Week of May 13-19
Men's Tennis

Travis Virgil
East Windsor, NJ
Hightstown HS

Coach Marc Vecchiolla has selected no. 2 singles/doubles player Travis Virgil for the second time this season. According to Vecchiolla, Virgil is "a class act both on and off the court. Travis has an all-around game, solid versatile serve, penetrating groundstrokes, and crisp volleys." The talented sophomore finished the season with a combined singles and doubles record of 35-12 and a 60-24 record in his two year career at Mercer.

At the NJCAA National Tournament in Plano, TX, earlier this month, Virgil advanced to the singles and doubles (with partner Jeff Castera) semifinals, falling to the eventual champions in both of those flights. Mercer finished fourth out of 11 teams with 20 points.

Week of May 6-12
Baseball

Coach Kevin Kerins has selected two Vikings pitchers as Athletes of the Week for making key contributions at the Region XIX tournament, which was held at MCCC this past weekend. Freshman Matt Berbon-Owle and sophomore Peter Pulhac both threw complete games to help advance the Vikings to the Region XIX championship game.

In Friday's action, the Vikings beat Burlington CC 4-3 in the opening game and then lost 4-1 to an undefeated Lackawanna squad. The next morning, the Vikings again faced Burlington in the double elimination tournament. The Vikings' 7-1 victory this time was unequivocal. Next up was another go-round with Lackawanna, which squeaked by with a 4-3 win.

The Vikings finish the season with a 29-15 record and an 18th ranking nationally. Kerins credits the team's strong pitching staff and hitting as critical factors in the team's success.

Week of April 30-May 5
Men's Tennis

Travis Virgil (no. 2 singles) and Jeff Castera (no. 4 singles) were singles finalists in the Region 19 tournament that took place over the weekend at the Mercer County Park Tennis Center. They also made it to the finals as partnerse at no. 2 doubles. Virgil's singles record this season is 16-6; Castera's record is 18-4. In doubles action, their record is 17-4.

According to Head Coach Marc Vecchiolla, both players devote many hours to practicing and set a great example both on and off the court.

Other MCCC finalists were Adam Czaplinski and Elias DeLeon. The Vikings came in second in the tournament, behind a very strong Gloucester squad, which won every flight. Brookdale CC came in third. All three teams will travel to the NJCAA National Tournament, to be held in Plano, TX, May 14-18.

Week of April 23-29
Softball

With losses in a doubleheader against Brookdale last week, the Vikings were forced to compete in a "must-win" play-in round against Raritan CC over the weekend in order to qualify for the Region 19 Tournament. According to Coach Ryan Zegarski, his team -- which has done so much with its small roster -- continues to give 100 percent, adn earned the two wins it needed to move on.

Freshman pitcher Stephanie Canulli was on the mound for both victories (3-1 and 7-5) and added a couple of hits. Freshman outfielder Emily Price had 4 hits in the two games and also played great defense.

The Vikings will enter the Region 19 tournament as the no. 4 seed. The tournament will be played May 5 and 6 at Morris CC.

Week of April 16-22
Softball

Brittany Szafran
Ewing, NJ
Ewing High School

According to Head Coach Ryan Zegarski, centerfielder Brittany Szafran has played outstanding defense in centerfield. Her offense has also been strong, with a total of 17 hits in the last two weeks alone.

With a 23-9 record thus far, the Vikings are in the home stretch of the regular season. Despite their small numbers, they have shown tremendous determination and teamwork in every game -- with a record to prove it. They complete the regular season in doubleheaders against Brookdale on April 24 (away) and Morris on April 25 (home). The post-season begins April 28.

Week of April 9-15
Baseball

Michael Constantini
Yardville, NJ
Steinert High School

As a sophomore captain, Michael Constantini has been a true team leader, according to Head Coach Kevin Kerins. The talented shortstop has been a hard worker and stellar performer, playing in all 35 of the Vikings' games thus far. He has a .378 batting average, with 48 hits, 10 doubles, 34 runs scored and 25 RBI, a .460 on-base percentage and 7 stolen bases. Constantini plans to play baseball at West Virginia University next year.

