E8 Athletes of the Week: Dec. 9
Indoor track and field opened its season over the weekend, giving us six sports in regular season action. Those earning weekly honors included...
Men’s Basketball Player – Utica
Aaron Nevins, Junior, Guard – Buffalo, NY/Canisius
Junior point guard Aaron Nevins netted a career-high 32 points as the Utica College men's basketball team topped visiting SUNY Canton 103-86 in its home opener on the hardwood at the Clark Athletic Center on Wednesday evening. He also added seven rebounds, five assists and two steals as the Pioneers scored over 100 points in regulation for the first time since November 17, 2006.
Men’s Basketball Rookie – St. John Fisher
Keegan Ryan, Freshman, Forward – Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown
Keegan Ryan was named to the All-Classic Second Team after helping the St. John Fisher College men's basketball team to third place finish in the 48th annual Wendy's College Classic this past week. The freshman forward notched 16 points and seven rebounds in an opening round win over Geneseo before dropping 13 points and eight boards in a semifinal lose to the College of Brockport. In the consolation game, Ryan missed a double-double by a single point, tallying nine points and 10 rebounds.
Women’s Basketball Player – Elmira
Jessica Zoltowski, Senior, Guard – Erie, PA/Harbor Creek
Jessica Zoltowski led the Soaring Eagles to a pair of non-conference wins over Sage College and Clarkson University. Over two games, she averaged 26.5 points and eight rebounds while making six steals and one block. She recorded 20-plus points in both wins, marking the 13th consecutive game she has recorded double-digits. Her 25 points in Sunday's 59-53 win over Clarkson vaulted Zoltowski into second place in career points (1,212) in Elmira College history, becoming just the third player in program history to record over 1,200 points.
Women’s Basketball Rookie – Utica
Kelsey Cowell, Freshman, Forward – Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen
Freshman Kelsey Cowell averaged 13. 0 points and 13.5 rebounds as the Pioneers went 2-0 on the road last week. In her first career start, Cowell did not disappoint, securing her first collegiate double-double by netting a career-high 17 points, as well as 12 rebounds, in the Pioneers’ 68-49 road victory at MCLA. She came right back on Thursday night and ripped down a career-high 15 rebounds, netted nine points, added three steals and two assists in the Pioneers victory over SUNYIT. She currently ranks fifth in the Empire 8 with an average of 9.0 rebounds per game.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Stevens
Ravi Sun, Sophomore – Arkaldelphia, AK/Arkadelphia
Sophomore Ravi Sun was named the Swimmer of the Meet after leading the seventh-ranked Stevens men's swimming team to the title at the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships in the Bronx this past weekend. On Friday, Sun helped the 200-medley relay place second with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:32.11. He opened Saturday with a win in the 200-yard backstroke, clocking a B-cut with a 1:50.93. Later in the day, the sophomore took first in the 100-yard backstroke with a B-cut of 51.08, and did the same in the 400-yard individual medley, clocking a 4:04.48 which was good for another B-cut. The 400-medley relay team, led by Sun notched a B-cut with a 3:30.53, setting a new meet record in the win, and the Arkansas native capped his excellent performance with a B-cut 1:53.23 in taking second in the 200-yard IM. The second-year swimmer earned 124 individual points at the meet and tallied four NCAA B-cuts.
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Stevens
Brittany Geyer, Junior – North Brunswick, OH/North Brunswick
Junior Brittany Geyer was named the Swimmer of the Meet after leading the Stevens women's swimming team to a second place finish at the ECAC Championships this past weekend. Geyer totaled 128 individual points for Stevens winning every individual event she swam and pocketing three NCAA B-cuts. On Sunday, Geyer helped the 400-medley relay to a win with a 3:54.39, and then set a new meet mark in winning the 200-IM (2:08.17). Geyer took first in the 200-yard breaststroke by more than nine seconds, clocking an NCAA B-cut time of 2:17.47. Later in the Saturday action, Geyer won the 100-yard breaststroke with a B-cut time of 1:05.42, and picked up her third win of the day with a B-cut win in the 400-yard IM (4:37.45). In the first day of action, Geyer assisted the 200-medley relay to a second place finish with a time of 1:47.93. She also was a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay that took third with a 7:50.39.
Men’s Indoor Track Athlete – Ithaca
Rashaad Barrett, Junior – Bohemia, NY/Connetquot
Rashaad Barrett opened the indoor season with record-setting performance in the 60-meter dash. Barrett clocked a 6.95 in the finals of the Cornell Relays to meet the ECAC qualifier and rewrite the school record of 7.04 from Dec. 2010.
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete – Utica
Rayshawn Scott, Freshman – May Landing, NJ/Beuna Regional
Freshman Rayshawn Scott, of the Utica College men's track and field team, tied for first place in the high jump Saturday with a leap of 1.98 meters at the Early Season Invite hosted by the College of Brockport. Scott tied the SERC facility record.
Women’s Indoor Track Athlete – Utica
Anastasia Bowden, Senior –Monticello, NY/Monticello
Senior Anastasia Bowden, of the Utica College women's track and field teams, broke a school-record Saturday at the Early Season Invite at the College of with a time of 42.91 in the 300-meter dash.
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete – Stevens
Gladys Njoku, Sophomore – Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove
Sophomore Gladys Njoku finished first overall in the high jump with a school record and ECAC-qualifying mark of 1.70 meters at the Monmouth University Invitational on Saturday.