LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East conference has announced its Athletes of the Week for April 21, 2026. Today will include Athletes of the Week from men's and women's tennis, men's and women's outdoor track & field and men's golf.
This week’s selections included contests through Sunday, April 19. A total of seven student-athletes from five different institutions were recognized for their performances.
Men’s Tennis
Athlete of the Week
Cooper Wheeler / JR / Penn State Harrisburg / Red Lion, Pa. / Red Lion
Cooper Wheeler comfortably won both of his matches against St. Mary's (Md.) on Tuesday afternoon to help Penn State Harrisburg clinch the United East Regular Season Championship. The junior teamed with Damir Cuturic to secure a 6-0 sweep in the No. 1 doubles match before cruising to a 6-0, 6-2 victory in the No. 1 singles outing.
This is Wheeler's second United East weekly accolade of the year and his sixth all time (10/21/25, 4/9/24, 4/1/24, 10/10/23, 10/26/23).
Women’s Tennis
Athlete of the Week
Lauren Peck / SR / Penn College / South Williamsport, Pa. / South Williamsport
Peck stretched her singles winning streak to seven matches by picking up three victories in the final week of the regular season. Peck started off with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at the No. 2 position against Lancaster Bible on Tuesday and won back-to-back tiebreak wins against Penn State Altoona at the No. 1 position on Friday (0-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5)) and at Cairn at No. 2 (6-3, 3-6, 6-1) on Saturday.
This is Peck's first career United East weekly award.
Men’s Golf
Golfer of the Week
John Breinich / FR / Lancaster Bible College / Manheim, Pa. / Manheim Central
Breinich helped his squad to a second place finish as he was the medalist at the Lancaster Bible Pull the Pin Spring Invite. Breinich Shot a 74 (+1) on day one of the invite before shaving one stroke off on day two for an Even Par score. The first year was in a tie for first place but was able to acheive a birdie on the playoff hole to claim the top spot
This is Breinich's third career United East weekly accolade (10/21/25, 10/14/25, 9/30/25)
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Field Athlete of the Week
Jillian Zukley / JR / St. Mary's College of Maryland / Severna Park, Md. / Severna Park
Jillian Zukley won two events and took second in another at the Stevenson Mustang Stampede Invitational. Zukley captured the hammer throw with 41.12m while winning the shot put with a season-best 11.43m (14th in Mid-Atlantic, second in league). She also came in second in the discus throw with 32.91m.
This is Zukley's first time being named Athlete of the Week this season and the fourth time in her career (04/01/25, 03/19/24, 04/16/24)
Track Athlete of the Week
Laila Stevenson / FY / Sayreville, N.J. / Sayrevolle War Memorial
Stevenson finished 11th out of 44 total 400-meter dash participants at the Coach P with a time of 1:00.22, breaking the school record. This is the 19th fastest time in the Mid-Atlantic Region
This is Stevenson's first United East weekly accolade of her career in the outdoor season.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
Track Athlete of the Week
Landon Weldon / FY / Penn State Harrisburg / Palmyra, Pa. / Palmyra
Landon Weldon set a pair of program records for Penn State Harrisburg during the SU Midweek PR Bonanza hosted by Shippensburg on Thursday evening. The freshman finished fourth out of 51 competitors in the 200m and set a new school record with a time of 21.43 seconds. He also finished ninth out of 49 total sprinters in the 100m thanks to a new program-record time of 10.70 seconds. Both marks currently rank top-10 in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region.
This is Ikeda's first United East weekly accolade of his career in outdoor.
Field Athlete of the Week
Kyle Durkin / SO / Lancaster Bible College / Adelphia, N.J. / Calvery Christian
Durkin continued his dominance in the javelin as he placed first at the Millersville Invite this past Saturday. The sophomore hurled thejav 59.66 meters which tops the United East and ranks 23rd in all of Division III. It also reset the Lancaster Bible College record.
This is Durkin's second United East weekly accolade of the year in outdoor and his fourth in his career (03/24/26, 04/29/25, 04/15/25)
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The United East boasts 14 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Harrisburg, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.