LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- One day after nabbing the North Coast Athletic Conference's (NCAC) Athlete of the Week award for men's lacrosse, Kenyon College's Thomas Nelson was named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's (USILA) Team of the Week.

Nelson helped the Owls open their 2023 campaign with two wins at home on The Field at Benson Bowl last week. The sophomore's season could not have started much better as he was a flawless 24-for-24 in face-off battles in Kenyon's 11-10 season-opening win over Baldwin Wallace University. His performance at midfield tied the NCAA face-off-percentage record at 100 percent (min. 21 face-offs), and his win total, without a loss, slots in as the seventh-best in the history of NCAA Division III.

Nelson followed up that performance with a 19-20 mark on face-offs against Capital University, helping the Owls earn a 16-8 victory. Through two games, the Minneapolis, Minnesota, native has gathered a team-best 34 ground balls while adding two goals and an assist. The face-off specialist has gone 43-44 (97.7%) overall, which leads all players at the DIII level who have attempted more than 10 face-offs this season.

It will be a month before Nelson and the Owls return home to Gambier, but the USILA honoree and his team will have a chance to continue their early-season success over a five-game road trip. Kenyon begins the stretch with a matchup against Otterbein University (0-2) on Wednesday, Mar. 1, at 7 p.m. in Westerville, Ohio.