Girardi, Rivera, Heedram, Utica Staff Top E8 Men's Outdoor Track Honors
Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the Track Athlete, Field Athlete, Rookie and Coach of the Year awards for the 2016 men’s outdoor track and field season. The conference coaches vote on the awards.
St. John Fisher College sophomore
Peter Girardi and Nazareth College senior
Luis Rivera have been named the Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year, respectively.
Girardi was the E8 Championship track athlete of the meet after first place results and meet records in the 110 and 400 meter hurdles. He also won both events at the ECAC Championship and served as anchor on third place 4x400 NYSCTC Championship team. The Cicero, N.Y., native capped his season with a second place result at the NCAA DIII National Championship. His time of 50.88 is the seventh fastest time in DIII history.
Rivera finished third at the NCAA Championships in the hammer throw with a toss of 59.29 to set a new school and Empire 8 Conference record. The Rochester, N.Y., native was also the Empire 8 and NYSCTC Champion and finished second at the ECAC Championships. His throw at NCAA’s gave Rivera his third All-America finish in his four-year career (one indoor and two outdoor).
Keanu Heedram of Utica College was the Conference Rookie of the Year after an impressive spring in which he broke the school record in both shot put and discus. The freshman from Rochester, N.Y., ranked No. 38 nationally in the shot put (15.88m) and No. 34 nationally in the discus (47.54m). He set the Empire 8 record in the discus (46.22m) during the conference championship and scored 18 points at both the E8 and NYSCTC Championships. The NYSCTC rookie of the year, he finished seventh in the shot put and eighth in the discus at ECAC.
The
Utica College coaching staff, led by Eric Parker, was the Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the Pioneers to its first-ever Empire 8 outdoor track title. Eight Pioneer athletes were named first team All-E8, while six earned second team honors. Three athletes set E8 meet records during the event. The Pioneers had a program-best fifth place finish at ECACs, had four student-athletes earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors, and had two athletes qualify for the NCAA Division III National Championship. Both of those athletes earned All-America honors.
Sportsman of the Year
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2016 Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
Student-Athlete Institution
Tyler Hancock Nazareth
Stephen Gomez Ithaca
Malik Bullock Houghton
Seth Spicer Alfred
Zach McKeehan Stevens
Peter Girardi St. John Fisher
Andrew Russell Utica