swimmers and divers will celebrate Seniors' Day when they compete against OAC rival Ohio Northern University at 1:00 p.m. in the BW Natatorium in the Lou Higgins Center.
Wood earned her honor for winning three events individually in the meets versus Ashland and Westminster (Pa.). Against Ashland, she won the 200-yard free in 2:02.95 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:39.64. Versus Westminster, Wood won the 500 free in 5:28.75.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact BW Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.