Staff report
Bluffton University presented its top athletics awards recently to standout athletes in basketball and track and field, and the recipient of the award in basketball, the A.C. Burcky Award as senior male athlete of the year, was Jackson Center graduate Trey Elchert, the son of Jackson Center head boys basketball Scott Elchert and his wife Leisha.
Elchert, who was voted team captain both his junior and senior seasons, was named to the McDonald’s of Bluffton Holiday All-Tournament Team this past season, and was also responsible for hitting the game-winning buzzer-beater at Franklin.
While still in season, Elchert completed his student teaching requirements at Bluffton Elementary School. He is a member of the National Basketball Coaches Association Honors Court and has been named All-Academic Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference for three years.
“Trey Elchert possesses and demonstrates as much positive character on a daily basis as any player I have had at Bluffton,” said Guy Neal, head men’s basketball coach. “He maintained a mature attitude and helped the team in any way he was called upon.”
The Burcky Award is named for the late professor of physical education and coach who served Bluffton from 1922-68. He was inducted into the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1970, the A.C. Burcky addition to Founders Hall was dedicated in his honor.
David Freytag, Lehman — Just two days after his Franciscan University men’s tennis team won its fifth straight Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship, Freytag was named to the all-conference team for both singles and doubles.
He was named first-team in doubles after he and his playing partner, Jack Galla, went 5-0 against conference opponents and 10-2 overall.
In addition, Freytag led the first-team all-conference selections in singles as he claimed the top spot at No. 3. He went 5-0 against conference foes this season to end his career with a 20-1 league record, the only loss coming in his freshman season. He won 18 straight AMCC singles matches to end his four-year career at Franciscan, which is located in Steubenville.
He isn’t done yet — there are still two more regular-season matches before the NCAA tournament begins on May 12.
Lauren Heaton, Russia — Heaton is a freshman on the women’s track team at the U.S. Naval Academy, and she is making her presence felt. In her most recent action, at the Delaware Classic, she ran a season’s best 2:20.02 to place seventh in the 800 meters, and prior to that she was fourth in the 400 in 1:00.42 in a dual meet with Army, ran on the first-place 400 relay team that ran a 49.67 in the Navy Open, placed second in that same event in the 400 in 1:00.65, and ran on the second-place distance medley relay team at the Patriot League Championships.
Dalton Bollinger, Riverside — Bollinger was 2-for-4 with a home run in a loss to Michigan State. The Toledo first baseman is leading the team in hitting at .305, and also leads in hits with 51, doubles with 16, and in slugging percentage at .515. He also has five home runs and 28 runs batted in, both No. 2 on the team.
Emily Borchers, Russia — Borchers runs track at Dayton, and she was third recently in the Illinois Twilight meet in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Her time was 11:38.8.
