Eastern’s Elite: The top two athletes of the past two weeks

Top: first-year midfielder Taylor VanBrackle has helped the men’s soccer team to their 2-2 start. VanBrackle has played solidly at both ends of the field. He has scored a goal in each of three of the team’s four games so far this season. In high school, VanBrackle was his school’s all-time leading scorer, a two-time Maryland All-State player, and a member of the Casa Mia Boys Soccer Club which won the Maryland State Championship five times.

Bottom: Junior Mandy Kuiken has won three of her four matches playing both singles and doubles tennis already this season. Along with the rest of the team, Kuiken is in her first year of playing tennis at Eastern. She is also a member of the women’s basketball team. Kuiken had impressive wins this past week starting at number one singles, defeating Arcadia’s Corey Mazen in three sets (4-6, 7-6 (2-7) (5-10)) on September 6 and Alvernia’s Cathy Faust (6-7, 7-6, 6-2) on September 9. Photos provided by Dan Mouw.