Williamsburg, KY – The Patriots are coming off of a strong week with multiple teams going unbeaten. Based on their performances during the week bowler Kiara Abanto and midfielder Laura Navajas were selected as the Pepsi Athletes of the Week, announced by the athletic department Monday.
 
Kiara Abanto earned athlete of the week honors after posting back-to-back top ten finishes at the Crossroads League 1 & Crossroads League 2 Tournament.  Abanto opened the weekend by winning the individual portion of the Crossroads League 1 Tournament with a score of 821.  This is her second career individual win as she averaged 205.25 over four games to pull away from the field and with by 31 pins.  The Rock Hill, SC native posted the highest score of the tournament bowling a 257 before closing out with a 204 in the fourth game.  Abanto was also part of UC's team that competed in baker games and earned a third place finish.  The senior followed that up with a seventh place in the individual standings at the Crossroads League 2.  Abanto knocked down 778 pins, averaging 194.5 per game, while posting a high of 216 in game three.  She also competed in the baker games and helped lead UC to the tournament win, which was their first since 2019.
 
Navajas earned athlete of the week honors after playing a pivotal role in the Patriots two wins on the week.  The senior midfielder was all over the field making plays on both ends of the pitch to help keep UC unbeaten on the year.  Against sixth-ranked UT Southern, Navajas made a plethora of plays, including getting fouled in the box, which set up a penalty kick to even the score at 1-1.  Later in the first half, Navajas connected with Jayden Boelter on a give-and-go for the go ahead goal to make it 2-1. It was the sixth time this season that the senior connected with Boelter for a goal.  Navajas continued to make plays on the defensive end as she was a key part of the Patriots defense that limited the Firehawks to their lowest shot count of the season.  The Miranda de Ebro, Spain also played a key role in the win over #14 Cumberland.  Navajas put UC in front early as she stole the ball from one of the Phoenix defenders and placed it into the bottom corner of the net for her first goal of the season. Navajas continued to anchor the Patriots on both side of the ball and helped lead them to a 3-1 win.
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots, Instagram - @UCPatriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.