Athletes of the Week: Jan. 9-15, 2017
Swimming and diving and indoor track and field rejoined men's and women's basketball as the Empire 8 winter campaigns returned to full strength. Those earning weekly honors for the week of Jan. 9-15, 2017 include....
Men’s Basketball Player – Utica
Ivan Iton, Junior – Forward – Ossining, NY/Ossining
Ivan Iton averaged 18 points (22-for-39) 10.7 rebounds, and four blocks in three conference games. In a 62-61 win against Alfred, he reached a career-high seven blocks to go along with his double-double of 17 points and 15 rebounds. He set a new career-high of 30 points on 12-of-17 from the field in the 82-72 loss to Nazareth on Thursday. In the 57-55 win against Elmira on Saturday Iton finished with seven points, eight boards and three blocks.
Men’s Basketball Rookie – Nazareth
Cody Green, Freshman, Guard, Fulton, NY/ G. Ray Bodley
Cody Green averaged 16 points (10-for-22) and five rebounds in a 2-0 week for Nazareth. He drained 4-of-9 three-pointers for 12 points in an 82-72 win over Utica on Thursday. Green notched a career-high 20 points against Ithaca on Saturday, including going 5-of-10 from 3-point range. He also had a career-high eight rebounds.
Women’s Basketball Player – Utica
Ashelyne Babb, Junior, Guard – Lynn, MA/Winthrop
After going 0-2 to commence league action, Utica went 3-0 last week for a 3-2 clip in conference. In large part of Ashelyne Babb, the Pioneers knocked of Alfred, Nazareth and Elmira. The junior averaged 18 points, six rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.7 steals over the three games. She recorded a season-high of 25 points and a career-high of seven steals in the win over Alfred University on Tuesday. Two days later, Babb and the Pioneers handed Nazareth its first conference loss of the season. Babb finished with nine points and six boards. She wrapped up with the week with 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists against Elmira.
Women’s Basketball Rookie – Stevens
Zoe Hahn, Freshman, Guard – Mickelton, NJ/Kingsway
Zoe Hahn averaged 8.33 points and four rebounds in a 2-1 week for the Ducks. The freshman guard was instrumental as Stevens picked up a pair of conference victories over Houghton and Alfred, totaling 23 points, nine rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists in the victories. She came off the bench to spark a second-quarter run as Stevens broke open a close game to defeat Houghton, scoring a career-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including three three-pointers.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Ithaca
Adam Zelehowsky, Senior – Auburn, NY/Auburn
Highlighting the action for the Bombers at Saturday’s Henry Kumpf Invitational was senior Adam Zelehowsky, who took home first place in both the 200- and 100-yard freestyle events to earn 40 points for the squad. He posted a time of 1:45.31 in the 200, while he paced the field with a 47.13 in the 100. The senior also was a part of the 400-yard freestyle relay team that took first place with a time of 3:35.22. IC went 3-1 in the duals on the day to improve to 8-3 on the year.
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Hartwick
Channing Lewis, Freshman – Canton, OH/Canton McKinley
Hartwick's women’s swimming and diving team topped Alfred on the road this past weekend with the support of Channing Lewis who grabbed three top place finishes. She took first in the 1000-yard freestyle racing in 11:22.80. The freshman picked up another top accolade in the 200-yard freestyle swimming in 2:06.51. The Canton, OH product earned a time of 5:35.35 in the 500-yard freestyle for top finish.
Men’s Indoor Track Athlete – St. John Fisher
Peter Girardi, Junior – Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
Girardi opened up his 2017 indoor track season with a couple impressive performances a the Utica Invite over the weekend. The junior placed first in the 400m race with a time 50.12, setting a new facility record and qualifying him for the ECACs. In the 200m dash, Girardi was the runner up, setting a personal record of 22.64. Finally, the Cicero, N.Y. native teamed up with three of his teammates to take first in the 4x200m relay, clocking in at 1:32.62 (ECAC qualifier).
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete – Utica
Clarence Skipper, Freshman – Albany, NY/Guilderland
Freshman Clarence Skipper took home a third place finish in the long jump as he posted a season-best distance of 6.41 meters at the Pioneer Invitational at the Todd & Jen Hutton Sports & Recreation Center on Saturday. He also won the men's triple jump with a distance of 13.94 meters. Skipper’s mark in the triple jump has him tied for fourteenth in the nation.
Women’s Indoor Track Athlete – Stevens
Gina Dello Russo, Freshman – Whippany Park, NJ/Whippany Park
Gina Dello Russo set a new Stevens record in the 200-meter dash at the Utica Invitational, winning the race in 26.58 seconds to break the previous record of 27.31 seconds, set by Gladys Njoku in Feb. 2015. The freshman also won the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.65.
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete – Ithaca
Katherine Pitman, Senior – Swampscott, MA/Swampscott
Senior Katherine Pitman tied her own school record of 4.15 meters (13 feet, 7.25 inches) in the pole vault to best the field by two-feet, six-inches at the Ramapo Season Opener.