Empire 8 Athletes of The Week: May 6, 2013
Baseball Player of the Week – St. John Fisher
Mike Roman, Freshman, INF – Rochester, NY/Spencerport
Mike Roman batted 9-for-11 (.819%) in a 4-0 week for St. John Fisher. He recorded at least two hits in each game, extending his hit streak to five games and marking the 13th time this season he has recorded multiple hits. In the opener against RIT on Wednesday, Roman was 2-for-3 with an RBI single and he finished with two hits and RBI in the second game. Roman added two hits and a run in the 10-0 win against Utica on Sunday and drove in three runs and was 3-for-3 at the plate in the second game of the doubleheader against the Pioneers. He completed the four game week with three runs scored, and six RBI.
Baseball Pitcher of the Week – St. John Fisher
Justin D’Amato, Junior – Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy
In a 4-0 week for the Cardinals, Justin D’Amato earned the start and win in Fisher’s first game of a Sunday doubleheader with Empire 8 Conference member Utica College. The junior threw six innings of one-hit baseball, striking out nine Pioneers while shutting out Utica. Aidan Wiese closed out the final inning for the Cardinals to secure the 10-0 victory. With the win, D’Amato is now 6-2 on the season, adding to his career mark, which leads Fisher and is now at 26 victories. The Canandaigua native also holds the Fisher record for strikeouts in a career, which is now at 243 Ks after 63 thus far this season.
Softball Pitcher of the Week – St. John Fisher
Sarah Stefanon, Senior - Perry, NY/Perry
Sarah Stefanon was named the Empire 8 Softball Championship's Most Valuable Player as she led the Cardinal’s to their fourth E8 title in the last six seasons. The senior pitched all four games on the weekend, throwing 33 innings for an ERA of 1.70 and 29 strikeouts. Stefanon only allowed eight runs on the weekend, with six coming in the lone loss to Utica.
Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week – Nazareth
Luke Wooters, Freshman, Attack – White Plains, NY/Iona Prep
Wooters helped the Golden Flyers win the Empire 8 Conference title for the eighth time and reach the NCAA Tournament for the 20th time with wins over Utica and Ithaca. Wooters scored three goals and added three assists in a 15-7 win over Utica and then erupted for seven goals and one assist in a 12-10 triumph over Ithaca. He was named tournament MVP and also broke Nazareth's single-season record for goals with 59 heading into Wednesday's game against Castleton State.
Women’s Lacrosse Player of the Week – St. John Fisher
Melissa Leonhard, Senior, Midfield – Penfield, NY/Penfield
Senior Melissa Leonhard was named the E8 Women’s Lacrosse Tournament’s Most Valuable player as she lead St. John Fisher to its second straight Empire 8 crown. She finished with seven goals in two games and set the Fisher record for goals in a career in the semifinals. Leonhard now has 192 goals in just three seasons as she transferred from Mercyhurst after the 2010 year. In the 12-9 semifinal win against the Golden Flyers, the senior finished with five goals, three groundballs and two draw controls. In Sunday’s championship game with nationally ranked Ithaca, Leonhard filled the stat sheet again with two goals, four groundballs and five draw controls.
Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week – Nazareth
Jake Lafaver, Junior – Syracuse, NY/West Genesee
Junior Jake Lafaver won the 800-meter run the second day of competition at the New York State Collegiate Track Conference championships at St. Lawrence University's Merrick-Pinkard Track. Lafaver clocked an personal outdoor best in an ECAC-qualifying time of 1:54.39 to top the field of 27 runners.
Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week – Ithaca
Alec Svoboda, Senior – Bayport, NY/Bayport-Blue Point
Alec Svoboda snapped the 6,000-point threshold in the decathlon to win the event at the NYSCTC multi championships. On the first day he clocked an 11.94 finish in the 100-meter dash to open competition before jumping 6.28 meters in the long jump, throwing 11.34 meters in the shot put, clearing 1.81 meters in the high jump and closing out the day with a 53.90 finish in the 400 dash. Svoboda improved two spots after sitting third at the conclusion of five events on the first day. He finished the 110-meter high hurdles in 17.34, threw 31.30 meters in the discus, cleared 3.95 meters in the pole vault, tossed 43.45 meters in the javelin and finished the 1,500-meter run in 4:39.79.
Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week – Ithaca
Jenn Randall, Senior – Cincinnatus, NY/Cincinnatus
Jenn Randall won the three events in which she competed Friday and Saturday at the NYSCTC Outdoor Championships helping Ithaca to its fifth straight outdoor title. Randall, who met three ECAC qualifiers, was named NYSCTC Outstanding Women's Track Performer of the Meet. Saturday, Randall won the 1,500-meter run in a school- and championship-record time of 4:29.52. She snapped Kate Leuger's record of 4:30.97 that stood since May 28, 2011. Randall also won the 800 in 2:13.91. On Friday, Randall anchored the Bombers' 4x800 relay team that smoked the competition by more than seven seconds to win the race in an ECAC-qualifying 9:26.51.
Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week – Ithaca
Amanda Rissmeyer, Senior – Millington, NJ/Watchung
Amanda Rissmeyer competed in five events at the NYSCTC Outdoor Championships and tallied 31 points to help the Bombers to their fifth consecutive outdoor title. She won the high jump with a facility record of 1.70 meters, placed second in the long jump with a 5.29-meter mark, was fourth in the javelin and 100-meter hurdles with finishes of 36.05 meters and 11.47 and sixth in the shot put with a heave of 11.02 meters. Rissmeyer hit four ECAC qualifiers.
Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week – Stevens
Matthew Heinrich, Freshman – Hendersonville, TN/Hendersonville
Matthew Heinrich was named the Empire 8 Most Valuable Player of the Conference Championship, winning all four of his matches between first doubles and singles, including perfect 6-0, 6-0 sweeps in both singles matches. Stevens won its unprecedented fourth straight Empire 8 Championship and earned an automatic NCAA Tournament bid with a 5-0 sweep over St. John Fisher in the semifinals and a 5-2 victory over Ithaca College in the finals.