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 junior Jake Kavcic, a safety on the football team, and senior Sheila Monera Cabarique, a member of the women's swimming and diving team, have been named the Spartan Club Athletes of the Week for their performances this past week.
Kavcic helped set the tone for the Spartans with his play on special teams throughout the team's 52-10 win over Saint Francis University at DiSanto Field in Cleveland on Saturday. Kavcic blocked a punt on the opening drive to set up the first CWRU touchdown of the game two plays later. He added a safety later in the game, tackling the Saint Francis punter in the end zone with 9:34 left in the third to increase CWRU's lead to 29-3. Kavcic was also active in the return game, bringing back two kicks for an average of 39.0 yards per return (with a season-long 54-yard return) and three punts for an average of 13.3 yards (with a long of 15). Defensively, the strong safety had five tackles (one solo), including one for loss, and intercepted his first pass of the campaign. Kavcic leads the team this season with 32 tackles (27 solo) and seven pass breakups, with three tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble, while averaging 23.8 yards per kick return and 13.6 yards per punt return. The Spartans improved to 4-1 with the win.
Case Western Reserve will be back at DiSanto Field in Cleveland next weekend, hosting Waynesburg University for a Presidents' Athletic Conference contest at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 17.
Monera Cabarique won six of the seven events she participated in at the season-opening Oberlin Early Invite in Oberlin, Ohio, on Friday and Saturday. Monera Cabarique placed first in the 100 Free in 53.56 seconds and 100 Fly in 58.22 seconds. She also was a member of the winning 200 Free Relay (1:37.57) and 400 Free Relay (3:35.91) and swam the butterfly leg on the winning 200 Medley Relay (1:48.01) and 400 Medley Relay (3:59.98). Overall, the CWRU women's team placed first out of eight teams at the meet with 1,191.5 points.
The Spartans will take a week off from intercollegiate competition before their first home meet of the season. The teams will welcome Centre and Ohio Wesleyan to the Veale Natatorium on Saturday, October 24 at 1 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 defender Cormac Apostolides (men's soccer) played all 90 minutes on the Spartan backline to help seventh-ranked CWRU record its fifth consecutive shutout in a 2-0 road win over WashU in St. Louis on Saturday. Apostolides and the Spartan defense held the Bears to just two shots on goal in the game and nine shots overall. Heading into the contest, WashU averaged 2.82 goals and 7.91 shots on goal per game. The Spartans have not allowed a goal over their last 533:18 minutes of play and have not allowed a goal scored by an opposing player over their last 890:49 minutes, recording shutouts in eight of their last nine games. CWRU remained undefeated with the victory, improving to 9-0-2 overall and 1-0-1 in University Athletic Association play.
CWRU returns home for the final stretch of the season, hosting four of its final five games at DiSanto Field. The homestand starts with a matchup against third-ranked University of Chicago on Saturday, October 17 at 11 a.m.
Sophomore defensive end Dominic Ghilani (football) fell just one sack shy of the school's single-game record during the team's 52-10 win over Saint Francis University at DiSanto Field in Cleveland on Saturday. Ghilani finished the game with 3.5 sacks, all in the first half, and led the team with six total tackles (three solo). The 3.5 sacks marked a career-high for Ghilani. His effort helped the Spartans hold the Red Wolves' offense to just 183 total yards, including 65 rushing and 118 passing. Through the first half of the campaign, he has totaled 16 tackles (10 solo) with a team-high six sacks, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.
Senior outside hitter Emily Goodpaster (volleyball) led the Spartans in kills during a pair of losses at the second University Athletic Association Round Robin hosted by New York University in Manhattan, New York, on Sunday. In a five-set loss to Brandeis on Saturday morning, Goodpaster had a season-high 16 kills on a .300 attacking percentage while adding 14 digs for her second double-double of the campaign. Later in the day, in a three-set defeat to 10th-ranked WashU, she paced the squad with six kills and a .500 hitting percentage in two sets. This season, Goodpaster is averaging 1.70 kills and 2.39 digs per set, ranking second on the team in the defensive category. CWRU fell to 9-10 overall and 1-4 in UAA contests following the losses.
The Spartans will look to stop a three-match losing streak as they return home for a non-conference match on Wednesday, October 14. CWRU hosts crosstown rival John Carroll at 7 p.m.
Junior Owen Guffey (men's soccer) scored a goal and added an assist for the seventh-ranked Spartans in their 2-0 road victory over WashU in St. Louis on Saturday morning. Guffey took a shot from just outside the box in the fourth minute of the contest, striking the crossbar. The ball reached graduate student Saiheed Jah, who finished with a header to score the game's first goal. Guffey earned his team-leading fifth assist of the campaign. Early in the second half, he took another shot on goal from just outside the box with the ball crossing the endline after hitting the crossbar. This season, Guffey has eight points on two goals and four assists.
First-year swimmer Jay Huang (men's swimming and diving) won five events at the season-opening Oberlin Early Invite in Oberlin, Ohio, on Friday and Saturday. Competing in his first collegiate meet, Huang won the 500 Free in a personal-best time of 4:42.72, the 100 Back in 52.11, and the 200 Back in a personal-best time of 1:53.58. He was also a member of the winning 400 Free Relay that finished in 3:09.12 and led off the winning 400 Medley Relay which had a time of 3:24.93.
Junior running back Andy Kavcic (football) accounted for four touchdowns during the Spartans' 52-10 win over Saint Francis University at DiSanto Field in Cleveland on Saturday. Kavcic carried the ball nine times for 47 yards and a touchdown, while catching a team-high five passes for 57 yards and three touchdowns. He opened the scoring for the Spartans with an eight-yard touchdown run with 13:13 left in the first half, and added a 19-yard touchdown catch with 50 seconds remaining in the opening quarter to give CWRU a 20-3 advantage. Kavcic also caught a six-yard touchdown pass to put CWRU in front 27-3 with 9:16 left in the first half, and added a 27-yard scoring grab with 6:55 to go in the third to extend the Spartans' lead to 35-3. At the halfway point in the campaign, Kavcic has 616 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while catching a team-high 23 passes for 211 yards and four additional scores.
Sophomore diver Jayna Kawas (women's swimming and diving) placed first among Division III competitors on both diving boards at the season-opening Oberlin Early Invite in Oberlin, Ohio, on Saturday. Kawas finished second overall in both events, scoring 185.25 in the 3-meter dive and 181.40 in the 1-meter dive. The CWRU women's team placed first out of eight teams at the meet with 1,191.5 points.
Sophomore diver Ryan Wells (men's swimming and diving) recorded a pair of top-two finishes at the season-opening Oberlin Early Invite in Oberlin, Ohio, on Saturday. Wells won the 1-meter dive with a score of 193.65 and placed second in the 3-meter dive and first among Division III competitors with a score of 193.70. The CWRU men's team placed first out of eight teams at the meet with 1,455.5 points.
2026-27 Spartan Club Athletes of the Week
Sept. 8: Aaron Filips (football) & Izzy Probst (women's soccer)
Sept. 14: Micah Rossen (men's soccer) & Maya Zarow (volleyball)
Sept. 21: Andy Kavcic (football) & Reid Smith (women's cross country)
Sept. 28: Carter Shedd (men's soccer) & Gabby Lee (women's tennis)
Oct. 5: Rowan Matorin (men's tennis) & Izzy Probst (women's soccer)
Oct. 12: Jake Kavcic (football) & Sheila Monera Cabarique (women's swimming and diving)
