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Local Roundup: Wright named SoCon POTW
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    Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) capped an impressive week at the plate for Georgia Southern baseball by receiving the 'Player of the Week' award, as announced by the Southern Conference office Monday (April 28). It marks the first-ever weekly SoCon award for the junior designated hitter.
    Wright helped the Eagles to a 5-0 mark last week, batting .500 (12-for-24) with five doubles, one triple and two home runs. He scored seven runs and drove in 12, posting a 1.042 slugging percentage. The Montrose native also stole 2-of-2 bases and recorded a .538 on-base percentage.
    Wright became the second Eagle this season to hit for the cycle in consecutive innings during game three of the Wofford series (singe in 1st, 2-run home run in 2nd, RBI triple in 3rd and 2-run double in 4th). He joins David Richardson, who accomplished the same feat during game one at the College of Charleston, in that elite group. Wright finished the Wofford finale 5-for-5 with a hit by pitch, falling one hit shy of tying the GS single-game record.
    Earlier in the week Wright hit a game-winning, 2-run double in the 11th inning during a 6-4 win at Kennesaw State.
    Overall in his first year with the Eagles, Wright improved his batting average to .409 (54-for-132) starting 30 times in 35 games played mainly as the leadoff hitter. He has knocked a team-leading 16 doubles and hit 13 home runs (including a program record six to lead off a game). Wright has recorded 37 RBI and walked (21) more times than he has struck out (20), in addition to his 9-of-11 stolen bases.
    Wright joins teammate Chris Shehan in receiving the SoCon's weekly award this season.
    Georgia Southern (25-18 overall, 10-8 SoCon) begins an eight-game homestand this week, playing host to Jacksonville on Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Side named POTW
    SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Georgia Southern’s Jenny Side was tabbed the Southern Conference’s Softball Player of the Week for the week ending April 28.
     Side, a catcher, collected nine hits and 10 RBI in four games last week, leading Georgia Southern to a 3-1 mark, including a pair of wins at SoCon foe Appalachian State. The sophomore from Loganville, Ga. (South Gwinnett), had a 1.063 slugging percentage while belting two home runs and a pair of doubles. She also scored four times.
    Side had a hit in all four games, including a school record-tying five vs. Savannah State. She added five RBI, tied for third-best in a game at GSU and had a home run.
     Over the weekend Side became the school’s new single-season RBI leader and moved within one of the career home run mark by extending her own single-season record with her 13th of the season.
    She currently ranks at the top of GSU’s career slugging percentage list at .527.

GSU Track and Field finishes third
    CULLOWHEE, N.C. — The Georgia Southern track and field team gave it all they had on Sunday at the Southern Conference Outdoor Championships, but couldn’t muster enough points in defense of their title, as the Eagles placed third at the Catamount Athletics Complex in Cullowhee.
    Western Carolina claimed their first title since 2001 compiling 216 points, while Appalachian State finished in second with 189. GSU placed third amassing 153 points, followed by Chattanooga 65, Elon 59, Davidson 45, The Citadel 38, Furman 26, College of Charleston (17) and UNC Greensboro (6).
    Senior Carla Ballard (Morrow, Ga.) earned the SoCon Championship in the 400m hurdles racing to a time of 1:01.22. Ballard also earned a fifth place finish in the 400m sprinting a time of 57.10.
    Sophomore Melanie Trumbo (Lilburn, Ga.) jumped a season best 5-06 claiming the high jump crown. Jasmine Lightning (Dacula, Ga.) placed second in the event with a leap of 5-04.25. Trumbo also notched a third place finish with a score of 4,321 in the heptathlon.
    Jennifer Charles (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) was successful in the shot put, placing first with a distance of 44-07.50.
    Junior Shauntel Jennings (Stone Mountain, Ga.) earned a fourth place finish in the 800m with a time of 2:17.35.
    Senior Amber Wilson (Calhoun, Ga.) was narrowly edged in the 100m hurdles placing second with a time of 14.48. She also turned in an eighth place finish in the 400m hurdles and a fifth place finish in the heptathlon.
    Lynndsey Hyter (Dallas, Texas) placed second in the triple jump leaping a distance of 39-1.75 and also recorded a third place finish in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.59.
    The Eagle relay teams competed well as the 1600m team turned in a second place finish with a time of 3:48.99, while the 400m squad placed third coming in at 47.68.
    In all, Georgia Southern claimed four individual Southern Conference Championships with Ballard winning the 400m hurdles, Trumbo in the high jump, Charles in the shot put and Shaunta Hamilton (Westside) in the long jump.
    While the regular season is concluded, GSU will prepare for the Georgia Tech Invitational, which begins Friday, May 16, before heading to the East Regional Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. on May 30.

Lady Eagles sign Ivy
    Georgia Southern head women’s basketball coach Rusty Cram announced the addition of Candice Ivy to the 2008-09 Lady Eagles program.
    The Milton High School and greater Atlanta standout made the commitment official after signing a National Letter of Intent to play for GSU.
    Ivy, a four-year starter and letterwinner for the Eagles at MHS, earned first team all-Region 6-AAAAA and first team all-Fulton County honors.  She was named Alpharetta Neighbor Athlete of the Month, was a member of the Milton Beacon first team, was twice named SCORE Atlanta magazine Player of the Week and was voted as her team’s Most Valuable Player her senior season in 2007-08.
    Ivy helped lead the Eagles to the Georgia state high school sweet sixteen as a junior.  As a senior, she averaged 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks per game.