Athletes of the Week: Nov. 7-13, 2016
Football teams wrapped up the regular season, cross country raced at regionals and swimming and diving teams continued its dual meet competition. Those earning weekly recognition for the week of Nov. 7-13, 2016 include....
Football Offensive Player – Alfred
Tyler Johnson, Senior, QB – East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa
Tyler Johnson threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in Alfred's 38-17 win over St. John Fisher, which clinched the E8's automatic bid to the NCAAs as the Saxons finished the regular season 10-0. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 222 yards and four TDs and ran 17 times for 67 yards and a score. His rushing TD was the 41st of his career, which broke the school record of 40 he shared with Jesse Raynor.
Football Defensive Player – Utica
Nicholas Bruzzese, Senior, DL – Utica, NY/Proctor
Senior defensive lineman Nicholas Bruzzese exploded with 4.5 sacks to help guide the Pioneers to a victory in their Empire 8 Conference regular season finale on Saturday at Hartwick. 4.5 sacks is a new school-record and helped to propel Bruzesse into the top spot in the Empire 8 with 8.0 sacks (7.0 solo) through 10 games. He is also tied for fourth in the Empire 8 in tackles for loss with 11. He led Utica with eight tackles on the day. Bruzzese also moved into fourth on the College's all-time list with 14.0 career sacks.
Football Special Teams Player – Alfred
Maleke Fuentes, Junior, TB/Ret – Olean, NY/Olean
Maleke Fuentes averaged 45.3 yards on four kick returns in Alfred's 38-17 win over St. John Fisher, which clinched the E8's automatic bid to the NCAAs as the Saxons finished the regular season 10-0. His 90-yard return to the Fisher 5-yard line on the second half kickoff led to an AU touchdown, increasing the Saxons' halftime lead from 17-7 to 24-7. Fuentes also had returns of 31, 26 and 34 yards, and caught a 26-yard TD pass to open Alfred's scoring.
Men’s Cross Country Runner – Ithaca
Sean Phillips, Senior – East Aurora, NY/East Aurora
Senior Sean Phillips finished 12th at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship on Saturday with a time of 24:49.7 to help Ithaca to a ninth place team finish. On Sunday, Phillips was selected by the NCAA to compete in the national meet, which is set to take place on Nov. 19 in Louisville, Ky.
Women’s Cross Country Runner – Stevens
Amy Regan, Senior – Green Brook, NJ/ Watchung Hills
Senior Amy Regan took first at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship for the second time in her career. Regan ran personal best 6K race of 20:05.1.8 to finish 19 seconds better than the second place winner in a field that featured 303 runners from 43 different institutions. Regan’s finish helped earn the Duck’s an at-large bid to the National Championship for the first time in program history.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Hartwick
Brendan Quinn, Senior – Raleigh, NC/Heritage
Senior Brendan Quinn had a phenomenal week for Hartwick, winning six races in a 1-1 week for Hawks. In Hartwick’s 191-103 win over local rival Oneonta, Quinn took home first-place finishes in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.41), 200-yard butterfly (2:02.55) and teamed up with Joe Mulvehill, Zane Grunewald and David Mauro for a top finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:20.36). The Raleigh, North Carolina, native was just as impressive in Hartwick’s meet against RPI, as the senior added another three victories to his collection. Quinn was the top finisher in the 200-yard butterfly (1:57.56), 500-yard freestyle (4:48.79), and the 1000-yard freestyle (9:54.02).
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Ithaca
Nickie Griesemer, Senior – West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin
Senior diver Nickie Griesemer helped lead Ithaca to a win over Le Moyne, as the Bombers picked up their sixth consecutive victory of the year. Griesemer was second to none on the boards, as the West Chester, Pennsylvania, native produced a pair of NCAA A cut qualifying scores on the 1- and 3-meter boards. Her 291.80 points on the 3-meter boards was nearly 30 points higher than the event’s second-place finisher, while her 286.30 points on the 1-meter board helped the Bombers secure a lopsided 238-62 victory over the Dolphins.