With a current record of 25-10, the Vikings are nearing the end of the regular season. Constantini will be counted on as the Vikings look to excel in post-season play and bring home the Region 19 title. The Region 19 tournament will be played at MCCC from May 11-13.

Week of April 1- 8
Men's Tennis

Elias DeLeon
Trenton, NJ
Ewing High School

In what he calls a "match for the ages," Coach Marc Vecchiolla has selected #5 singles player Elias DeLeon for his clutch play in the Vikings' 5-4 win over Suffolk ( NY) on April 4. With the teams even at 4-4, DeLeon's four-hour marathon match proved to be the tiebreaker. He won the first set 6-4 and dropped the second set 3-6 after his arm began to cramp. In an extremely close third set, Elias took a 5-3 lead, winning points that lasted up to 20 rallies. His opponent fought back and tied the set 6-6. They played a 12-point tiebreak to decide the match (first to win 7 points). DeLeon took a 6-3 lead and his opponent refused to give up, winning the next two points to close the gap to 6-5. Elias won another long rally at 6-5 to clinch the team victory. The Vikings are off to a 5-1 start; they will play 12 additional matches this month.

Week of March 18-24
Softball

Angela Marinos
Hamilton, NJ
Steinert HS

Despite their small numbers, the Vikings have started off the season strong, getting the most out of a talented squad. According to Head Coach Ryan Zegarski, catcher/infielder Angela Marinos is leading the charge at bat. She is 22 for 29, with a .758 average and 11 RBIs.

The Vikings spent spring break warming up at the Snowbird Classic in Myrtle Beach, SC, playing four games and coming away 2-2. Thier current record is 8-4.

Week of Feb. 26 - March 4
Baseball

Chris Rupprecht
Sophomore
Morrisville, PA
Pennsbury HS

Pitcher Chris Rupprecht has been selected as the first Athlete of the Week for the 2012 baseball season. A returning sophomore, Chris has a record of 2-0 on the mound, helping the Vikings beat Southern Maryland 8-2 on Feb. 24 and Community College of Rhode Island 3-1 on March 4.

Rupprecht pitched a total of 12 innings, with an ERA of 2.25. He gave up 3 earned runs and 6 hits, while striking out 10 and walking only 2.

The Vikings are enjoying a strong start with a record of 5-1.

Week of Jan. 15-21
Women's Basketball

Heather Gurdon
Freshman
Perrineville, NJ
Allentown HS

Heather Gurdon has been a steady presence for women's basketball team through a tough season. Gurdon works hard on both ends of the court, playing guard, forward and wherever else she is needed. Head Coach Mike Tenaglia praises Gurdon for taking care of the ball and for being "a team player who does all the little things a player needs to be successful." Gurdon is currently averaging 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. The Lady Vikings will depend on Gurdon's selfless and scrappy play to continue over the next few weeks as they take on some competitive opponents in the region.

Week of Jan. 8- 14
Men's Basketball

Brandin Youngblood
Sophomore
Trenton, NJ
Bordentown Regional HS

As one of two returning players, Brandin Youngblood has stepped up as a leader for the young Vikings team. He has nearly tripled his scoring average this season, with 9.23 points per game. Leading the Vikings in scoring in three of the team's last four games, he had a big night in Mercer's 79-65 win over Manor CC January 10, scoring 25 points. Coach Howard Levy praises Youngblood for his hard work and solid play at both ends of the court. The Vikings will count on continued strong performances by Youngblood as they fight to qualify for the Region 19 Playoffs.

Week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3
Women's Basketball

Chanel Johnson
Sophomore
Trenton, NJ
Hamilton West HS

Although the women's basketball team is still struggling to get into the win column, that has not stopped one of its returning players from having a great start to the year. After six games, sophomore point guard Chanel Johnson is averaging 20.3 points per game. Mercer fell just short of its first win Dec. 1 at Ocean, losing 63-60, with Johnson scoring 32 of the Vikings' points. She also came up big on Dec. 3 against Del Tech Stanton, scoring 19 points and adding three assists in a 68-49 loss. The sophomore guard has been a leader for a young team and is expected to continue to control the offense for the Vikings, who will look for their first win Tuesday night vs. Morris.

