Athletes of the Week: March 21-27, 2016
Men's golf and outdoor track and field have held their first events of the spring season, bringing the Empire 8 up to a full slate of spring sports in action. Those earning weekly honors for the week of March 21-27, 2016 include...
Men’s Lacrosse Player – St. John Fisher
Kevin O’Donnell, Senior, Midfield – Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili
Kevin O’Donnell won 29 of 47 draws in a pair of games last week for a .617 faceoff winning percentage. O'Donnell kept Fisher in the Geneseo game as he went a perfect 8-for-8 in faceoff possessions in the third quarter and finished 16-of-27 (.593). He also tallied 10 ground balls. In the Hartwick game, he went 13-for-20 (.650) in faceoffs, collecting nine ground balls.
Men’s Lacrosse Goalie – Ithaca
Scott Sidnam, Senior – Camillus, NY/West Genesee
Senior Scott Sidnam earned two wins in net, posting a .750 save percentage as the Ithaca College men's lacrosse team extended its winning streak to five. Traveling to Oneonta Wednesday, Sidnam finished with four saves and allowed four goals in 51 minutes of action of an 17-4 victory. Hosting Utica College Saturday in the Empire 8 opener, Sidnam tied a season-high with 11 saves and allowed only one goal in 45 minutes in net as the Bombers earned an 18-4 win over the Pioneers.
Women’s Lacrosse Player – Ithaca
Riley Marion, Senior, Midfield – Dartmouth, MA/Dartmouth
Senior Riley Marion accounted for 14 points in a pair of victories as the Ithaca College women's lacrosse team ran its winning streak to four thanks to a pair of Empire 8 wins. Ithaca (5-2, 2-0 E8) knocked off Elmira College 22-1 Wednesday in the Empire 8 conference opener thanks to a career game from Marion. Marion, a midfielder, scored a career-high eight points with a career-high seven goals in the win, Ithaca's 10th straight vs. Elmira. Marion scored six of her goals in the first 14:45 of the game. Traveling to Stevens on Saturday, Marion scored six points on five goals with one assist and also won three draw controls in a thrilling, 14-13 win. Marion is tied for second in the Empire 8 in goals (24) and is fifth in points (28).
Women’s Lacrosse Goalie – Alfred
Shannon Gray, Sophomore – Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili
Shannon Gray finished the week with 40 saves off of 91 shots faced and a save percentage of .548. She made 24 saves in goal against Wilkes University on Tuesday evening on the road which topped her previous career-best of 20. She faced 44 shots in the contest and allowed only 13 goals, making it her largest margin in shots faced to goals allowed in her career and her greatest save percentage of her career with a .649 in goal. Gray also has tied her last season mark with five games in a season with a save percentage of .500 or greater as she added a .571 in the Saxons' 14-3 win over Loras on Wednesday. She added four saves off of nine shots faced in the contest. Finally, Gray tacked on another 12 saves against St. John Fisher College on Friday.
Baseball Player – Stevens
Jayson Yano, Senior, P/IF – Foothill Ranch, CA/El Toro
In six games this week, Jayson Yano went 9-for-22 in leading the Ducks to a 3-3 week. Yano had two hits in three contests, including his first home run of the season against Redlands, stretching his hitting streak to ten games. In three games against SUNY-Canton to open Empire 8 play, Yano batted .500, while also scoring five runs, walking three times and swiping seven bases.
Baseball Pitcher – St. John Fisher
Marc Iseneker, Junior – Sherrill, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill
Marc Iseneker recorded his first no-hitter of his career in a 9-0 win over Elmira on Saturday, striking out 11 batters for 26 at bats.
Softball Player – Utica
Alysa Russell, Senior, SS – Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville
Senior Alysa Russell batted .500 in a 4-0 week for the Pioneers. She had at least one hit in each game as she was 8-for-16 at the plate with two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs.
Softball Pitcher – Nazareth
Rachel Mertens, Junior – Syracuse, NY/Henninger
Rachel Mertens became the third pitcher in program history to pitch a no-hitter, doing so in a five inning win over Morrisville (8-0) in game one on Saturday. She struck out six of 17 batters faced and walked just two in the win. She improves to 4-2 on the season.
Men’s Tennis Player– No Nominations
Men’s Golf Player – Moravian
Kevin Kunkle, Sophomore – Walnutport, PA/Bangor
Kevin Kunkle earned medalist honors at the Dickinson College Invitational Wednesday with a one-over par round of 71 to lead the Moravian College golf team to a second place finish at the Mayapple Golf Links as the Hounds opened the spring portion of their 2015-16 season. Kunkle and Danny Harcourt of Gettysburg both fired rounds of 71 on the par 70 course but Kunkle earned the tiebreaker on a match of cards that went to the second hole handicap.
Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete – Utica
Shane Ruffing, Senior – Rochester, NY/Westborough
Shane Ruffing placed first in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.42 and in the 400m hurdles with a time of 55.67 at the Continental Invitational. He was also a member of the 4x400 meter relay that placed first with a time of 3:26.80.
Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete – Utica
Keanu Heedram, Freshman – Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta
Keanu Heedram placed first in the shot put and the discus throw at the Continental Invitational. He had a throw of 14.43m in the shot put and a throw of 44.46m in the discus.
Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete – Stevens
Gladys Njoku, Senior – Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove
Senior Gladys Njoku turned in two top-five finished at the Monmouth Invitational. In the 100-meter dash, Njoku finished third in 13.11, while placing fifth in the 200-meter with a time of 26.86.
Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete – Ithaca
Katherine Pitman, Junior – Swampscott, MA/Swampscott
Junior Katherine Pitman cleared 3.80 meters to win the pole vault and set a new school record at the Jim Taylor Invitational hosted by Susquehanna University. Pitman broke her own school record and topped the field by .45 meters.