E8 Athletes of the Week: Feb. 17
The second winter championship is upon us as swimming and diving prepare for four days at Ithaca's Athletics & Events Center Aquatics Pavilion. Basketball is still in regular season play, and track and field continue to produce high performances in hopes of qualifying for ECACs and NCAAs.
Men’s Basketball Player – Nazareth
Brad Ford, Senior, Forward – Victor, NY/Victor
Brad Ford averaged 23 points and eight rebounds as the Golden Flyers split a pair of weekend conference road games. He scored a game-high 26 points in Friday's 67-65 loss at St. John Fisher and then contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 75-49 win at Elmira. He went 15-for-25 (.600) from the field in the two games with four three-pointers and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Men’s Basketball Rookie – St. John Fisher
Keegan Ryan, Freshman, Forward – Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown
Keegan Ryan averaged 9.5 points on 8-of-15 (.533) from the field to go with six rebounds per games as St. John Fisher College earned two crucial conference wins over Nazareth and Alfred last weekend. Ryan notched 10 points and six boards in a 67-65 win over Nazareth before posting nine points and eight rebounds in Fisher's 105-83 win at Alfred on Saturday.
Women’s Basketball Player – St. John Fisher
Mary Kate Cusack, Sophomore, Guard – Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
Mark Kate Cusack averaged 25 points and 4.5 rebounds en route to two conference wins for the St. John Fisher College women's basketball team last weekend. Cusack scored a game and career-high 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting in a 66-57 win over Nazareth College on Friday. The sophomore guard also set a new career-high with eight steals. On Saturday, Cusack scored 19 points to go along with five rebounds and three helpers in Fisher's 71-59 win at Alfred University. She went 19-for-33 (.576) from the field in the two games with five three-pointers and 7-of-10 (.700) from the foul line.
Women’s Basketball Rookie – Utica
Calypso Carty, Freshman, Guard – Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West
Calypso Carty averaged nine points and 8.5 rebounds in two conference games over the weekend. On Friday against Alfred, she netted eight points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists. The following day versus Ithaca she scored ten points and pulled down six rebounds. She went shot 5-of-12 (.417) from the field and 7-of-8 (.875) from the line in three games on the week while tallying seven assists.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Stevens
Alex Chan, Freshman – San Diego, CA/Canyon Crest Academy
Freshman Alex Chen won a pair of events at the Ithaca College Invite Saturday. Chen took first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:00.70 and first in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:13.08. The winning time in the 200 was more than four seconds better than second place. He also helped Stevens to a fourth-place finish in the 200-medley relay (1:41.47).
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – N/A
Men’s Indoor Track Athlete – St. John Fisher
Devin Cornelius, Sophomore – Deansboro, NY/Clinton
Devin Cornelius had an impressive performance last weekend at the Bomber Invite. Cornelius compiled an impressive two-day performance en route to winning the heptathlon. Cornelius beat out the field of 23 competitors with a total score of 4,750 points. On Saturday Cornelius finished first in the shot put at 12.22 meters, and had a pair of second place finishes in the 60-meter dash (7.19) and high jump (1.86 Meters). The sophomore came back on day two to win the final event, the 1000-meter run, in 2:48.25.
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete – Utica
Rayshawn Scott, Freshman – Mays Landing, NJ/Beuna Regional
Freshman Rayshawn Scott, of the Utica College men track and field teams, leaped to two victories Saturday at the Continental Invite hosted by Hamilton College. Scott continued his surge with two convincing wins in the long jump and high jump. The freshman standout leaped 1.93 meters in the high and 6.53 meters in the long.
Women’s Indoor Track Athlete – Nazareth
Hannah Brackley, Junior – Horseheads, NY/Elmira Notre Dame
Hannah Brackley broke her own school record in the 400-meter dash as she won that event Saturday at Ithaca's Bomber Invitational. Her time of :59.53 marked the first time she was run under one minute indoors.
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete – Stevens
Amira Dardir, Junior – Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academy
Junior Amira Dardir set a new school record in the pentathlon at the Ithaca College Multi on Sunday. Dardir placed third overall out of 15 competitors in the pentathlon with a total of 3,070 points. She surpassed her own school standard of 2,890 which was set last season at the ECAC Indoor Championships in March. Dardir finished three points behind the runner-up in the event. She highlighted her performance with a first place finish in the high jump with a mark of 1.69 meters (5 feet, 6.5 inches). She earned 842 points with that showing and ranks her seventh in the NCAA.