Four UMass Student-Athletes Garner Weekly Honors

April 10, 2006

AMHERST, Mass. - Wrapping up a successful week for UMass Athletics, four student-athletes have earned weekly honors for outstanding performances for the week ending April 9. Freshman Jordan Veney (Women's Track) and junior Michele Spiess (Tennis) were named UMass Co-Athletes of the Week, while Spiess was also named A-10 Co-Performer of the week. Freshman Brandice Balschmiter (Softball) was named the A-10 Pitcher of the Week and freshman Doc Schneider (Men's Lacrosse) was named ECAC Rookie of the Week.

Spiess and Veney will be honored this Wednesday, April 12 at the UMass Sports Luncheon which will be held in the Cape Cod Room located in the Student Union starting at Noon. Guest speakers include men's lacrosse coach Greg Canella and field hockey coach Patty Shea. The Sports Luncheon runs from Noon to 1:00 p.m. with a salad-to-dessert buffet for just $7.00. Call 413-545-4290 to join us.

Veney (Pittsburgh, Pa.) broke the UMass outdoor shot put record on Saturday at the New Hampshire Wildcat Invitational. This was the first time Veney took down the outdoor record after breaking the indoor record three times. Veney finished first overall at the Wildcat Invitational with a throw of 43-feet, 10-inches. That throw was just enough to break the 13-year standing school record of 43-feet, 9 ½ inches set by Natalie Hart in 1993. It was also nearly two feet farther than her previous season best throw. For her efforts she earns her second UMass Athlete of the Week honor.

Also at the meet on Saturday, Veney had a first place finish in the discus throw with a distance of 132 feet, three inches as well as an eighth place finish in the hammer throw competition with a distance of 126 feet, four inches.

Spiess (Stuttgart, Germany) went 2-0 in No. 1 singles and 1-1 in No. 1 doubles leading UMass to a split against Richmond (L, 1-6) and George Washington (W, 4-1). Against Richmond, she won the No. 1 singles (6-1, 2-6, 6-2) and the No. 1 doubles (8-7) paired with Masha Pozar. Against George Washington, she also won the No. 1 singles match (7-6, 6-3), but fell with Pozar in the doubles (9-8). Spiess has now won 20+ matches (20-3) for the second consecutive season.

Brandice Balschmiter (Newark, N.Y.) was named the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week for the fith time this season. She has also been named the league's Rookie of the Week once.

Balschmiter went 1-1 with a 0.58 ERA in a doubleheader split with Charlotte last Sunday in the Minutewomen's only action of the week. She allowed just one earned run on four hits in 12 innings while walking four and striking out 14. She limited the 49ers to a .095 batting average. In her win, she pitched a five-inning complete game with four strikeouts while scattering two hits. She allowed just one unearned run. Earlier in the day, she took a tough loss despite allowing just one earned on two hits. Balschmiter notched 10 strikeouts in the first game.

Schneider (Massapequa, N.Y.) was named ECAC Rookie of the Week after making 15 saves and allowing just five goals against St. John's in the 13-6 win over the Red Storm on Saturday. Schneider's 75 percent save percentage was his best in a game this season and raised his overall season save percentage to 64.1, which ranks among the top five in the nation. Schneider has made at least 14 saves in six of nine starts this season. This was his first ECAC league honor.

Upcoming UMass Athletics Schedule
Tuesday, April 11
Baseball at Connecticut, 3:00 PM

Wednesday, April 12
TENNIS VS. QUINNIPIAC (Senior Day), 3:00 PM
Baseball at Northeastern, 3:00 PM
Softball at Connecticut, 4:30 PM

Thursday, April 13
SOFTBALL VS. SAINT JOSEPH'S (DH), 3:00/5:00 PM
Women's Lacrosse at Saint Joseph's, 5:00 PM

Friday, April 14
Baseball at La Salle, 3:00 PM

Saturday, April 15
SOFTBALL VS. TEMPLE (DH), 12:00/2:00 PM
MEN'S LACROSSE VS. HOBART, 1:00 PM
Women's Lacrosse at La Salle, 12:00 PM
Baseball at La Salle, 12:00 PM
Track & Field at Brown Invitational, 11:00 AM
Rowing at Boston University, Brown, & Texas, All Day

Sunday, April 16
Baseball at La Salle, 12:00 PM
BOLD CAPS denotes home game

University of Massachusets Athletics

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