Competitive Cheer (Game Day) | 3/31/2026 9:00:00 AM
ERIE, Pa. — Hunter Troiano (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seneca Valley) of the Gannon baseball team and Marisa Kindel (Bristol, Ind./Northridge) of the Gannon Competitive Cheer and Dance team have been named Gannon Student-Athletes of the Week after delivering standout performances over the past week.
Troiano put together an exceptional five-game stretch to lead the Golden Knights offensively, batting .550 (11-for-20) with six runs scored, seven RBI, four doubles, and a home run. He added a .591 on-base percentage and a .900 slugging percentage, consistently producing in key moments.
The junior from Pittsburgh, Pa., recorded multiple hits in four of five games, highlighted by a three-hit, three-RBI performance against Ashland. He also delivered a clutch home run in PSAC West action against Clarion and drove in runs in four contests during the week.
In one of the biggest moments of the week, Troiano came through with a game-tying two-RBI single up the middle in the seventh inning of the closing game of the series against Clarion, setting the stage for a walk-off win later driven in by Nick Walker (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour). The victory helped Gannon split the season series with the Golden Eagles.
Kindel, a senior from Bristol, Indiana, played a key role in Gannon's success at the Road to Daytona Showcase hosted at the Highmark Events Center. The Golden Knights earned the Cheer Specialty Award for Performance Impression, recognizing the team's overall execution, energy, and crowd engagement.
Kindel helped anchor the routine as Gannon celebrated Senior Day during the showcase, where she was one of five seniors recognized, marking a memorable moment in her final season with the program.
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)
Week 25 (3/30/26)
Marisa Kindel (Bristol, Ind./Northridge) - Competitive Cheer and Dance
Hunter Troiano (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seneca Valley) - Baseball
