Senior Emma Dewart was named Empire 8 Women’s Field Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive time as the conference announced the year-end awards for men’s and women’s indoor track and field.
Dewart became a two-time NCAA pentathlon champion with a school-record 3,674 points at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She is a 10-time All-American and the most decorated student-athlete in the program’s history.
Junior Jennifer Randall of Ithaca was chosen as Empire 8 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. She won NYSCTC titles in the mile and 800 meters and qualified for the national championship in the mile.
Lauren DeLude of Utica College earned Empire 8 Women’s Rookie of the Year accolades. She won NYSCTC titles in the 60-meter dash (conference record time) and the 200 meters after capturing Empire 8 titles in both events. Delude placed second in the 200 and seventh in the 60 meters at the ECAC Championships.
Senior Joe Pruckno of Utica was named Empire 8 Men’s Track Athlete of the Year after placing sixth in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. He won the conference title in the event.
Senior Jusan Hamilton of Ithaca garnered Empire 8 Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. He won the conference title in the 325-pound weight throw and placed second in the event at the NYSCTC event with a school-record toss of 16.22 meters. Hamilton then smashed that record with a throw of 17.70 meters at the ECAC Championships.
Freshmen Ira Griffin of Nazareth College and Mason Mann of Ithaca shared Empire 8 Men’s Rookie of the Year honors. Griffin, who set school records in the 55- and 200-meter dashes, won the 55 meters at the Empire 8 championship and ran on the winning 1,600-meter relay. Mann won the 500-meter event at the NYSCTC meet and ran on the Bombers’ Distance Medley Relay team that placed first at the conference and NYSCTC championships.
Jennifer Potter was named Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive year and eighth time overall. Jim Nichols of Ithaca garnered the men’s award for the fifth time in a row and sixth overall.
Empire 8 2012 End of the Year Honors:
Men’s Track Athlete of the Year: Joe Pruckno, Utica College
Men’s Field Athlete of the Year: Jusan Hamilton, Ithaca College
Men’s Co-Rookie of the Year: Ira Griffin, Nazareth College
Men’s Co-Rookie of the Year: Mason Mann, Ithaca College
Men’s Coach of the Year: Jim Nichols, Ithaca College
Women’s Track Athlete of the Year: Jennifer Randall, Ithaca College
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year: Emma Dewart, Ithaca College
Women’s Rookie of the Year: Lauren DeLude, Utica College
Women’s Coach of the Year: Jennifer Potter, Ithaca College