Athletes of the Week: May 2-May 8, 2016
Those earning weekly honors for the week of May 2-May 8, 2016 include...
Men’s Lacrosse Player – Ithaca
Scott Sidnam, Senior, GK, Camillus, NY/ West Genesee
Ithaca senior goalie Scott Sidnam was named the Empire 8 Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career after stopping 20 shots and posting a 7.0 goals against average over the course of two conference tournament victories. He has helped guide the Bombers to a No. 1 national ranking and a program-best 18-1 overall record which included their second Empire 8 Conference Championship in his four year career. He has started in all 19 games for the Bombers this season and holds a 6.35 goals against average to go along with a .624 save percentage and 161 saves.
Women’s Lacrosse Player – St. John Fisher
Hayley Peets, Junior, GK, Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Sutherland
Junior netminder Haley Peets helped the Cardinals secure their fifth consecutive Empire 8 title and an automatic bid into the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championships. Peets turned away eight shots in the title game on Sunday afternoon, including a free position save in the first 40 seconds of the overtime period. The junior netminder also made eight saves in the E8 semifinal against Nazareth, giving Peets 16 on the weekend. As a result of her stellar play, Peets was named the Empire 8 Tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Baseball Player – Ithaca
Trevor Thompson, Junior, SS, Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp.
Junior Trevor Thompson led Ithaca to a 4-0 week with a .467 average. He went 7-for-15 with 3 home runs, two doubles, eight RBI’s, and six runs scored. Against St. John Fisher, he went 3-for-5 with a home run, double and three RBI’s and three runs.
Baseball Pitcher – Elmira
Nick Sampogna, Sophomore, Pitcher, Verplanck, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson
Sampogna earned two wins this week, including carrying a no hitter into the fifth inning against Pitt-Bradford. He struck out seven and allowed three hits in seven innings. Against SUNY-Canton, he threw a complete game, allowing two unearned runs while striking out nine.
Softball Player – Alfred
Kelly Robichaud, Senior, Catcher – Vernon, CT/East Catholic
Senior Kelly Robichaud of the nationally-ranked Ithaca College softball team helped Ithaca win the Empire 8 Championship over the weekend to earn the Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. Robichaud, who hit .300 in the four tournament games, was named the Most Valuable Player. She went 3-for-10 with four RBI and two home runs. Ithaca defeated St. John Fisher 3-2 in a winner-take-all game 7 on Sunday.
Softball Pitcher – Ithaca
Allison Macari, Senior –Stamford, Conn./Westhill
Senior pitcher Allison Macari pitched 18.1 innings over four games (2-0) and racked up a 1.47 ERA to help Ithaca win the Empire 8 Championship over the weekend. She surrendered just a 11 hits and three earned ones of the four-game span.
Men’s Tennis Player– Stevens
Ben Foran, Senior – Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay
Senior Ben Foran went 3-0 in matches against Nazareth and Ithaca to help lead the Ducks to their seventh straight Empire 8 Conference title. Foran began the championship weekend with a 6-2, 6-0 straight-sets win over his counterpart from Nazareth, which helped Stevens secure a spot in Sunday’s championship match. In the title match against the Bombers, Foran was a double winner, picking up victories at first doubles (8-3) and fourth singles (6-2, 6-0). Foran won 32-of-39 games played over the weekend and was named the championship’s Most Valuable Player.
Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete – Nazareth
Tom Sippie, Senior – Toms River, NJ/Toms River South
Sippie was part of three school records on the track as he won both the 200- and 400-meter dashes and anchored the winning 4 x 400-meter relay a t the New York State Collegiate Track Conference championships at Rensselaer. . He was named the Meet's Outstanding Track Athlete. He was clocked in 21.712 in the 200 to edge out runner-up Jeffrey Hrebenach of UR by a fraction of a second – that ranks him 35
th in the nation. He won the 400 in :48.02 seconds which places him 17
th among national leaders. Sippie posted a 400 time of :47.51 on the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 as the team finished first with a school-record time of 3:18.84. Sophomore
Nick LaBarbera, freshman
Michael-Jordan Morris and junior
Matt Battaglia also ran in that event.
Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete – Utica
Keanu Heedram, Freshman -- Rochester, NY/Rush Henrietta
Heedram took home NYSCTC Rookie of the Year honors after he posted a personal best in the shot put and placed first with a toss of 15.68 meters. Heedram added a second place finish in the men's discus throw with a toss of 46.28 meters to earn 18 total team points for the Pioneers.
Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete – Ithaca
Denise Ibarra, Sophomore – Wassaic, NY/Webutuck
Sophomore Denise Ibarra was a runner-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 11:02.59 at the NYSCTC Championships this past weekend. Ibarra was also sixth in the 5K at 18.21.27 to help Ithaca claim its eighth straight NYSCTC title.
Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete – Ithaca
Katherine Pitman, Junior – Swampscott, MA/Swampscott
Junior Katherine Pitman won the pole vault on Friday’s portion of the NYSCTC Championships with a mark of 4.18 meters (13 feet, 8.5 inches), and in the process, set a new school and championship record. Pitman broke her own championship performance of 3.72 meters, as well as her school mark of 4.10 meters. She currently ranks first in all of Division III with Friday's performance. Pitman was also named NYSCTC Field Athlete of the Meet on Saturday.