KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nebraska Wesleyan University freshman pitcher Ashley Wagner (Minden, Iowa) has been named the Association of Division III Independents softball Player of the Week for the second time this season. Wagner improved to 13-1 this season with a pair of wins last week, including the first seven-inning no hitter in NWU softball history. She fanned a career-high 12 Mustang batters and the Prairie Wolves stunned Morningside College, ranked No. 3 in NAIA Region III, 4-0 in game one on April 28. For the week, Wagner allowed just two earned runs on nine total hits, while striking out 20 and allowing just one walk in 14 innings pitched. In less than one full season, she already owns the NWU career record with eight shutouts, and she is on pace to shatter the single-season team mark for ERA (0.91).

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nebraska Wesleyan University senior middle distance runner Ben Thayer (Sidney, Neb.) has been selected as the Association of Division III Independents men’s track and field Athlete of the Week. Thayer placed fourth in the 400 hurdles at the Nebraska Outdoor Open on April 29 in Lincoln, Neb. His provisional qualifying time of 52.97 ranks fourth on the NWU all-time charts and is the second fastest in NCAA Div. III this season. He also tied for third out of 43 competitors in the 400-meter dash (49.75) at the 2007 Kip Janvrin Simpson College Open on April 27 in Indianola, Iowa.