Empire 8 Athletes of The Week: January 28, 2013
Men’s Basketball Player – Elmira
Chris Cassidy, Junior, Forward – Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck
Chris Cassidy averaged a remarkable 17.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per contest in just 31 minutes per game in a 2-1 week for Elmira College. The junior started off the week finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the field in a 73-47 win against Houghton. His biggest performance of the week came on Friday night when he finished with game-highs of 21 points and 17 rebounds in an 88-62 win against Hartwick. The 88 points were the most scored by an EC men's team in the last decade. Cassidy capped off the week with 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the Soaring Eagles loss to Stevens on Saturday.
Men’s Basketball Rookie – Nazareth
Mitch Ford, Forward – Victor, NY/Victor
Mitch Ford scored a career-high 25 points on 9 for 14 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 from the foul line in Tuesday's loss at Utica. In 28 minutes on Friday against Alfred, Ford went 5-for-8 from the field and 2-for-3 at the line to finish with 12 points, four rebounds and one assist. For the week, Klimchak averaged 5.5 rebounds and 18.5 points on 64 percent shooting.
Women’s Basketball Player – St. John Fisher
Camaryn Buckner, Junior, Forward – Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima
In a 3-0 week for the Cardinals, Camaryn Buckner averaged 14.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. On Tuesday night, Buckner scored 15 points and grabbed 10 boards, five of which came on the offensive glass to hold off Alfred, 66-44. In the 60-44 win over Utica Friday night, Buckner tied her career-high, scoring 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting. She also blocked four shots and snagged 10 rebounds, marking her seventh double-double of the season. To close out the week, she contributed five points and eight rebounds points in just 12 minutes of action as the Cardinals defeated Houghton, 64-41.
Women’s Basketball Rookie – Nazareth
Lindsey Kelly, Center – Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks East
Lindsey Kelly averaged 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in a 2-0 week for Nazareth. Kelly spearheaded Nazareth's home win over Alfred on Friday as she combined a game-high 21 points with 15 rebounds. She also had game highs in points (18) and rebounds (8) in Tuesday's one-point win at Utica. Kelly leads the Golden Flyers in scoring (15.4 ppg.) and rebounding (7.6 rpg.) and leads the E8 in field goal percentage (122-for-205, .595).
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Ithaca
Matt Morrison, Sophomore – Simsbury, CT/Simsbury
Matt Morrison took home first-place honors on both boards at the Dick Comanzo Memorial Diving Invitational on Sunday in record-setting fashion. He set school and pool records with his totals in both events. He scored 553.85 on the 3-meter board and 530.30 on 1-meter. Both were also NCAA qualifying marks. On Saturday, Morrison swept the diving events against Alfred with NCAA qualifying scores on each board. He won the 1-meter with a total of 293.10 and the 3-meter with 344.80 points.
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Stevens
Elizabeth Heinbach, Freshman – Cincinnati, OH/Indian Hill
Freshman Elizabeth Heinbach continued an excellent rookie season Sunday, leading Stevens to a thrilling 148-140 win at No. 9 TCNJ. Heinbach won all three of her individual events - the 1,000-yard freestyle, 200-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle with times of 10:48.99, 2:14.81 and 5:15.91.
Men’s Indoor Track Athlete – Utica College
Sylvester Owusu-Afriyie, Seniore – Mt. Vernon, NY/Walton
Senior sprinter Sylvester Owusu-Afriyie broke an Empire 8 record to lead the Utica College men's track and field teams to a third place finish at the 2013 Empire 8 Conference Championships Saturday at the Glazer Arena. Owusu-Afriyie clocked a final time of 7.08 in the 60 meter dash. He also finished third in the 200 meter dash registering a time of 23.54.
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete – St. John Fisher
Eric Riley, Sophomore – Wampsville, NY/Oneida
St. John Fisher sophomore Eric Riley was named as the Most Outstanding Field Athlete of the Meet after winning the long jump and high jump, while placing third in the triple jump. Riley won the high jump for the second straight year and broke the Fisher and Empire 8 record (which he set last year), clearing 2.03 meters. He also won the long jump with a distance of 6.62 meters and was third in the triple jump at 13.07 meters.
Women’s Indoor Track Athlete – Ithaca
Harmony Graves, Sophomore – Ithaca, NY/Ithaca
Sophomore Harmony Graves was named Outstanding Women's Track Athlete of the Meet after setting a meet record in the 60-meter dash with a first-place finish of 7.89 and placing second in the 200 dash with a 26.92 finish. Her 60 sprint time met the ECAC qualifier.
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete – Stevens
Alina Duran, Senior – West New York, NJ/ Memorial
Stevens Institute of Technology senior Alina Duran was named the conference's Field Athlete of the Meet with two first place finishes in the shot put and weight throw. Duran set a facility record in the weight throw with a toss of 17.18 meters to place first overall and then topped the field in the shot put with a mark of 12.04 meters. She blew away the field in the weight throw, besting each competitor by three meters. Duran is now a four time indoor champion in the shot put and a two time champion in the weight throw.