The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the
2017 Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference teams as voted on by the conference’s coaches. In addition, the Player of the Year, Goalie of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coaching Staff of the Year have been selected.
Player of the Year: Ally Runyon, Ithaca
Ally Runyon is the sixth Player of the Year honoree in Ithaca’s storied history and first since 2013. Runyon guided the Bombers to an E8 semifinal appearance and has 64 goals and 75 points in 17 games. More than half of her scoring came in conference contests, as she finished with 42 points on 34 goals and eight assists in eight league appearances. She currently leads Ithaca with 46 draw controls and ranks sixth on the team with 28 ground balls.
Goalie of the Year: Kimberly Presuto, Ithaca
Junior Kimberly Presuto has been named the Goalie of the Year for a second consecutive season. Presuto started the season splitting time in cage but moved into the starting position full time. She played in 16 of a possible 17 games, making 12 starts and logging 792.45 minutes between the pipes. To date she has turned away 100 shots for a .483 save percentage.
Rookie of the Year: Kyra Bednarski, Stevens Institute of Technology
In her first collegiate season, Kyra Bednarski started each of Stevens 17 games this season and played a major role in helping the Ducks to the No. 2 seed in the E8 tournament. Bednarski finished the season with 81 points on 51 goals and 30 assists. Her 81 points led the team and ranked fourth in the conference. The rookie registered at least one goal in all 17 games, including a season high six goals on two different occasions. Bednarski also collected 23 ground balls and caused 14 turnovers.
Coaching Staff of the Year: Stevens Institute of Technology
Head Coach Celine Cunningham and her staff at Stevens have been named the 2017 E8 Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Staff of the Year. The Stevens staff guided its team to a 13-5 overall record, marking the third straight winning season. The Ducks finished with a 7-1 league record and made its tenth straight E8 tournament, including an appearance in the conference championship game for the first time since 2011.
In addition to the yearly awards and all-conference teams, one member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2017 Women’s Lacrosse Sportswoman 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 sportswomen.
Player of the Year: Ally Runyon, Ithaca College
Goalkeeper of the Year: Kimberly Presuto, Ithaca College
Rookie of the Year: Kyra Bednarski, Stevens Institute of Technology
Coaching Staff of the Year: Stevens Institute of Technology