The Spartan Club, comprised of Case Institute of Technology (CIT), Western Reserve University (WRU) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) alumni, parents of current students, faculty and staff, and friends of the University, is aimed at helping foster and honor the proud tradition of athletics at the University, while also supporting the current student-athletes. For more information on the Spartan Club, and to help support its purpose by becoming a member, CLICK HERE.
Case Western Reserve University senior Kaden Tong, a defensive end on the football team, and senior Rea Marfatia, an outside hitter on the volleyball team, have been named the Spartan Club Athletes of the Week for their performances this past week.
Tong helped lead a stellar Spartan defensive effort in a 52-7 win over Thiel College on Saturday night. Tong finished the game with a team-high eight tackles (three solo) with a team-best two tackles for loss for 23 yards and 1.5 sacks for 22 yards. He helped the Spartans restrict the Tomcats to just 72 total offensive yards (the fewest allowed in a game in program history), including -12 yards in the second half. Tong has totaled 26 tackles (10 solo) this season (the second-most on the team) and leads all Spartan players with 5.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. The Spartans improved to 6-0 with the win over Thiel.
CWRU will now begin a four-game stretch against the other top teams in the PAC standings to wrap up its 2024 campaign. The Spartans will look to keep their undefeated season alive next weekend when the team travels to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, to face Westminster College at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 26.
Marfatia led the 15th-ranked Spartans to a 1-1 record at the Otterbein Tri-Meet on Saturday at the Rike Center in Westerville, Ohio. Marfatia totaled 39 kills and 46 digs across nine sets, adding four blocks and three service aces. In a five-set loss to Muskingum, she recorded 20 kills and a career-high 28 digs, registering at least 20 kills for the third time this season. Later in the day, in a four-set win over Otterbein, Marfatia had 19 kills and 18 digs. This season, the senior leads the Spartans with 286 kills (3.33 per set), 28 service aces (0.33 per set), and 266 digs (3.09 per set). CWRU moved to 18-4 with the split on Saturday.
CWRU will finish conference play with the third and final University Athletic Association Round Robin on Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Spartans will face host Carnegie Mellon at 12 p.m. and 19th-ranked Chicago at 2 p.m.
The Spartan Club Athletes of the Week are selected by the CWRU Department of Athletics each Monday, based on their performance during the previous week of competition.
Honorable Mentions:
Senior wide receiver Noah Coyne (football) caught three touchdowns during the Spartans' 52-7 win over Thiel on Saturday night at DiSanto Field in Cleveland. Coyne led all Spartans in the game with five receptions for 87 yards and three scores. He extended the team's lead to 28-0 with a 30-yard touchdown catch with 9:41 to play in the second quarter and added a 43-yard touchdown grab with 1:04 to go in the half to put CWRU up 35-0. With 11:45 left in the third quarter, Coyne wrapped up the day with a nine-yard touchdown that put the Spartans ahead 42-0. He leads all CWRU players this season with 31 catches for 514 yards and nine touchdowns.
Junior William Froass (men's swimming and diving) helped the 16th-ranked Spartans win four events in a 196-80 victory over Division II Ashland on Saturday at Messerly Natatorium in Ashland, Ohio. Individually, Froass claimed the 100 Back in 52.34 and 200 Back in 1:57.08. He was a member of the 200 Medley Relay that placed first in 1:34.95 and the 200 Free Relay that won with a time of 1:26.52. Overall, CWRU won all 14 of the contested swimming races in the dual meet, improving to 1-0 on the season.
The Spartans will host their first meet of the season next Saturday, facing Ohio Wesleyan University at the Veale Natatorium on October 26.
Junior Lauren Iagnemma (women's cross country) was the team's top finisher for the first time this season at the Mike Woods Invitational in Geneseo, New York on Saturday morning. Iagnemma crossed the finish line sixth out of 372 total finishers, completing the 6K course in a time of 21:48.0. The time was a one-minute, 11.6-second improvement on her previous season-best time. Iagnemma's performance helped the Spartans finish seventh out of 29 teams at the meet.
The Spartans will now turn their attention to their championship season, beginning with the 2024 University Athletic Association Championship, hosted by Brandeis on Saturday, November 2 at Franklin Park in Boston.
Junior Claire Kozma (women's swimming and diving) finished first in four different events for the 17th-ranked Spartans in a 175-111 victory over Division II Ashland on Saturday at Messerly Natatorium in Ashland, Ohio. Individually, she won the 50 Free in 24.61 and 100 Fly in 58.47. She was also a member of the winning 200 Medley Relay that finished in 1:50.34 and 200 Free Relay that recorded a time of 1:40.85. Overall, CWRU won 10 of the 14 swimming events in the dual meet, improving to 1-0 on the season.
Senior Aidan Nathan (men's cross country) recorded the best 8K time of his career at the Mike Woods Invitational in Geneseo, New York on Saturday afternoon. Nathan completed the course in a time of 24:35.4 to place eighth overall out of 492 competitors. The time was a 12.2-second improvement on his previous career-best time, set last season, and a 43.5-second improvement on his previous season-best time. Nathan's finish helped the Spartans finish ninth out of 32 teams at the meet.
Senior Jocelyn Schechter (women's swimming and diving) recorded a pair of top two finishes at the Kenyon Relays on Saturday at the Steen Aquatic Center in Gambier, Ohio. Schechter won the three-meter dive with a score of 272.85 and was the runner-up in the 1-meter dive with a score of 255.45. Overall, CWRU placed second out of five teams with 85 points.
Senior Alex Waltman (men's swimming and diving) placed in the top four in two events at the Kenyon Relays on Saturday at the Steen Aquatic Center in Gambier, Ohio. Waltman won the 3-meter dive with a score of 275.40 and placed fourth in the 1-meter dive with a score of 269.20. Overall, CWRU placed second out of five teams with 79 points.
Sophomore midfielder Adam Pluszczyk (men's soccer) scored in the ninth minute of the Spartans' 3-2 loss to Rochester on Saturday at DiSanto Field in Cleveland. Pluszczyk received a deflected ball at the top of the box, took one step toward the goal, and fired a shot into the top corner of the net to give CWRU an early 1-0 lead. This season, he has two goals and three assists for a total of seven points. The Spartans fell to 5-4-3 overall and 0-2-1 in conference play with the loss.
The Spartans will travel for their only two-game UAA weekend next week, heading to Chicago on Friday for a matchup against the University of Chicago at 4 p.m. ET and St. Louis on Sunday for a game against WashU at 12 p.m. ET.
2024-25 Spartan Club Athletes of the Week:
Sept. 3: Aidan Nathan (men's cross country) & Amanda Ngo (volleyball)
Sept. 9: Bradley Winter (men's soccer) & Sydney Schenk (women's soccer)
Sept. 16: Alex Fromberg (football) & Rea Marfatia (volleyball)
Sept. 23: Ansh Shah (men's tennis) & Ceci Dapino (women's soccer)
Sept. 30: Ethan Dahlem (football) & Amanda Ngo (volleyball)
Oct. 7: Jacob Slater (men's cross country) & Arianna Holbrook (women's cross country)
Oct. 14: Alex Fromberg (football) & Gabriella Chambers (women's swimming and diving)
Oct. 21: Kaden Tong (football) & Rea Marfatia (volleyball)
