Former Buckeye hockey player Ryan Kesler scored an empty-net goal to seal Team USA’s 5-3 victory over Canada Sunday night. In his first and only season with the Buckeyes, Kesler had 11 goals and 20 assists, leading the Buckeyes to a third place finish in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. In 2003, Kesler was the No. 23 draft pick overall selected by the Vancouver Canucks. Kesler promised a victory over the Canadians and came through with one of the most memorable victories in USA Hockey history.
Junior guard Evan Turner earned his sixth Big Ten Player of the Week award after averaging 24.5 points against Purdue and Michigan State last week. This marks the ninth time in his career that he has received the honor. Turner had 29 points and seven rebounds in Wednesday’s 70-67 loss to Purdue. Turner leads the conference in scoring with 19.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Ohio State pitcher Alex Wimmers earned his fifth career Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Week honor. In the Buckeyes’ season-opening win over North Florida, the Cincinnati native had nine strikeouts. Wimmers is a possible contender for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best collegiate baseball player in the country. Wimmers was a 2009 All-American and Big Ten co-Pitcher of the Year and was a 2010 preseason All-American.
Junior track star Letecia Wright was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week. Wright broke two personal records. Wright ran the 60-meter hurdles in 8.23 seconds, the fastest time in the Big Ten. She followed the hurdle performance with a 7.52 second sprint in the 60-meter dash, the fourth best in the conference. After struggling through several injuries in the indoor season, Wright is preparing for the Big Ten Indoor Championships Feb. 27 and 28.
