NEWTOWN, Pa. – Five Lebanon Valley College student-athletes from five teams were recognized by the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) for their efforts during the past week of competition, as the conference office announced its weekly awards in a release on Tuesday, Oct. 7. 
 
Lebanon Valley's men's and women's cross country teams posted strong races at the Paul Short Run, resulting in junior Rory Lieberman being named the MAC Men's Runner of the Week and junior Kyrianna Nemitz earning the MAC Women's Runner of the Week award. Sophomore Brayden Herr was also honored for his performance for LVC's men's golf team at the DeSales Fall Classic with MAC Freedom Golfer of the Week accolades. 
 
Lebanon Valley's women's tennis team garnered recognition as well, as junior Megan Martin was listed as the MAC Freedom Women's Tennis Player of the Week for her efforts in the match at Gettysburg College. Additionally, senior outside hitter Mattea Penner was selected as the MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week for her contributions in Dutchmen Volleyball's last two matches, including its big victory over Eastern University.
 
Lieberman placed fourth overall out of 407 runners in the White Race at the Paul Short Run on Friday, Oct. 3, clocking a time of 24:30.2. After sitting 19th at the mile mark, he surged through the field to finish fourth, leading LVC to a sixth-place team finish against a deep national field that featured 11 other nationally ranked teams. His time ranked among the top 120 across all five Paul Short races, which included teams from all three NCAA divisions, and was the fastest among MAC competitors. This is the second straight MAC Men's Runner of the Week honor Lieberman has received, and it marks the fifth the junior has earned in his career. He has also been presented with three conference weekly awards during his indoor track and field career at Lebanon Valley. LVC's men's cross country team has been recognized with three MAC weekly honors this fall.    
 
Nemitz led Lebanon Valley with a 6K time of 22:28.2 at the Paul Short Run on Friday, placing 66th out of 404 runners. She climbed more than 160 spots after the opening mile to help LVC to a 17th-place team finish in a strong 45-team field. The Dutchmen were the top MAC team and second-best among teams competing in the race from the Metro and Mid-Atlantic Regions, including finishing ahead of Metro top-ranked Swarthmore College. This is the second MAC weekly award Nemitz has received during her career, as the junior was also honored on Sept. 9. This marks the second consecutive week that a member of the team was named the MAC Women's Runner of the Week, as senior Coyla Bartholomew garnered the recognition last Tuesday. Dutchmen Women's Cross Country has now earned three conference weekly awards this season. 
 
Herr tied for second at the DeSales Fall Classic with a two-day total of 143 (+1), helping Lebanon Valley to a fifth-place team finish and its best score under Head Coach Joe Faller. The sophomore opened with a career-low 70 (-2) on Friday at Olde Homestead Golf Club, just one stroke shy of the program record. Herr tallied five birdies and 10 pars in the round, going one-over on the front before closing with a three-under 33 on the back. He followed with a 73 (+1) in the final round on Saturday, Oct. 4, carding five more birdies to finish strong. LVC's team score of 305 in the finale ranked as the 11th-lowest in program history and the best mark of Faller's tenure. This is Herr's first career conference weekly honor, and it is the first the Dutchmen have received this fall. The sophomore is the first member of LVC's men's golf team to be named the MAC Freedom Golfer of the Week since current sophomore Reagan Flynn last spring, on March 25. 
 
Martin led LVC in a narrow 4-3 defeat at Gettysburg on Wednesday, Oct. 1, earning straight-set wins in both singles (6-3, 6-3) and doubles (6-1). She was the first finisher on both courts, providing an early spark for the Dutchmen. This is Martin's second career conference weekly award, as the junior was also recognized on Sept. 23. Lebanon Valley has now been presented with MAC Freedom Women's Tennis Player of the Week honors three times during the campaign. 
 
Penner led the Dutchmen with 40 kills, four aces, 25 digs, and four blocks in a 1-1 week. She delivered a career-best 23 kills while hitting .429 in a five-set win over Eastern on Saturday, along with 17 kills and 10 digs in a narrow four-set defeat to Stevens Institute of Technology on Tuesday, Sept. 30. This marks Penner's first conference weekly honor of the year, and it is the third of her career. The outside hitter also garnered recognition twice in 2024. Each of Lebanon Valley's three MAC Freedom weekly awards this fall were earned in consecutive weeks, as junior middle hitter Teaguen Reynolds was chosen as the Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23, and sophomore libero Kylie Nagle was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 30. 
 
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