Week of Nov. 6-12
Women's Cross Country

According to Coach Erin Cahill, runners Erika Manley and Sierra Downs were leaders for women's cross country throughout the season and they also led the way for the Vikings at the NJCAA Championships, which took place in Hobbs, New Mexico, Nov. 12.

Manley beat a rival runner from Essex (NJ) CC who had beaten her at the Region 19 Championships in October, while Downs crossed the finish line just 10 seconds behind an Essex runner who had finished over two minutes faster than her at regionals.

Cahill notes that both Manley and Downs peaked at the right time. "Both runners turned in very strong workouts in the weeks leading up to nationals and stepped up to run their best on the national stage. They have run hard all year and their dedication and effort paid off. To run your best at the last meet of the year is exactly what a coach hopes for and both runners did just that."

Week of Oct. 24-30
Women's Tennis

The women's tennis team is basking in the glow of its stellar performance at the NJCAA National Tournament at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, NY. Five MCCC players advanced to the finals, earning the Vikings a second place finish.

Sophomore Alison Noll is once again the national winner at no. 1 singles, proving a dominant force in every round. Coach Marc Vecchiolla praises Noll for her intelligent, strategic style of play and impeccable footwork.

Sophomore Melanie Hunter (no. 4 singles and no. 3 doubles) earned All-American Honors with her doubles partner Kelly Tanzone. Vecchiolla cites the vast improvement and hard work that Hunter has put into her game during her two years on the Mercer squad.

Week of Oct. 17-23
Women's Cross Country

The performances of freshmen runners Jaqueline Goncalves and Anajae Register helped Mercer take second place at the Region 19 Championships on Saturday. This marks the first time that the Vikings competed as a scoring team in over 20 years. Goncalves and Register finished in 9th and 10th place respectively, which earned both of them All Region Division I Honors.

According to Head Coach Erin Cahill, Goncalves is a hard worker who has continued to improve over the season. "Jaqueline pushes herself every day and that has paid off as she continues to get faster with each race." Cahill is also pleased with the effort put forth by Register, who was forced to take a month off from running due to an injury, but came back this week to successfully compete at regionals. Cahill described Register's performance on Saturday as "gritty and tough. Anajae was not at her best, but she gave it her all and finished strong."

Week of Oct. 10-16
Women's Tennis

The women's tennis team had a highly successful weekend at the NJCAA Regional Touranment Oct. 14-15. For the first time since 2005, the Vikings are the NJCAA Region 19 champs.

According to Coach Marc Vecchiolla, stellar performances by numerous players contributed to the winning team total. Clinching the championship for MCCC was the finals win at no. 6 singles by Alina Vitukhnovskaya, who defeated Joanne O'Donnell of Gloucester CC 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2. (O'Donnell had defeated Vitukhnovskaya earlier in the season.) Vecchiolla notes that Vitukhnovskaya's game is based on a powerful serve and forehand.

Ewa Szyszko also had a great tournament, teaming with Alison Noll to win the first doubles flight 6-3, 6-4 over Heidi Denn and Farrah Smoke of Brookdale. In addition, Szyszko made it to the finals at no. 3 singles, where she played her best match of the season in a loss to Ann Marie Wodell of Ocean 4-6, 3-6. Vechiolla praises Szyszko as a tactical player who relies on consistency, placement and a wide variety of shots that keep her opponents guessing.

The Vikings head to Flushing, NY, from Oct. 26-28 to play in the NJCAA National Tournament.

The efforts of a veteran player and recently added rookie helped the men's soccer team come through a tough stretch 2-1, with wins over rival Essex CC Oct. 5 and Prince George's CC Oct. 9. Midfielder Jonni Ventura had an assist in the 3-2 win over Essex. He added a goal in the Vikings' 4-3 loss to Montgomery-Rockville Oct. 8, and had an assist and a goal in the 3-0 win over Prince George's. Coach Snyder credits Ventura for his toughness and coming up with big plays to spark the Mercer offense.

Freshman Sascha Haecker has been a strong presence since joining the Vikings roster two weeks ago. His efforts in the Essex game created a scoring opportunity off a penalty kick rebound by Jon Louisignau, tying the game 2-2 before the Vikings went on to win in overtime. In Sunday's victory over Prince George's, Haecker scored his first collegiate goal. His skilled play is creating more offensive chances and Coach Snyder will look to Haecker to continue with vital assistance in the midfield.

