Athletes of the Week: Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2017
The calendar has turned to February, which means spring sports will join in the action soon. But those in winter sports continue to perform at a high level. Those earning weekly awards for the week of January 30 - February 5, 2017 include...
Men’s Basketball Player – Stevens
Evan Klimchak, Senior, Guard – Readington, NJ/Hunterdon Central
Senior Evan Klimchak averaged 24 points per game on 59 percent (26-44) shooting from the field to lead the Ducks to three double-digit Empire 8 wins over Hartwick, Elmira and Ithaca. Klimchak also shot 52 percent (9-17) from three and 100 percent (11-11) from the line, in addition to 7 assists and seven rebounds. Klimchak has scored at least 20 in six of Stevens' last seven games.
Men’s Basketball Rookie – Ithaca
Riley Thompson, Freshman, Guard – Newtown, PA/Council Rock North
Freshman Riley Thompson had a career week for Ithaca, as he totaled 56 points (18.7 ppg) on 15-of-31 shooting in three games. Thompson also went 10-for-21 from 3-point range and 16-for-21 at the line. He posted back-to-back career-highs with 21 points against Alfred on Feb. 3 and then netted 27 points the following afternoon against Stevens.
Women’s Basketball Player – Stevens
Megan Brown, Junior, Forward – Laurel, MD/Laurel
Megan Brown did a little bit of everything last week as the Ducks went 2-1 to move into a three-way tie for first place in the E8 standings. Over three games, Brown averaged 15.67 points,, 11.67 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. She shot 65% (17-for-26) from the field and also added three steals and three blocks on the week. Brown started the week with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Hartwick and then finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds and four assists against Elmira. She capped off her week with 16 points and nine rebounds against Ithaca.
Women’s Basketball Rookie – Alfred
Jamie Wilcox, Freshman, Guard – Forestville, NY/Pine Valley
First year Jamie Wilcox set a new collegiate personal best with 26 points on Saturday at home against Hartwick. She shot 52.9% from the floor (9-of-17), including 54.5% from beyond the arc (6-of-11) and a perfect 2-for-2 from the freee throw line. Her 3-pointers are a career best in terms of shots made, shots attempted and the shooting percentage. She also set her personal best in free throws made and attempted against Ithaca on Friday, making 8-of-10 as she added two points from the floor for 10 total and a weekly average of 18.0 points per game. Wilcox tied her career high in assists with six against Ithaca.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Utica
Chris Halsey, Senior – Mexico, NY/Mexico Academy
Senior Chris Halsey broke a 19 year old school record in the 800 meter freestyle by almost a full ten seconds. Halsey finished with a time of 9:16.49 to best the old record of 9:26.08 set back in 1998.
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Utica
Krysta Rehrig, Junior – Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen
Krysta Rehrig took second place in the 100 breaststroke and was part of a winning relay in a meet against Clarkson University. The 200 meter freestyle relay finished with a time of 2:14.64 and Rehrig posted a time of 1:28.00 in the 100 meter breaststroke.
Men’s Indoor Track Athlete – Ithaca
Sean Phillips, Senior – East Aurora, NY/East Aurora
Senior Sean Phillips topped the field in the mile as he clocked a time of 4:15.96, which was seven seconds faster than the runner-up and set a new school record by exactly one second at the Bomber Invitational & Multi on Saturday. Phillips ranks 13th in the country with that time.
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete – Alfred
Seth Spicer, Junior – Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post
Junior Seth Spicer earned a #5 national ranking in the men’s heptathlon after the Ithaca College Bombers Invitational on Saturday and Sunday as he broke the 14-year old school record with 4,787 points. The only fellow NCAA Division III athlete that he lost to at Ithaca was SUNY Cortland’s Jack Flood who is ranked #1 in the country and who had 5,155 points. Spicer’s school record came from his five personal records out of the seven-event schedule. His PR’s came in the long jump (6.44 meters), shot put (12.68 meters), high jump (1.77 meters), pole vault (3.80 meters) and the 1,000-meter run (2:45.74).
Women’s Indoor Track Athlete – Ithaca
Brianna Hayes, Junior – Parishville, NY/Parisyhville-Hopkinton
Junior Brianna Hayes finished third out of 24 competitors with 2989 points in the pentathlon at the Bomber Invitational & Multi on Sunday. Hayes notched 715 points in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:28.22, which was five seconds faster than any other entry. Her next best performance came in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 10.44 seconds to tally 632 points.
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete – Ithaca
Katherine Pitman, Senior – Swampscott, MA/Swampscott
Senior Katherine Pitman broke the NCAA Division III pole vault record with a mark of 4.22 meters (13 feet, 10 inches) on her first run at the Bomber Invitational & Multi on Saturday. She surpassed the previous top performance by .01 meters, which was set by Michelle Favre from Ramapo College in 2013 at the ECAC Championships.