Baseball | 4/20/2026 10:00:00 AM

ERIE, PA - Gannon's Drew Stangelo (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) (baseball) and Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) (softball) have been named the Gannon Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of April 20th. 

Stangelo was instrumental in helping the Golden Knights take three of four games from UPJ on Friday and Sunday. The junior collected four hits in the series and drove in six runs. His biggest day came on Friday, when Stangelo collected four RBI's in the second game of the doubleheader. Gannon's offense, with Stangelo playing a vital role in the middle of the lineup, has scored 49 runs in its last six games.

Meanwhile, Smerick continues to be a force at the top of the softball lineup. The junior collected four hits over the weekend and was a critical part of the Golden Knights' victory over Cal (PA) in the second game of the doubleheader, when she drove in a pair of runs and notched her ninth double of the season. Smerick also set the program record for career steals with 73. 


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) 

Week 26 (4/7/26)
Rayla Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) (Women's Lacrosse)
Logan Ayres (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) (Baseball)

Week 27 (4/20/26)
Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) (Softball)
Drew Stangelo (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) (Baseball)