Week of Sept. 26-Oct. 2
Women's Soccer

Different girls are "stepping up their game" each week, reports head coach Michelle Ogborn-Haywood, whose Vikings are now in the win column after two victories this week, an 8-0 route against Camden CC Sept. 29 and a 2-1 win against Lackawanna Oct. 1. One reason for their growing success is utility player Camille Little, who has played wing, center midfielder and fullback. Using her speed, ball control and aggresssiveness, she is a "versatile player who can be moved anywhere and play well anywhere. She is really good on both offense and defense," says Ogborn-Haywood. "Camille is tough, confident and inspiring to other players."

Another significant contributor is stopper Nicole Gilliland. After being briefly sidelined with an injury, she has proven to be one of the Vikings' most skilled and fearless defenders. According to Ogborn-Haywood, Nicole is so effective in the back field that she can have five opposing players working their way down field and approaching the goal, step into that group, and come away with the ball. "What a great defender, and what an asset to our team!"

Week of Sept. 19-25
Women's Tennis

The Mercer Invitational, held at the Mercer County Tennis Center Sept. 23-24, proved that this year's women's tennis team is ready to play with the best. According to head coach Marc Vecchiolla, Region 19 is highly competitive. "On any particular day any team can win," he said. "This weekend brought out our very best, as we played at home for the first time this year."

Sophomore Alison Noll (no.1) and freshman Kelly Tanzone (no. 5) both won their flights in singles action, helping the team earn a first place finish. Noll and partner Ewa Szyszko also won at no. 1 doubles.

Vecchiolla notes that Noll is "a really special player, by far the best female player in the history of our program. It's nice to watch her compete. We don't take it for granted. Kelly is a first-year player who shows great promise. She has a steady, scrappy baseline game and competed for every point this weekend. Her results show that she is capable of doing some wonderful things at this level."

Week of Sept. 12-18
Women's Cross Country

Freshmen Sierra Downs and Erika Manley led the Lady Vikings to a second place finish at the Dukes Invitational this past Saturday at Cumberland County College, with Manley finishing third overall and Downs coming in fourth. The two ran together for the first two miles of the 5K race before Manley, in her first collegiate contest, broke away with a half-mile to go. Now in its second season, this marks the cross country program's first meet as a full scoring team.

According to head coach Erin Cahill, both runners work hard and push each other in practice, and they followed the same strategy in their first meet together. Downs has been a team leader since preseason and Manley, a late addition to the roster, fit right in and has proven a natural. Cahill expects these top two runners to build on their early success in coming meets.

While the women's soccer team is still looking for all of its hard work to translate into a win, new head coach Michelle Ogborn-Haywood is encouraged with the progress she has seen in each game and her players' growing display of teamwork.

According to Ogborn-Haywood, two standout players are
sophomore midfielder Sam Biondi and freshman goalie Jessica Larsen. Biondi, the team's captain, approaches every game with 100 percent commitment and has been a truly positive influence on the entire squad. She scored one of the goals in the Vikings' 6-3 loss against Brookdale. Returning from an injury last year, Biondi adds strength and skill to the lineup.

Freshman Jessica Larson has proven tough as nails, showing tremendous strength and resilience in goal. She has already had 20 saves just three games into the season.

The Vikings will look to improve on their 0-3 record with Region 19 games against Gloucester on Sept. 17 and Morris on Sept. 20.

New head coach Pat Snyder is more than satisfied with the way his team handled its first two games of the season. The Vikings proved too much for Del Tech Terry (DE) on Sept. 3, winning 9-0 in an away game. The total team effort included goals by seven players, including sophomore forward Precious Iloka, a former Colonial Valley Conference standout.

On Sept. 4, Mercer faced highly-ranked Massasoit (MA) at home. Up just 1-0 at halftime, the Vikings went on to win 4-0, with Iloka scoring two of the goals. Goalie Sheldon Parkinson was a commanding presence in goal, earning two shutouts and a solid start to the season.