Men's basketball forward Caden Ebeling, women's basketball forward Rain Hinton, men's diver Justin Huttenlocher, men's swimmer Connor Robertson, and women's swimmer Samantha Swingewood represent Albion College as Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Athletes of the Week for Nov. 25.
A junior from Shelby Township, Mich., who prepped at Utica High School, Ebeling scored 31 points, matching his career-high, and secured eight rebounds to help Albion earn a 95-71 victory over Earlham (Ind.) College last Friday. Ebeling made 13-of-14 shots, and according to NCAA statistics, it is the third-highest field goal percentage (92.8) by a Division III player in a game this season.
Shooting nearly 77 percent from the field, Ebeling is averaging 19 ½ points through four games.
The men's basketball team, owners of a 3-1 record, have two non-league games during the week ahead. Albion has a Tuesday night date at Heidelberg (Ohio) University and it will play host to the Rose-Hulman (Ind.) Institute of Technology for a 3 p.m. Sunday game.
Hinton, a junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., who prepped at Woodlan High School, was the Most Valuable Player of the Fred Raizk Memorial Tournament as Albion defeated Hiram (Ohio) College, 88-59, and Franklin (Ind.) College, 74-68. The Britons also defeated local rival Spring Arbor University, 79-60, last Tuesday to push their record to 6-0 on the season.
Hinton achieved a double-double of 27 points and 23 rebounds against Hiram. NCAA statistics report only five Division III players have grabbed more rebounds, 24, in a game this season, and 21 players have a higher field goal percentage after Hinton shot 75 percent (12-of-16) against the Terriers.
For the three games, Hinton averaged 18.7 points while shooting 57.5 from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. She also pulled down 9.7 rebounds per game.
The women's basketball team has a 2 p.m. Saturday home game against Great Lakes Christian College.
A first-year student-athlete from Shelby Township, Mich., and a product of De La Salle High School, Huttenlocher scored third place in the 1- and 3-meter diving competitions in the Gail Moll Pebworth Invitational. He achieved a personal best score of 395.05 on 1-meter and he set a 389.60 total on the 3-meter board.
Robertson, a sophomore from Zeeland, Mich., and a product of East High School, finished third in the 200-yard individual medley (1:53.86) and 200 backstroke (1:52.25) and fifth in the 100 breaststroke (57.70 seconds, a personal best). Robertson owns the top times this season in the MIAA in the 200 IM and 200 backstroke and he is second in the 100 breaststroke.
A sophomore from Carmel, Ind., Swingewood broke her Albion record and set the 11th-fastest time in Division III this season in winning the 200 butterfly in 2:06.60. She also finished fifth in the 200 IM (2:10.90) and 400 IM (4:38.0). Her times in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM are best in the MIAA at this point of the season.
Albion's swimmers and divers will return to competition Jan. 11 with an MIAA dual meet at Calvin University.
General athletic news can be found at gobrits on Twitter, AlbionAthletics on Instagram and Albion College Athletics on Facebook.
Joe and Julie Serra have given a $5 million leadership gift to launch a fundraising initiative to make two dreams a reality at Albion College. The first is a newly expanded fitness and student activity facility at the site of the current Dow Recreation and Wellness Center. The second is a new or renovated competition facility for the volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball teams that currently call Kresge Gymnasium home.
The College is continuing to raise funds in support of both projects. To learn more, call 517/629-0446 or email advancement@albion.edu