MURFREESBORO, N.C. – Throughout the 2025-2026 Chowan Athletic season, the Chowan Athletic Department will feature the Ace Hardware Student-Athletes of the Week. For the week of March 11 – March 18, Abby Rutledge and Ava Mizell of the softball team, have been recognized for their standout performances over the past week of competition.
 

Abby Rutledge went 4-2 in the circle over the past week. The senior opened with a strong outing against Ferrum on March 11, tossing a complete game shutout while striking out six. She carried that momentum into the Hawks' doubleheader against Pace, earning the win in game one after allowing just one hit and one run over 3.2 innings. Rutledge added two more wins against Mount Olive, pitching 1.0 inning in the first game and 3.0 innings in the second. Across those appearances, she did not allow a run, giving up just one hit in the first contest and recording a strikeout in the second. She closed out the week against Virginia Union on March 18, coming in for 6.2 innings of relief in game one. Rutledge struck out seven batters in the contest and recorded her 100th career strikeout at Chowan. 

Ava Mizell turned in an outstanding week across the Hawks' eight games. The junior from Washington, N.C. totaled seven runs, 10 hits, four RBI, and 11 stolen bases. She opened the week with a hit and a run against Ferrum, followed by a two-hit performance against Pace on March 13. In the doubleheader against Mount Olive on March 14, Mizell recorded two runs, three hits, and an RBI, highlighted by a four-stolen-base performance in game two. She closed out the week with a strong showing against Virginia Union, tallying two runs and two hits in each game of the doubleheader. In game two, she added three RBI and three stolen bases. Mizell was perfect on the base paths, successfully stealing every base she attempted during the week.

Ace Hardware Student-Athletes of the Week: 

Sept. 4 – Maurice Smith (FB) | Isaiah Fulton (FB)
Sept. 18 – Riley Donnelly (WSOC) | Jeevan Purewal & Cameron Letterlough (MSOC)
Sept. 25 – Diana Rodriguez (VB) | Laura Hulme (WSOC)
Oct. 2 – Malique Frazier (FB) | Demarcus Carroll (FB)
Oct. 9 – Diana Rodriguez (VB) | Kylee Smith (WSOC)
Oct. 16 – Vanja Romic (WSWIM) | Robert Cabrera (MSWIM)
Oct. 23 – Chance Lassiter (MGOLF) | Destiny Makanjuola (WSOC)
Oct. 30 – Anna Holcombe (VB) | Cameron Letterlough (MSOC)
Nov. 13 – Jack Beylo (FB) | Dimitrije Markovic (MSWIM)
Nov. 20 – Daneesha Briggs (WBB) | Damien Robinson (MBB)
Dec. 11 – Yasmine Brown (WBB) | Damerius Summers (MBB)
Dec. 18 – Nyesha Savage (WBB) | Markell Hollis (MBB)
Jan. 15 – Wisdom Banks (WBB) | Aleksei Belolipetskii (MSWIM)
Jan. 22 – Yasmine Brown (WBB) | Markell Hollis (MBB)
Feb. 12 – Nyesha Savage (WBB) | William Hynes (MBB)
Feb. 19 – Makenzi  Curry (SB) | Reed Low (MLAX)
Feb. 27 – Vanja Romic (WSWIM) | Ahmaad Goldson (BSB)
Mar. 12 – Marcia Aragon (WTEN) | Reed Low (MLAX)
Mar. 19 – Abby Rutledge (SB) | Ava Mizell (SB)