Marlborough, Mass.- The NEWMAC has announced its Athlete of the Week honorees for the week ending 9/14/25, presented by SKYBOKX 109.  The full list of honorees can be found below.
 
Women’s Cross Country  
 
Runner of the Week- Yasmin Defne Dadikhi (Sr.), Emerson College
 
Senior Yasmin Defne Dadikhi (Istanbul, Turkiye) crossed the finish line at the Pop Crowell Invitational at Gordon College with a 6K time of 22:08.94 to take first place at the event on Saturday (Sept. 13). Defne Dadikhi's time contributed to a 163-team score for the Lions, which placed them sixth in the 12-team field. Defne Dadikhi bested her closest competitor by over a minute.
 
Field Hockey
 
Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week- Alison Kopec (Sr., M), Clark University
 
Senior Alison Kopec (Redding, Conn.) led the scarlet and white this week with four goals and two assists as the Cougars posted a 2-0 record with wins over Gordon and UMass Dartmouth. The senior opened her week with a goal and an assist in a 5-0 victory against Gordon on Tuesday afternoon. Kopec recorded her first career hat trick and dished out an assist in a 7-0 win over UMass Dartmouth on Saturday. She netted all three goals in the first half, while also firing five total shots on goal. 
 
Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week- Rachel Simkewicz (Fy., F), Springfield College
 
First-year Rachel Simkewicz (Westminster, Mass.) had a breakout week with four goals and two assists for ten points in a trio of victories for the Pride. Simkewicz registered her first collegiate goal and assist in a 3-0 win over Eastern Connecticut on Tuesday before posting two goals in a 5-1 win at Worcester State and then added a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over Western Connecticut. Simkewicz’s efforts have led Springfield to its best start to a season (4-1) since 2019.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Iseul Park (Fy., GK), Smith College
 
First-year Iseul Park (Ann Arbor, Michigan) recorded her third shutout of the year with two saves in a 1-0 win over Western New England on Tuesday and followed that with a career-high 15 saves in a double OT outing against Vassar. 
 
Football
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Jacoby Smith (Sr., WR), Salve Regina University  
 
Senior Jacoby Smith (Middletown, R.I.) had six catches for the Seahawks (2-0) and a career-high 130 yards receiving while scoring two touchdowns (71, 5), including the game-winner in overtime. In addition, his five kickoff returns totaled 132 yards with a 56-yard takeback setting up a one-play scoring drive for Justan Luzzi on the ground.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Jack Kellner (Sr., LB), SUNY Maritime
 
Senior Jack Kellner (Seaford, N.Y.) caused two turnovers, both of which led to scores, in the Privateers' 48-0 victory over Anderson on Saturday. He returned an interception 15 yards late in the first half, then forced and recovered a fumble deep in Anderson territory to set up another Maritime touchdown in the third quarter. Kellner also had a team-high nine tackles, two of which went for a loss. As a team, the Privateers caused four turnovers and held the Ravens to just 144 yards of total offense while notching their first shutout since 2016.
 
Special Teams Athlete of the Week- Ian Wernik, (So., K), Springfield College
 
Sophomore Ian Wernik (Plymouth, Mass.) went 5-for-5 on extra points and added a 27-yard field goal for Springfield in a 38-6 non-conference win for the Pride against Husson on Saturday. The sophomore also, in his seven kickoffs, averaged 54.3 yards per kick and notched one touchback.
 
Men’s Soccer
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- James Modiano (Sr., M), Babson College
 
Senior James Modiano (Montclair, N.J.) scored in a pair of victories as No. 10 Babson extended its unbeaten streak to 17 with results in three road matches. He scored an 89th-minute insurance marker in Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph at Gordon and produced the only goal of the game in the 61st minute on Sunday to help the Beavers wrap up a two-game trip to Atlanta with a 1-0 win over Oglethorpe. 
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Leao Nelson (Sr., B), Wheaton College
 
Senior Leao Nelson (Bar Harbor, Maine) netted a pair of goals for the Lyons in two games. The senior netted two goals for the first multi-goal effort of his career in a 6-1 victory over visiting Husson University on September 13. Nelson also helped the Wheaton defense limit Western New England University to just one goal, as the team won 2-1 in Springfield on September 10.
 
Women’s Soccer
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Mack Feeney (So., M/F), Babson College  
 
Sophomore Mack Feeney (North Attleboro, Mass.) scored her first collegiate goal to help Babson knock off No. 17 Rowan 1-0 on Saturday. The sophomore forward broke a scoreless deadlock in the 65th minute to help the Beavers pick up their first win of the year and first victory over a ranked team since October 2023. 
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Riley McNair (Sr., GK), Wellesley College  
 
Senior Riley McNair (Cupertino, Calif.) didn't allow a single goal in 135 minutes of action while making 10 saves for the Blue this past week. In a 0-0 tie with UMass Boston, McNair made nine stops, including defending a penalty kick for her 150th career save. On Saturday, the senior keeper made one save and earned the win as part of a combined shutout of UMaine Farmington.
 
Volleyball
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Mia Etheridge (Jr., OH), Smith College
 
Junior Mia Etheridge (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) powered Smith to a 2–1 weekend with dominant two-way play, totaling 48 kills, 32 digs, and 6 service aces across three matches. She averaged 4.36 kills per set while hitting an efficient .330 on 112 swings, highlighted by a season-high 22 kills and 14 digs in a five-set win over UMass Dartmouth. Etheridge opened the weekend with 15 kills and 5 digs against #17 Colby and capped the weekend by hitting .400 with 11 kills, 13 digs, and 3 aces in a four-set victory over UAA foe Brandeis. She also added six service aces to her total for the week.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Laila Baameur (Sr., L), U.S. Coast Guard Academy
 
Senior Laila Baameur (Bakersfield, Calif.) anchored CGA’s back row during a perfect 3–0 week, totaling 55 digs for 6.11 digs per set, while committing just one reception error all week. She also contributed offensively with 3 service aces and 10 assists, helping the team sweep all three matches without dropping a set. Her consistent, all-around defensive play was key to the Pioneers’ dominant week.
 
About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.