Athletes of the Week: Feb. 6-12, 2017
The Indoor Track and Field Championship is in the books as the swimming and diving championship is nearing with basketball following not too far behind. Those earning weekly honors for the week of Feb. 6-12, 2017 include....
Men’s Basketball Player – Nazareth
Brendan Wind, Sophomore, Guard – Rochester, NY/Greece Athena
Brendan Wind averaged 38.3 points and 7.3 assists as he eclipsed career-high point totals in all three games in a 2-1 week for Nazareth. He scored 29 in a 90-83 win over Houghton last Tuesday, then added 38 points in a 80-71 win over Elmira last Thursday. He topped it off with 48 points in a 103-93 double overtime loss at St. John Fisher on Saturday. For the week, Wind shot 37-for-66 (.561) from the field and 41-for-50 (.820) from the free throw line.
Men’s Basketball Rookie – Ithaca
Riley Thompson, Freshman, Guard – Newtown, PA/Council Rock North
Freshman Riley Thompson averaged 17.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in a pair of wins for Ithaca. Riley started off the week with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting (4-of-6 from 3-point range) and nine rebounds against Elmira. He scored 15 points in the first half, including 14 over the first seven minutes. Thompson scored 14 more points against Hartwick on Saturday on 5-of-11 shooting, four buckets coming from distance.
Women’s Basketball Player – Alfred
Amanda Off, Senior, Forward – New Berlin, NY/Unadilla Valley
Senior Amanda Off hit double-digit scoring in all three games this past week, averaging 21 points per game. She tied her career-high in points with 29 during the Saxons’ senior day win over Utica College. Off also broke her career-best in blocks when she shut down five shots while also earning her fourth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds. She was perfect on the week for free throws, making 10-of-10 including a season-high 6-of-6 on Friday evening against Stevens. Friday’s game also marked a career-high for Off from three-point land, making three 3-pointers as she scored 23 points. She ended the week with a shooting percentage of .522, making 24-of-46 including 12-of-17 (.706) against Utica and 5-of-10 (.500) against St. John Fisher College on Tuesday.
Women’s Basketball Rookie – Nazareth
Rachel Benedict, Freshman, Forward – Brockport, NY/Brockport
Rachel Benedict averaged 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in a 3-0 week for Nazareth. She scored nine points (2-for-5) and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 81-67 win over Houghton on Tuesday. She then had six points (2-for-5) and eight boards in Nazareth's 56-49 win over Elmira. She capped the week with 19 points (7-for-11), including going 3-for-4 from 3-point range in Nazareth's 72-66 win over St. John Fisher. She also grabbed seven rebounds.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – No Nominations
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – No Nominations
Men’s Indoor Track Athlete – St. John Fisher
Peter GIrardi, Junior – Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
Peter GIrardi earned the Male Track Athlete of the meet honors on Saturday after winning and breaking the meet and facility record in both the 60-meter hurdles and the 400-meter dash. Girardi tied his personal record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.15 in the preliminary round, which is currently the fastest time of any competitor in Division III this season. The senior would finish first in the finals with a time of 8.26. Girardi recorded the best time in the nation in the 400-meter dash, crossing finish in 48.84. Girardi would also claim the runner up spot in the 200-meter dash, clocking in at 22.51. He was part of the 4X400-meter relay team that sealed the runner up spot in the event, less than one second behind the medalists with a time of 3:25.02.
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete – St. John Fisher
Mark VanMarter, Junior – Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Mark VanMarter was selected as the field athlete of the meet in the Empire 8 Championships this weekend for the third year in a row after first place finishes in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump. He set a personal record in the triple jump with a distance of 13.93 meters, finished the long jump at 6.91 meters, and posted 1.93 meters in the high jump.
Women’s Indoor Track Athlete – Stevens
Gina Dello Russo, Freshman – Whippany Park, NJ/Whippany Park
Freshman Gina Dello Russo was named the Women's Track Athlete of the Meet at the Empire 8 championships after first-place finishes in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. Dello Russo broke the Stevens record and the facility record in both events. Her time of 26.03 ranks 29th in Division III this season, while her time in the 400 (57.81) is the 13 fastest time this season.
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete – Ithaca
Katherine Pitman, Senior – Swampscott, MA/Swampscott
Senior Katherine Pitman highlighted the E8 championship, as she was named Field Athlete of the Meet, after another record-breaking performance in the pole vault. Pitman, who just last week set the NCAA Division III record in the event, surpassed that mark on Saturday with a cleared height of 4.25 meters. She now holds the second highest mark, indoor or outdoor, in Division III history, as 4.27 meters is the all-time record.