Athletes of the Week: Sept. 19-25
E8 league standings continued to take shape over the past week, with several programs still holding perfect league records. Those earning weekly honors for the week of Sept. 19-25 include...
Football Offensive Player – Utica
Ryan Burnett, Senior, RB – Mount Vernon, NY/Arch Bishop Stepinac
Senior running back Ryan Burnett carried the ball 30 times for 144 yards and one touchdown in the Pioneers 24-13 win over nationally-ranked Cortland Saturday on homecoming. Burnett also caught four balls for a team-best 74 yards receiving. Burnett's 30 carries ranks fifth on the College's all-time single game list.
Football Defensive Player – St. John Fisher
DJ Logory, Senior – Rochester, NY/Hilton
DJ Logory was instrumental on defense this weekend against the College at Brockport, helping the Cardinals capture its 12th-straight Courage Bowl while keeping their record a perfect 4-0 (2-0 Empire 8) as well. The senior captain was all over the field on Saturday as his 23 tackles tied the College’s single-game record set in 1993. Logory finished with four solo tackles including one for a five-yard loss. He also registered a team-high two pass break ups.
Football Special Teams Player – Utica
Desmond Akpanoko, Freshman, Kicker – Roosevelt, NY/Roosevelt
Freshman kicker Desmond Akpanoko made four field goals on the day, marking the second most field goals made in a single game in program-history, as the Pioneers topped Cortland 24-13. He made field goals of 28, 24, 20, and 31. His 31-yarder with 3:10 to go in the fourth quarter put the Pioneers up by two scores and essentially sealed the victory. Akpanoko's 12 points tied for the second most points scored by kicking in program-history.
Field Hockey Offensive Player – St. John Fisher
Emily Markarian , Midfield – Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park
Emily Markarian tallied five goals and two assists in a 3-0 week for the Cardinals, as St. John Fisher stretched its win streak to a college-record five games. She scored the game-winning goal on Tuesday in a 4-0 win at Nazareth. On Friday, she recorded two goals and two assists in a 9-1 win over Elmira and then added an insurance-goal on Sunday in a 2-0 win at St. Lawrence.
Field Hockey Defensive Player – W&J
Karlie Baran, Junior, Goalie – Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty
Karlie Baran posted back-to-back shutouts last week, extending her scoreless streak to 161:37 as W&J improved to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in E8 play. Baran made three saves against Juniata and stopped two shots against Hartwick.
Men’s Cross Country Runner – Nazareth
Nicasio Gristina, Freshman – Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon
Freshman Nicasio Gristina was Nazareth’s top finisher at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College. Gristina posted a time of 27:14.2 over the 8K course, good for 36th overall out of 213 runners.
Women’s Cross Country Runner – Ithaca
Denise Ibarra, Junior – Wassaic, NY/Webutuck
Junior Denise Ibarra paced the Bombers in eighth overall with a time of 22:31.7 on the 6K course that included 278 runners at the Williams College Purple Valley Classic on Saturday in Williamstown, Mass.
Men’s Golf Athlete – Elmira
Charl Pretorius, Sophomore – Pretoria, South Africa/Northwood School
Charl Pretorius set a pair of personal records at this past week's Oswego State Fall Invitational. Pretorius carded a career-low 79 with eight pars and one birdie en route to a fifth place finish, a career-high finish. Pretorious' 79 was one of just eight in the 70s out of the field of 41.
Women’s Golf Player – Ithaca
Indiana Jones, Junior – Alton Bay, NH/Prospect Mountain
Indiana Jones picked up the third individual title of her career this past weekend with a pair of excellent rounds at the Martin-Wallace Invitational, hosted by SUNY Cortland at Cortland Country Club. The IC junior posted her best round of the season and second lowest of her career with an even-par 72 to open up a five-stroke advantage. She maintained the edge on Sunday, carding a 78 (+6) to top the overall leader board by five strokes. The 150 (+6) marked a new career 36-hole best.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player – Alfred
Richard Lander, Senior, Midfield – Narrowsburg, NY/Sullivan West
Richard Lander earned his first two game-winning goals of the season with Saxon wins over King’s College and Utica College on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. Tuesday’s goal in overtime against King’s was a low, blast of a shot off of a chip pass from Kade McGarrity and throw in from Sam Craver for the two-assist goal with 2:15 remaining in the extra period. Lander’s Empire 8 game-winner was yet another blast to a corner, but this time off of a direct kick from 20 yards out that was placed top-shelf in the back right corner of the net.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player – Houghton
Jacob Dunnett, Senior, Goalie – Quispamsis, New Brunswick/Kennebacasis
Jacob Dunnett led Houghton to two shutout victories on the week. He played 60:29 minutes in net in the 5-0 win over Pitt-Bradford on Tuesday. On Saturday he made four saves in a 3-0 conference win over Elmira as he saved a penalty kick to preserve a 1-0 lead at the time.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player – Nazareth
Julia Delgatti, Junior, Forward – Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy
Julia Delgatti scored a hat trick in the first 20:18 in a 4-0 win over RIT on Wednesday to help Nazareth to a 1-1 week. In a 2-1 loss to seventh-ranked Stevens, Delgatti put her her only shot of the game on goal.
Women’s’ Soccer Defensive – Houghton
Rachael Fortney, Freshman, Goalie – Mayville, NY/Chautauqua Lake
Rachael Fortney recorded seven saves in a 0-0 tie with the University of Rochester while recording her third shutout on the season.
Women’s Tennis Player – Hartwick
Heidi Rice, Junior – Canandaigua, NY/Marcus Whitman
Heidi Rice spearheaded her team this past week as Hartwick posted three team wins, two of which came against Empire 8 members. In singles play she started the week with a 6-3, 6-0 win at first singles against Bard. In an Empire 8 back-to-back, Rice registered a 6-1, 6-1 mark over Utica’s top representative and a near clean sheet, 6-1, 6-0, over St. John Fisher. Rice and her first doubles partner Rose Natoli, tallied 8-0 sweeps over Bard and Fisher and surrendered only one game against Utica.
Women’s Volleyball Player – Elmira
Alicia Day, Senior, MH – Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape
Alicia Day helped Elmira secure its first conference victory of the year last week, one that came in the form of a 3-1 win over Utica. In the win over the Pioneers, Day produced a single-match career high 13 kills on a 13k-0e-19att stat line. Her .684 attack percentage in the match is also a single-match career best (10 attempts or more). For the week, Day hit .529 on 19k-1e-34att. She produced four blocks, three going down as solos.
Women’s Volleyball Rookie – Stevens
Shelby Stewart, Freshman, MH – Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty
Shelby Stewart patrolled the net in two E8 victories, totaling 12 kills and nine total blocks. Against Nazareth, Stewart slammed home five kills while hitting .636 while also adding a dig and five block assists. She added five more kills and five total blocks (one solo) in a three set victory over Ithaca.