CLEVELAND, Ohio - In the first week of competition of the 2026-27 academic year, Denison sees three North Coast Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week awards: sophomore Will Jackson and first-year Maggie Jewell swept the men's and women's cross country Athlete of the Week awards, while senior women's golfer Natalia Fanucchi earned her second career Athlete of the Week honors. 
 

Natalia Fanucchi | Senior | Women's Golf

At the annual Lynn Schweizer Invitational, senior Natalia Fanucchi finished 8th in the two-round, 18-hole tournament. In round one, she shot 75 (+2), firing off two birdies; in round two, she shot 77 (+5), tallying two more birdies. She led the team in scoring, helping them finish third overall out of 13 teams. She also finished the invitational in the top spot for par-three finishes. 

Will Jackson | Sophomore | Men's Cross Country 

The Big Red saw stellar performances on the cross country course at the Otterbein Invitational. On the men's side, sophomore Will Jackson ran the 5000m course in a time of 15:48.49 for first place. He and the men's team would earn the program's first non-dual meet win since 2014.

Maggie Jewell | First-Year | Women's Cross Country 

In her debut meet, first-year Maggie Jewell beat her opponents by at least a 25-second margin, helping Denison win last week's Otterbein Invitational. She ran the 5000m course in 19:03.16, pacing the Big Red to beat No. 9 regionally ranked Otterbein.

Up Next for the Big Red

Both the men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Cedarville, Ohio, on Friday, September 18, to compete in the All-Ohio Inter-Collegiate Classic. The meet begins at 6 p.m. The women's golf team travels to Paris, Ky., to compete in Transylvania's Kick-Off Classic on Sunday, September 13, through Monday, September 14.