GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The first moment in our countdown comes from not one, but two athletic venues.

Wrestler Kevin Poplaski '13 and track & field athlete Alexandra Van Tuyl '12 turned in outstanding performances this season that culminated in individual Centennial Conference (CC) titles.

Poplaski claimed the heavyweight title at the Centennial Conference Championships inside Bream Gym on Feb. 25. After cruising to a 4-0 win in his semifinal match, the junior was matched up with the only returning placewinner in the weight class, Ursinus College's Bill Cornely.

Despite giving up nine inches in height, Poplaski put the first point on the board with a second-round escape, but Cornely would surge to a 3-2 lead with an escape to start the final period. The Bullet heavyweight would tack on two takedowns in the last stanza, with the last coming with less than a minute to go and helping secure a 6-5 victory.

Poplaski was Gettysburg's first heavyweight champion in six years and he set a school record for wins at the weight class with 31 on the year. His victory earned him a spot in the NCAA Division III Championships, which were held in La Crosse, Wis. March 9-10. 

Van Tuyl polished off her third conference title in the heptathlon May 4-5. The senior was dominant, winning the event by 136 points and breaking the school record with 4,080 total points. She set personal records in both the 100-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash en route to becoming just the third three-time champion in the heptathlon in CC history. In addition to her hep title, she earned a bronze medal in the open long jump.

To cap the conference meet, Van Tuyl was named the Centennial Conference Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Meet, becoming just the second Bullet to land the honor.