Welcome to ‘Hoyas of the Week,’ where we take a look at some outstanding performances in the past week across all of Georgetown’s athletic programs.
Sarah Bennett – Softball
The Georgetown softball team won two of three in a weekend slate against Big East preseason favorite Creighton, and senior designated hitter Sarah Bennett was huge factor in their success. In a 14-5 loss on Saturday, Bennett was the Hoyas’ lone bright spot, smashing two home runs on the afternoon. In the following game, Bennett hit a solo shot to tie the game up in the fourth inning and walked in her other two at-bats during the 6-5 GU victory. On Sunday, she reached base twice in another Hoya win, to finish the weekend with an on-base percentage of .889. Bennett’s performance earned her the first Big East Player of the Week nod of conference play. Next up for the softball squad is a three-game series away at St. John’s.
Dionna White – Women’s Basketball
Dionna White earns her third spot of ‘Hoyas of the Week’ following a pair of remarkable performances in the first two rounds of the WNIT. Coming off a loss to No. 18 Marquette in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals, the Hoyas faced Sacred Heart on Friday in the first round of the WNIT. The Hoyas dominated from start to finish and head coach James Howard was able to insert a lineup of reserves in the fourth quarter with his squad up 30-plus. Before being subbed out, White played every minute and put on a masterful all-around performance. The repeat First Team All-Big East selection racked up 21 points on an efficient 9-of-16 from the field, to go along with seven assists, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Her stifling defense also contributed to the Pioneers shooting just 30.8 percent from the field as a team. In the second half, she became the second Hoya ever to pass 2,000 career points and now trails only Sugar Rogers on Georgetown’s all time scoring list. Despite the virtuoso display Friday, White may have outdone herself on Sunday. In the second round at Harvard, White led the way with a career-high 38 points, including a pair of clutch free throws down the stretch to seal a 70-65 win. The Hoyas now move on to play Providence in the Sweet Sixteen on Tuesday.
Lawrence Leake – Men’s Track & Field
Sophomore middle distance specialist Lawrence Leake earns his second ‘Hoyas of the Week’ nod after a strong start to his outdoor campaign. The Hoyas competed at the Penn Challenge in Philadelphia on Saturday and, despite poor conditions, the men grabbed a fifth place finish largely due to Leake’s performances. In the 400-meter hurdles, Leake finished in second place with a time of 55.78. Leake was then a part of the quartet that dominated the final race of the day, the 4×400-meter race. The squad finished three seconds ahead of second place Army with a time of 3:16.72. Next up for the Hoyas are the Florida Relays later this week.
Francesca Whitehurst – Women’s Lacrosse
The Hoyas began their week with a frustrating 13-10 loss to Loyola Maryland on Wednesday. The defeat increased their losing skid to three games and kept them out of the national rankings. On Sunday, they returned to Cooper Field and finally bounced back, putting up a season-high 20 goals in a win over UC Davis. Senior midfielder Francesca Whitehurst led the charge with a season-high five goals. She got the scoring started two and a half minutes into the game with an unassisted goal. She would complete her hat trick before the halftime break, scoring twice as part of a 3-0 run that put the Hoyas up seven. In the second half, her scoring barrage continued as she found the back of the net off an assist from senior attacker Taylor Gebhardt. Whitehurst grabbed her fifth goal and added an assist to her statline during a 5-0 Georgetown run to close out the win. The Hoyas return to action on Saturday for the beginning of Big East play against Butler.
