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Instant Peay Play: Austin Peay State University Athletes have big week in collecting OVC and State Honors

Legends Bank, Clarksville TNClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s athletic department had one of its best weeks in recent memory in picking up both Ohio Valley Conference and state-wide honors, as four student-athletes were recognized for individual excellence.

Leading the quartet was Chandler Groves, of the Lady Govs softball team, as the sophomore left fielder was not only named the adidas® softball Player of the Week by the OVC, she also took home Softball Player of the Week (for the state of Tennessee) by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.

Austin Peay State University Sports - APSU - Governors - Lady Govs

Both honors were the first of the season by a APSU softball player after Groves hit for a white-hot .556 batting average, with a 1.111 slugging percentage and a .526 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot in the batting order.

But it wasn’t that she hit well, it was that she hit well at key times, with Groves hitting three home runs that either tied or put Austin Peay ahead in victories, while driving in 12.

On the tennis court, senior Dimitar Ristovski was named the OVC adidas® Ohio Valley Conference co-Men’s Tennis Player of the Week — the first time this season a Governor, or Lady Gov, — had taken the OVC’s top honor. It was the second time in his career at APSU he has been named Player of the Week.

Ristovski has had a great season so far for the Govs, having only lost once since facing Louisville’s No. 5 ranked Sebastian Stiefelmeyer on Feb. 14th, winning seven of eight matches at the No. 1 position for Austin Peay.

In taking the OVC honor this past week, Ristovski defeated Morehead State’s Ritchie Krunnenberg (3-6, 6-1, 6-2) — whom he shared the week’s award with — leading the APSU to a 4-1 victory.

The Skopje, Macedonia native followed up that effort with a singles victory over Alex Avaro (7-6 (8), 6-4) and teamed with fellow senior Iago Seffrin to claim an 8-7 (3) triumph at No. 1 doubles in a 5-2 victory over Eastern Kentucky.

Finally, a pair of Lady Govs track and field athletes took home adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors in their respective disciplines, with junior sprinter Breigh Jones being named co-Female Track Athlete, while sophomore jumper Kaylnn Pitts took Female Field Athlete accolades.

After winning five OVC Indoor Track Athlete of the Week awards during the 2014-15 season, this is Jones’ first outdoor award not just in 2015 but in her Austin Peay career.

For Pitts, it is her first career weekly honor from the conference office, and first APSU field athlete to take home a weekly outdoor honor since April 27th, 2010.

Jones, who reached the NCAA championship finals last year, blistered the field in the 400m dash with a time of 53.99 in her first outdoor attempt of the spring at the Black and Gold Invitational, hosted by Vanderbilt.

Her time was more than three-tenths of a second better then the events runner-up and a mark that leads the OVC, ranks ninth in the region, and 14th overall nationally.

Pitts, meanwhile, won the triple jump event for the second week with a season-best 12.28m leap, ranking her second in the conference and 16th in the region through two weeks of outdoor competition.

With just over a month left for most of the spring sports at Austin Peay, hopefully this past week will be the final jump-start of many strong finishes by both Governors and Lady Govs athletes to close out the 2014-15 school year.

Chris Austin
Chris Austinhttp://www.clarksvillesportsnetwork.com
Chris Austin is a graduate of Clarksville High School and Austin Peay State University. Chris is a former Head Softball Coach for APSU, and assistant basketball coach for CHS. Chris has worked at the Leaf-Chronicle, and WJZM News/Talk/Sports radio. Has also worked at the Sports Information Department at APSU, and has covered championship events for the Ohio Valley Conference and NCAA. Chris is an avid sports fan and can be found at most Austin Peay State University sports events.
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