Brianna Campbell / Collegian File Photos

Student-athletes take honors in WAC Players of the Week

With the spring sports under way, Fresno State athletics looks forward to continue its strong showing of individual performances by adding more Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Player of the Week honors.

The first 22 weeks of the 2009-10 season were highlighted with 11 different Fresno State athletes named WAC Player of the Week, an honorable achievement awarded to an athlete who stood above the rest in the conference.

Fresno State has earned 18 WAC Player of the Week honors, with football standout Ryan Mathews and tennis star Anastasia Petukhova leading the way with three each.

Without a doubt, the explosive Mathews earned his three WAC Player of the Week honors with an exceptional junior season as the nation’s leading rusher. Mathews averaged just over 150 yards per game en route to 1,850 rushing yards on the season as he dominated conference play statistically.

Petukhova, a native of Moscow was a standout on the Bulldog women’s tennis team all year. Petukhova tallied five victories over ranked opponents in the tournament season. Petukhova’s consistent play also led to her being named WAC Athlete of the Month in November.

With more than half of Fresno State’s Player of the Week honors coming from football and women’s tennis, the two programs continued their yearly tradition of individual excellence.

Jaleesa Ross, Stacey Luke and Kevin Goessling all earned WAC Player of the Week honors two times each for their outstanding performances in their respective sports as well.

Ross, a junior guard on the women’s basketball team, leads the team in scoring, assists, rebounds and steals. Freshman diver Stacey Luke earned her WAC Player of the Week honor early in her Bulldog career winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events at the Beach Cup in Los Angeles. Kicker Kevin Goessling was an impressive seven for eight on field goals from 40 yards or more and a perfect 55 for 55 on extra points.

Rounding out the remaining WAC Players of the Week from Fresno State are golfer Bhavik Patel; football players Ben Jacobs, Lorne Bell, and Robert Malone; women’s soccer player Chrissy Smith; and men’s tennis player Rikus de Villiers.

These performances along with many others have given fans plenty to cheer for up to this point in the 2009-10 season, and Fresno State has enough great athletes to expect similar success for the remainder of the year.