Red Raider Athletics has had a steady flow of success throughout the spring season. Each week throughout the athletic year, two students are named athletes of the week.
Students are given the title due to their recent successes in their respective sports. Last week the male athlete of the week was Drew Dykstra, and the female athlete of the week was Wynne Vandersall.
Dykstra, a sophomore sports management and business major, is part of the Raider baseball team where he serves as a key component in the teams pitching rotation. Dykstra, a left-handed pitcher, found tremendous success in the Raider win over Aquinas (Michigan) on March 13.
Dykstra led the mound for five out of the nine total innings allowing just two hits. Dykstra was also able to secure 10 strikeouts which notched a new career high for him. Dykstra’s impressive stats were able to lead the Raiders to a 6-2 win and gave Dykstra his second attributed win for the season.
Vandersall, a senior humanities major, did not find success on the mound, but rather on the tennis court. In the Women’s tennis teams outing to St. Peter, Minnesota, the team played both Bethany Lutheran College and Gustavus Adolphus.
Vandersall had the most success in singles play, going 2-0. In doubles, she ended 1-1. Vandersall dominated in Northwestern’s 9-0 win over Bethany Lutheran, not only did she secure her win, but she did not drop a single set winning 6-0 each time. Even after falling behind in her first set during her singles game against Gustavus, Vandersall was able to come back and earn her second singles win of the weekend.
With the mid-way point of the spring season practically here, there is only hope that both Dykstra and Vandersall can continue in this success. As of March 30, the baseball team sits at a record of 11-15, and the women’s tennis team stands at 5-6.
If you would like to watch either team play, you can catch a double-header against Concordia on Monday, April 3. You might have to wait a little longer to catch a women’s tennis match, but you can put down in your calendars their home outings on April 14th against Midland, and April 15 against College of Saint Mary.
