VALDOSTA, Ga. - Blazer softball ace Claire Maulding and Blazer men's tennis star Takeshi Taco have been named this week's Steel's Jewelry Athletes of the Week.

Graduate student Claire Maulding was magnificent this week as she went 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA in two starts and three appearances with one shutout in the series sweep of No. 22 West Alabama.  She pitched 13 innings, allowing jus three hits, two runs - one earned, walked six and fanned 21 as UWA hit just .073 against her.  Maulding improved to 9-6 on the year and she posted a one-hit, 10-0 shutout in five innings on Saturday to sweep the series.  In the opener, she struck out a VSU career-high 13 in a 9-2 win where she allowed just two hits and two runs.  In the relief appearance, she pitched a strong seventh inning with two strikeouts as VSU walked off the win in the bottom of the seventh, 7-6 off Friday's twin bill to win the series.  

Senior Takeshi Taco went 2-0 in singles at the top spot and 2-0 in doubles with teammate Xaveam Van Wijk in a 7-0 win over Lander and a 5-2 win over No. 1 West Florida. In doubles, the duo won 7-6 (7-5) over Lander's top duo and then Taco won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles over Merlin Bellet.  Against UWF, in a doubles match of two top ten teams, Taco/Van Wijk, ranked No. 6 nationally, bested No. 4 duo of Diego Duran and Sebastian Rondon 7-6 (7-5) to clinch the doubles point against the Argos.  In singles, Taco, ranked No. 1 nationally, won 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) over No. 6 Miguel Cabrera at the top spot as VSU clinched the match with Taco's win.