Acrobatics and Tumbling | 3/10/2026 10:40:00 AM
ERIE, Pa. – Paytyn Neal (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior High) and Matt Smith (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) were selected as the Gannon Athletics Student-Athletes of the Week following standout performances for the Golden Knights last week on the baseball field and the mat.
Paytyn Neal (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior High) played a key role in one of Gannon's top performances of the season, helping the Golden Knights record a season-high team score of 270.570 against No. 2 Oregon.
Gannon also recorded season-high scores across the meet, posting a 38.40 in the compulsory event, 28.55 in acro, 29.50 in pyramid, 28.35 in toss, 54.10 in tumbling and 91.67 in the team event.
Neal competed in compulsory pyramid, compulsory toss, compulsory tumbling, acro 5-element, inversion pyramid, open pyramid, 450 salto toss, duo toss and the team event, contributing across multiple events for the Golden Knights.
Matt Smith (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) turned in a strong performance during Gannon's series against Findlay.
Smith batted .538 during the series, recording seven hits in 13 at-bats. He scored five runs while adding two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. Smith also drew two walks and stole three bases during the series against the Oilers.
2025-26 Gannon University Athlete of the Week Previous Recipients
Week 1 (9/8/2025)
Alexis Abbett (Women's Cross Country)
Victor Volant (Men's Water Polo)
Week 2 (9/15/2025)
Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) (Volleyball)
Jack Kenyon (Men's Soccer)
Week 3 (9/22/2025)
Emily Bowers (Women's Cross Country)
Alexandros Kotskar (Men's Water Polo)
Week 4 (9/29/2025)
Nehir Yazicioglu (Ankara, Turkey) (Volleyball)
Nikiforos Liantziris (Men's Water Polo)
Week 5 (10/6/2025)
Brooklyn Respecki (Women's Soccer)
Damario Moore (Football)
Week 6 (10/13/2025)
Cloe Mateo (Women's Golf)
Ty Hurst (Football)
Week 7 (10/20/2025)
Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) (Volleyball)
Frederik Paulsen (Men's Soccer)
Week 8 (10/27/2025)
Kasey Smith (Meadville, Pa./Villa Maria) (Volleyball)
Sverre Orten (Men's Soccer)
Week 9 (11/3/2025)
Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey/Private Çankaya Doga Anatolian) (Volleyball)
Rafa Hyde (Men's Soccer)
Week 10 (11/10/2025)
Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima) (Women's Swimming)
Patrick Jackson (Harpers Ferry, WV/Spring Mills High) (Men's Wrestling)
Week 11 (11/17/2025)
Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) (Women's Basketball)
Kasper Alfei Saebo (Men's Soccer)
Week 12 (11/24/2025)
Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima) (Women's Swimming)
Bator Mohacsi (Men's Water Polo)
Week 13 (12/1/2025)
Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) (Women's Basketball)
Enzo Rekka (Men's Soccer)
Week 14 (12/8/2025)
Lauren Atwell (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) (Volleyball)
Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) (Men's Basketball)
Week 15 (12/15/2025)
Jerry Echevarria (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) (Men's Wrestling)
Jaylene Martinez (Whittier, Cal./Whittier) (Women's Wrestling)
Week 16 (1/5/2026)
Mia Slater (Canberra, Australia/Canberra Grammar School) (Women's Basketball)
Lucas Sekasi (Washington, DC/Jackson-Reed) (Men's Basketball)
Week 17 (1/12/2026)
Jordan Popyk (Novi, Mich./Novi) (Women's Basketball)
Dillon Walker (Mason, Ohio/Mason) (Men's Wrestling)
Week 18 (1/19/2026)
Elisa Moliner (Zaragoza, Spain/IES Francisco de Goya) (Women's Swimming)
Kuba Loboda (Lublin, Poland) (Men's Swimming)
Week 19 (1/26/26)
Jake Niffenegger (Mason, Ohio/La Salle) (Mason, Ohio/La Salle) (Men's Wrestling)
Lili Ujfalvi (Kecskemet-heteny, Hungary/Bolyai Janos Secondary School) (Women's Wrestling)
Week 20 (2/2/26)
Claire Eaton (Conneaut, Ohio/Conneaut) (Competitive Cheer & Dance)
Dayne Jackson (Wernersville, Pa./Wernersville) (Competitive Cheer & Dance)
Week 21 (2/9/26)
Carissa Dunham (Women's Basketball)
MacKenzie Morgan (Men's Basketball)
Week 22 (2/16/26)
Isabella Veltre (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) (Women's Lacrosse)
Grant MacKay (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) (Men's Wrestling)
Week 23 (2/23/26)
Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School) (Women's Wrestling)
Victor Desmond (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska) (Men's Basketball)
Week 24 (3/2/26)
Maria Martinez (Barcelona, Spain/Jesuïtes Gràcia Col·legi Kostka) (Women's Water Polo)
Kenny Kiser (Meadville, Pa./Saegertown) (Men's Wrestling)
