Bechtel & O'Brien Named Scholar-Athletes of the Week
Female Scholar Athlete of the Week: April 1st – April 7th, 2019
Miami's Olivia Bechtel, Track & Field (Senior, 3.62, Kinesiology)
Bechtel was part of a historic day for the RedHawk women at Cincinnati's Nikoloff Invitational. The junior served as the anchor for Miami's 4x400 team that set a new school record with a mark of 3:39.37. On top of that, Bechtel had a big day individually with top-two finishes in both the 200m (24.11) and 400m (53.95). Her 400m time places her in the top 50 nationally and first in the MAC, while the 4x400 relay team currently ranks 36th in the country.
Male Scholar Athlete of the Week: April 1st – April 7th, 2019
Kent State's Kian O’Brien, Baseball - Infield (Senior, 3.755, Sport Administration)
Kian O’Brien led the Kent State offense with 7 RBIs and an .882 slugging percentage to go with a .471 batting average, .609 on-base percentage and 6 runs scored over five games last week. O’Brien collected 6 hits, including 2 home runs, and 7 RBIs during the Golden Flashes’ weekend series victory over Western Michigan. In Friday’s opening game vs. the Broncos, he launched a three-run homer in the third inning to give Kent State a 7-1 lead. The Madison, Wis. native was once again the offensive catalyst in Sunday’s series-clinching win. O’Brien’s clutch 2-out double put the Flashes ahead 1-0 in the first inning and his 2-run blast in the fourth made it 7-2. On the season, he ranks ninth in the MAC in slugging percentage (.537) and seventh in home runs (4).
