Soto, Kolawole Earn Player of the Month Laurels

Oskaloosa--The William Penn University Athletics Booster Club has announced its March Players of the Month.

Baseball player Bradley Soto (Jr., Davenport, Fla., Business Management) was named the male recipient, while women's wrestler Esther Kolawole (Fr., Akure, Nigeria, Kinesiology) earned the female honor. Both are first-time recipients.

Soto delivered a remarkable performance at the plate, boasting a staggering .435 batting average across 69 at-bats (30-for-69).  He produced 10 home runs that lifted him to a .942 slugging percentage, demonstrating not just consistency but also power throughout the month.  He also drew 11 walks for a .512 on-base percentage.  The junior scored 27 times and drove in 23 runs as well.  One of his most impressive stretches came during a series against Missouri Valley, where he went 9-for-16 at the plate. Over those 16 at-bats, Soto hit three home runs, recorded six RBIs, and crossed the plate eight times.

Kolawole began the month with an absolutely dominant performance at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship, where she was untouchable. In three matches, she shut out all of her opponents, finishing with a perfect 30-0 point differential. Her dominance culminated in a gold medal performance, where she defeated Krista Warren of Grand View by a commanding 10-0 technical fall. At the NAIA National Championship, the freshman entered as the No. 3 seed and rolled through the bracket, finishing the tournament with a flawless 5-0 record, including four technical falls. In the championship match, she triumphed over the defending national champion, Jamilah McBryde of Life (Ga.), with a decisive 12-5 victory.