Three Stars: Cross-Trush, Bender, Cronin earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Thomas Cross-Trush is MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after setting a new Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference standard in the men's 300 metres last weekend.
Cross-Trush ran the 300 in 35.99 at the Golden Bear Open to break his own ACAC and MacEwan University record in the distance.
Other athletes recognized this week include second star Natalie Bender of the women's hockey team and Zoe Cronin of the women's volleyball team.
Cross-Trush and Cronin are both making their first appearance of the season on the three-stars list, while Bender is being honoured for the second time, having previously been named second star on Oct. 17.
1st STAR: Thomas Cross-Trush, indoor track
Edmonton, AB, second-year, Commerce
Running with a competitive Canada West field at the University of Alberta's Golden Bear Open over the weekend, Cross-Trush broke his own ACAC and MacEwan record in the men's 300 metres.
In finishing 12th among a field that included Alberta's Austin Cole – the defending U SPORTS champ – Cross-Trush crushed the distance in 35.99 seconds.
That bettered his own record of 36.15 set during the 2017 MacEwan University Invitational, which was the second time he broke the mark last season.
Cross-Trush will be looking to break it again at the 2018 Invitational, set for Kinsmen Field House on Saturday.
2nd STAR: Natalie Bender, G, women's hockey
St. Albert, AB, first-year, Commerce
The rookie goaltender made 17 saves for her fifth shutout of the season to lift the MacEwan Griffins to a 2-0 win over Red Deer College on Saturday night.
The incredible part of her season to date is that not only is she a rookie who is tied for the ACAC lead in goose-eggs, but Bender has shutouts in 71 per cent of her outings this season.
Red Deer's Tracie Kukuchi also has five shutouts, but has played 10 more games.
Bender has stopped 150 of 154 shot attempts in her in seven games played this season for a league-leading .974 save percentage and 0.56 goals against average.
Natalie Bender made 17 saves as the Griffins shut out the visiting Red Deer College Queens 2-0 on Saturday night (Matthew Jacula photo).
3rd STAR: Zoe Cronin, LB, women's volleyball
Auckland, NZ, fourth-year, Communications Studies
With starting libero Karly Edgar injured, Cronin entered against Mount Royal University and had a great weekend, recording 49 total digs and six assists in helping MacEwan earn a weekend split.
During a 3-0 win over the Cougars on Friday, Cronin had 25 digs, averaging 8.33/set, which is nearly double the Canada West lead (4.29 from Manitoba's Cassie Bujan).
She added 24 more digs in a four-set loss to MRU on Saturday.
Zoe Cronin had a huge defensive weekend for the Griffins women's volleyball team (Chris Piggott photo).
