Dyadchenko, Misa, Hutcheson named OUA athletes of the week

Graphic on predominantly blue background with action photos of Toronto women's tennis player Anastasiya Dyadchenko, Waterloo baseball player Nolan Misa, and Queen's men's hockey player Nolan Hutcheson, on top of white text that reads 'Athletes of the Week' and the OUA Athletes of the Week logo
October 10, 2023

Burlington, Ont. – Anastasiya Dyadchenko, Nolan Misa, and Nolan Hutcheson have been named OUA athletes of the week for the period ending October 8, 2023.

Anastasiya Dyadchenko, Tennis, Toronto Varsity Blues

Dark green background with tennis court floor. Young woman in athletic gear swinging tennis racket towards a ball.

The Toronto Varsity Blues took to the courts with an impressive lineup this past weekend, as they fought to get back on top of the podium.

In a clean sweep, first-year star Anastasiya Dyadchenko was instrumental in securing the win for the Blues. Coming in on a hot streak, Dyadchenko played her way through the tournament undefeated in doubles with her partner Maria Popova, and picked up two singles wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, against top-ranked players from Ottawa and McMaster.

On top of winning the championship, the Toronto’s top-ranked player picked up multiple awards, being an OUA all-star, rookie of the year, and player of the year. It is clear the Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ont. all-star made quite an impact within her team and the conference in her banner season debut.

Nolan Misa, Baseball, Waterloo Warriors  

Man in baseball uniform leaning forward and reaching to catch a ball on a baseball pitch.

While he may have been playing on the diamonds this weekend, Nolan Misa emerged a star. From 14 teams to four, the Waterloo Warriors punched their ticket this past weekend to the baseball championships with a great deal of help from their captain.

From the very first game, Misa stepped up to the plate, hitting a game-winning three run home run, earning his team a narrow 7-6 win against the Golden Hawks. The veteran’s spectacular showcase didn’t stop there; however, as he capped off a back-and-forth game against the Windsor Lancers, with another walk-off hit in the 11th inning.

Overall, the Markham, Ont. native finished the Far West Qualifier with a strong showing and stat line, averaging .350 at the plate with two doubles, a triple, a home run, 11 RBIs, five runs scored, and four stolen bases, all while pushing his team defensively. Misa and the Warriors will next face off against the Carleton Ravens in the semifinals this upcoming weekend.

Nolan Hutcheson, Hockey, Queen's Gaels

Action photo of Queen's men's hockey player Nolan Hutcheson skating on the ice as part of a pre-game warm-up

It was a big opening weekend on the road for the Queen’s Gaels, as they opened up their season with two offensively-driven wins, with veteran forward Nolan Hutcheson in the middle of the action.

In his first two games, Hutcheson came out hungry, starting off the season by scoring four of his team’s seven goals in their win against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. Not only was he able to find the back of the net himself, but also added an assist to round out his five-point night. The health science major didn’t stop there, as he added another goal in the team’s encore against York en route to his team’s 8-3 win over the Lions.

With the impressive opening weekend in tow, Hutcheson has jumped out to a quick lead across the conference in both goals and points, with five and six respectively.