General | 4/7/2026 11:20:00 AM

ERIE, PA - Logan Ayres (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) (baseball) and Rayla Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) (women's lacrosse) have been named the Gannon Student-Athletes of the Week for the first week in April.

Ayres was most recently named the PSAC West Pitcher of the Week, it was announced by the conference on Monday. The southpaw recorded two saves on the week while setting a new Gannon program record with his ninth career save. He made three appearances out of the bullpen, totaling 2.2 innings pitched with one earned run allowed and one strikeout, while holding opposing batters to a .273 average. Ayres helped Gannon close out a 4-0 sweep over PSAC opponent California (Pa.).

Rayla Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) was an instrumental part of the Gannon offense last week. The sophomore midfielder potted a game high four goals and five points in a conference win against Edinboro on April 1st. Then, in a hard fought defeat to Seton Hill last Saturday, Smith would follow up her impressive performance by scoring an additional goal and two more assists for a three point day, tied for the most on the team during the game. 

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)