James Writes History, Zylstra Lights Up Scoreboard To Earn Mercer Student-Athletes Of The Week Recognition
4/15/2026 6:11:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse, Track & Field, Athletics Department
MACON – Emma James broke a school record for the second time in as many weeks and Will Zylstra dominated at Five Star Stadium to send the men's lacrosse team to the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament for the first time since 2023.
James, a graduate student from Collinsville, Mississippi, shattered the Mercer Track and Field program record by 26 seconds in the 5000m run at the Duke Invitational. James outpaced 71 competitors en route to an eighth-place finish in a field littered with Power Four talent. James also shattered the program record in the 1500m run at the Emory Thrills in the Hills on March 28.
Zylstra, a sophomore from Cumming, Georgia, bagged a team-high five goals and added an assist to lead the Bears past Bellarmine in a thrilling 18-17 back-and-forth battle that ended with Mercer clinching a spot in the ASUN conference tournament for the second time in 11 years.Â
| 2025-26 MERCER STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK | |||
| Week Ending | Male Honoree | Female Honoree | Official Release |
| April 13 | Will Zylstra, Lacrosse | Emma James, Track and Field | April 15 |
| April 6 | Michael Graziano, Baseball | Jayla Simmons, Track and Field | April 9 |
| March 30 | Jacob Neuman, Lacrosse | Olivia Lenzen, Softball | April 2 |
| March 23 | Braydon Kersey, Baseball | Iris Porter, Track and Field | March 25 |
| March 16 | Brant Baughcum, Baseball | Avery Barton, Softball | March 18 |
| March 9 | Eli Stephens, Baseball | Caroline Glus, Lacrosse | March 11 |
| March 2 | Titan Kamaka, Baseball | Talia Kemp, Basketball | March 5 |
| February 22 | Braydon Kersey, Baseball | Katie Scheck, Golf | February 25 |
| February 18 | Chris Katz, Baseball | Grace McKillop, Softball | February 18 |
| February 11 | Michael Frederick, Lacrosse | Avery Barton, Softball | February 11 |
| February 4 | Zaire Williams, Basketball | Ines Hömberg Fernandez, Tennis | February 4 |
| January 28 | Baraka Okojie, Basketball | Marina de Diego Quinones, Tennis | January 28 |
| October 6 | Braden Atkinson, Football | Marie Bannmeyer, Tennis | October 6 |
| September 28 | CJ Miller, Football | Katie Scheck, Golf | September 29 |
| September 21 | Braden Atkinson, Football | Sammi Bergjans, Volleyball | September 22 |
| September 14 | Andrew Zock, Football | Nikki Harris, Cross Country | September 15 |
| September 7 | Henry Hampshaw, Soccer | Morganne Eikelbarner, Soccer | September 8 |
Players Mentioned
