Indiana University Athletics
Thigpen Named IU Athlete of the Week
10/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 9, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - On a weekly basis, IUHOOSIERS.com will recognize the top performances in Hoosier Athletics by selecting an IU Athlete of the Week. For the week ending on Oct. 8, sophomore Marcus Thigpen earned the honor.
Following a record-setting day at Illinois, Thigpen earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Thigpen is the first Hoosier to claim the honor since punter Drew Hagan captured the award on Oct. 31, 1999.
Thigpen, who leads the nation with 41.8 yards per kickoff return, racked up a school-record 197 return yards on four kickoffs (49.3 average) in the Hoosiers' thrilling 34-32 victory at Illinois on Oct. 7. Indiana gained its first Big Ten road win since a 37-28 triumph over Michigan State on Nov. 10, 2001, snapping a steak of 17 straight defeats.
The Detroit native provided a 98-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter to give the Hoosiers their first lead after falling behind by 18 points in the second quarter. The TD marked his third of the season (first nationally), matching a Big Ten single-season record held by Purdue's Stan Brown (1970) and Michigan State's DeAndra Cobb (2003) and putting him atop the Indiana career touchdown return list. Thigpen's 197-yard effort also ranks sixth on the conference single-game charts.
Thigpen now ranks eighth on the Hoosiers' single-season kick return yardage list with 543 and holds the longest (100-yarder at Ball State) and second-longest (98-yarder at Illinois) kick returns in school history.
Additionally, Thigpen gained a career-high 91 yards on the ground, including the team's longest run from scrimmage this season (44 yards), and 23 receiving yards. His 311 all-purpose yards is the fourth-best single-game effort in Indiana history. Thigpen averages 137.2 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks fourth in the league and 16th nationally.
Thigpen was one of many Hoosiers that turned in impressive performances last week, including Chay Chain (men's soccer), Stacey Van Boxmeer (women's soccer), Alina Valenti (field hockey) and Lauren Ditteon (volleyball).
Chay Cain
So. - Aurora, Ill.
Chain earned his first career weekly Big Ten Player of the Week accolade as the sophomore notched two shutouts between the posts last week. In IU's match with Louisville, the goalie tallied a season-high six saves before adding another four against Northwestern on Saturday. He currently boasts four shutouts in the 2006 campaign and is now the fifth Hoosier to be named Player of the Week this season.
Stacey Van Boxmeer
Jr. - Collingwood, Ont., Canada
Van Boxmeer lowered her goals against average to 0.54 with her fifth and sixth shutouts of the season this week. Van Boxmeer made four saves in a scoreless tie with Penn State on Sunday, including a lunging stop of PSU's Katie Schoepfer in the first overtime. Van Boxmeer's six shutouts are tied for fourth on the single-season list for IU, while her eight career shutouts place her alone in fourth on the Hoosier list.
Alina Valenti
Fr. - Lehighton, Pa.
Became only the third Hoosier in program history to record a hat trick as the Hoosiers defeated Lindenwood, 9-0 on Sunday. Valenti, who made her first start against the Lions, took three shots and scored three goals in the winning effort.
