SARNIA – It was yet another strong weekend across Southwestern Ontario for these two.
Jack Helps (Men’s Baseball) and Kara Duffy (Cross Country) have been named the Lambton Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of October 7th to 13th for their efforts on the diamond and on the course throughout the week.
It marks the first Athlete of the Week honours for both Helps and Duffy this year.
Helps, a first-year shortstop from Petrolia, has quietly put together a strong season for the Lions on the diamond. Out of training camp, Helps earned himself the starting job at shortstop, and his defensive presence has made him one of the top young players in the OCAA.
This past week, Helps and the Lions took on both Humber and Seneca to close the 2024 regular season. Across three appearances, Helps went a combined 4-for-6 at the plate with four runs scores and two RBIs. He also made an appearance on the mound, throwing three shutout innings while striking out three batters, picking up a win in the process.
Helps opened his weekend with a 1-for-3 performance in Game One against Humber, helping the Lions pick up a 7-6 win. Helps had a pair of RBIs in the win while also drawing a walk.
After sitting out Game Two against the Hawks, Helps was back in the lineup for Game One against Seneca on Saturday. In a 12-0 win for the Lions, Helps went 3-for-3 with three runs scored to kick off his strong Saturday.
In Game Two, Helps got the start on the mound and caused fits for the Sting lineup during his three innings of work. Helps allowed just three hits while striking out three hitters, helping the Lions to the 3-0 win to complete the Saturday sweep.
Helps hit .344 during the regular season, scoring 13 runs himself and driving in eight more. He posted a .476 on-base percentage over 14 games.
Duffy, a second-year runner from Sombra, continued her strong individual season with another top-25 finish this past weekend at the Centennial College Cross Country Invitational in Scarborough.
On Saturday morning in Scarborough, Duffy and the Lions took on the six-kilometer race course at Ashtonbee Reservoir Park. Duffy was the top Lambton finisher on the afternoon, crossing the finish line in 19th place in a time of 28:33, running at a pace of 4:46/kilometer.
Duffy and the Lions finished fifth as a team on the Women’s side, marking the second time this season that they finished fifth as a group.
Saturday’s finish for Duffy was the second time in three races that she finished inside the top 20 this season. She finished 16th at the St. Clair Invitational back in September, the first race of the season.
Congratulations to both Jack and Kara on being named this week’s Lambton Student-Athletes of the Week!
The 2024-25 Athlete of the Week awards are presented by the Lambton College Student Administrative Council.
For more information, or for any media inquiries within Lambton College Athletics, please contact:
Tyler Bennett
Lambton College Sports Information & Marketing Coordinator
tyler.bennett@lambtoncollege.ca