MAAC Student-Athletes of the Week (3.4.13)
MAAC Sports
Larry Balkwill - Siena College
Baseball, Sr., Catcher/First Base, 6-4, 210, Chatham, Ontario, Canada/Ursuline Catholic
Balkwill has had a sharp start to his final campaign at Siena, racking up the league's initial Player of the Week award (2/22). The Saints' catcher carries a 3.46 GPA as a history major after posting a stellar 3.88 in the fall. He also serves as one of Siena's SAAC representatives, and this fall he was one of two Siena student athletes to attend the MAAC SAAC summit at Disney World. Balkwill, who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers out of high school, enjoyed an impressive summer in Canada, earning First Team All-Star honors on the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian team.
Toni-Ann Lawrence - Manhattan College
Women's Basketball, Sr., F, 5-11, Elmont, N.Y./Elmont
Lawrence was sensational in the final two home games of her career. She averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 blocks and 3.5 steals, as the Jaspers split contests with Iona and Niagara. On Thursday night against Iona, she tallied a career-high 23 points on 10-for-21 shooting, while also notching eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Then on Sunday against Niagara, after being honored alongside her fellow seniors prior to the game, Lawrence had 17 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and a career-high six steals, as the Jaspers knocked off the Purple Eagles 61-52 to snap a seven-game losing streak. She iced the victory by going 9-for-10 at the free throw line. Lawrence also became Manhattan's all-time leader in games played on Sunday. The contest against Niagara was her 127th consecutive appearance.