HIGH 5 OF THE WEEK: Eli Parks, Lexi Kochin, Nick Crowley, Maddie Sturm, Nick Shemkovitz

Parks (SCSU athletics)

 Eli Parks, Southern Connecticut State University football
The former St. Paul standout back has been one of the leading rushers for the Owls this season. Parks wasn’t the main guy in SCSU’s 35-16 win over Pace last Saturday, but he did pick up something special.
Leading 29-16 in the fourth quarter, the Owls handed off to Parks. Parks ran 18 yards for a touchdown, the first in his collegiate career.
Parks is used to having a big workload. He was, after all, the featured back in Chris Kennedy’s one-back offense during his senior season. Parks set the school’s single-season record for rushing yards that year, and his total was good for 19th all-time in the state.
Parks has carried the ball 67 times for SCSU for a total of 252 yards, an average of 3.8 per rush.

Lexi Kochin, Central Connecticut State University soccer

Kochin (CCSU athletics)


The former Bristol Central standout got a big thrill on Oct. 7 when she scored the first goal of her collegiate career.
Kochin’s goal came on a 25-yard shot with 14:14 left in the first half and put the Blue Devils up 2-0 on the Bryant Bulldogs. Bryant entered the match undefeated in the Northeast Conference, but CCSU sent the visitors packing with their first league loss.
Kochin has played in 13 of CCSU’s 14 matches so far, in what is her sophomore season.

Crowley (WCSU athletics)

Nick Crowley, Western Connecticut State University football
This Bristol Eastern graduate had a strong game on defense for the Colonials in a crazy 37-35 win over Massachusetts Maritime last Saturday.
Crowley tied for the team lead in tackles with eight (7 solo, 1 assisted). Two of Crowley’s tackles went for a total of five yards lost. Crowley’s effort came off the bench. Four of his eight tackles came in the fourth quarter.
Crowley more than doubled his season tackle total from five to 13.
Crowley is a 6-foot, 180-pound junior defensive back.

Sturm (RPI athletics)

Maddie Sturm, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
cross country

Sturm was a multi-sport athlete at St. Paul Catholic, but she didn’t pick up cross country until her senior year. Sturm did four years of basketball, four years of softball and three years of volleyball.
At RPI, Sturm did track and field during her freshman year. She picked up cross country again this year as a sophomore, and she’s doing well for herself.
Sturm was recently named Rookie of the Week after finishing 10th overall in the Saratoga Invitational on Oct. 1. She ran the 5K course in a time of 18.29.2
Sturm is a chemistry major at RPI. 

Shemkovitz (WNEU golf)

Nick Shemkovitz, Western New England University golf
Shemkovitz, a former St. Paul standout, has been part of a solid Golden Bear program during his career.
WNEU golf is aiming at its third straight Commonwealth Coast Conference title, and it took a step in that direction by winning the CCC Fall Qualifier on Oct. 4 at South Shore Country Club in Hingham, Mass.
With the win, the Golden Bears earned the right to host the CCC Championship next spring. The winner advances to the NCAA Championship.
Shemkovitz, a senior, was one of three WNEU golfers to finish in the top five overall. Shemkovitz finished fifth after shooting a 77.