Athletes of the Week: Sept. 11-17, 2017
Football Offensive Player – Alfred University
Jayden Gavidia, Junior, WR – Homer, NY/Homer
Jayden Gavidia caught a school-record 13 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown in Alfred's 24-17 win over Utica. The 13 receptions broke the previous school mark of 11 (set four times before, most recently by Trevor Bork against Ithaca in 2008). The 207 yards receiving were just one yard off the AU single-game record, set by Bork in the same game against Ithaca in 2008.
Football Defensive Player – The College at Brockport
Matt Szymanski, Senior, LB – Lancaster, NY/Lancaster
Matt Szymanski has been the anchor of a defense that's allowing just nine points-per-game through the first three weeks of the season. On Saturday against St. John Fisher, the defensive unit held the Cardinals to seven points in the contest, and just 270 yards of offense. Szymanski accounted for six tackles (two solo, four assisted), and also recorded his first interception of the season in the first half.
Football Special Teams Player – Buffalo State
Jamar Rutledge, Junior, KR – Buffalo, NY/McKinley
Jamar Rutledge had 289 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including a 96-yard kick return in Buffalo State's 53-48 victory over Morrisville in Saturday's Empire 8 season opener. He had 206 yards on five kick returns, three catches for 64 yards and added a 19-yard scoring run.
Men’s Cross Country Runner – Stevens
Jake Catalano, Sophomore – Malverne, NY/Valley Stream North
Sophomore Jake Catalano finished 12th out of 161 runners to lead Stevens Institute of Technology men's cross country team to a third-place finish at the Bill Fritz Invitational, hosted by Rowan University. Averaging a 5:35.9 mile, Catalano completed the eight-kilometer course in 27:49.66.
Women’s Cross Country Runner – St. John Fisher
Sydney Swan, Freshman – Fredonia, NY/Fredonia
Freshman Sydney Swan was the top finisher for the St. John Fisher College women’s cross country team this past Saturday at the Oneonta Airfield Invite. Swan finished in second place in the 4.5k with a personal best mark of 18:11.3, which was less than one second off the winning pace. This was the first time the Cardinals as a team won an invitational in its history.
Men’s Golf Athlete – St. John Fisher
Nicholas Calabrese, Junior – Newtown Square, PA/St. Joseph’s Prep
Nicholas Calabrese of the St. John Fisher College men's golf team was the only player under par as the junior helped lead the Cardinals to a 28-stroke lead at the Empire 8 Fall Championship over the weekend at Kanon Valley Coutnry Club in Oneida, N.Y. Calabrese fired the individual low score with a two-day total of 140, which is four strokes under par. Calabrese entered the day at -1, but was able to shave three strokes off after scoring -5 overall on par fives.
Women’s Golf co-Player – Cortland
Danielle Bambola, Sophomore – Miller Place, NY/Miller Place
Danielle Bambola shared medalist honors at the William Smith Invitational Saturday and Sunday at the Clifton Springs Country Club. She finished with a two-day score of 162. Bambola led after Day 1 with a 79 and recorded an 83 on Sunday, helping Cortland finish second out of 11 schools in the final team standings.
Women’s Golf co-Player – Elmira
Audrey Clarke, Senior – Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili
Audrey Clarke shared co-medalist honors at the William Smith Invitational. Clarke produced a two-day score of 162 (+19), which included a day-one mark of 80 and a day-two card of 82. The win was Clarke's sixth of her four-year EC career, which moved her into a two-way tie for most first-place finishes all-time in program history.
Field Hockey Offensive Player – St. John Fisher
Emily Markarian, Senior, Forward – Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park
Senior Emily Markarian led the way for the St. John Fisher field hockey this past week, finishing with a total of seven points between the two Cardinal victories. On September 13th, Markarian led the way offensively in a 3-1 Fisher win over SUNY Geneseo. The senior finished the game with two goals, one assist, for a total of 5 points. Her first goal game came off a great individual effort where she took the ball all the way to the net from center field, passing two Knight defenders and then sliding it past the goalkeeper to put Fisher up 2-0. On September 16th, Markarian scored the game tying goal that sent the game to overtime with just eight minutes remaining in the second half. Fisher went on to win its fourth straight game defeating Stevens 3-2 in the first overtime period.
Field Hockey Defensive Player – Washington & Jefferson
Karlie Baran, Senior, Goalie – Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty
Karlie Baran posted a 1-1 week for the Presidents last week ... Her loss came in a 1-0 effort to Division II Slippery Rock as she stopped five of six shots ... She followed that up with a three-save shutout of Elmira on Saturday in the 5-0 win, her second shutout in three games and 11th of her career.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player – Nazareth
Christopher Rowland, Senior, Midfield – Watertown, NY/Immaculate Heart
Christopher Rowland had the game-winning goal in Nazareth's 2-0 win to open up conference play on Saturday. It was Rowland's first goal of the season.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player – Nazareth
Brian Wilkin, Sophomore, Goalie – Rochester, NY/Hilton
Brian Wilkin picked up two shutouts during the week to help Nazareth push its win streak to four. The sophomore made six saves in a 2-0 win over previously unbeaten Fredonia on Tuesday. He then made five saves on Saturday in a 2-0 win over Sage.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player – Stevens
Gabby Saade, Sophomore, Forward – West Windsor, NY/West Windsor-Plainsboro
Gabby Saade scored two goals and an assist in Stevens' 4-0 win over Sage to open E8 play. Saade opened the scoring in the 14th minute, firing a crossing strike passed the keeper’s outstretched arms. In the 54th minute, Saade was credited with an assist and 10 minutes later she found the left corner of the net for her second goal of the match.
Women’s’ Soccer Defensive – Nazareth
Hannah Miller, Sophomore, Goalie – Butler, PA/Butler
Hannah Miller earned a win and a tie for Nazareth during the week. She made two saves in 3-1 win over Buffalo State on Wednesday. She then posted five saves in a 0-0 draw with Brockport on Saturday.
Women’s Tennis Player – Nazareth
Marisa Joyce, Junior – Syracuse, NY/West Genesee
Marisa Joyce helped Nazareth improve to 5-0 on the season after two conference wins over the weekend. The junior won her fifth singles match 6-0, 6-1 against Hartwick on Saturday along with winning her first doubles match 8-2. She then did not drop a game in her fifth singles and first doubles matches against Utica on Sunday.
Women’s Volleyball Player – Stevens
Sara Hain, Sophomore, MB – Roseville, MN/Roseville Area
Sara Hain starred for the Ducks this weekend, as Stevens swept its matches at the Ducks Classic, including a thrilling, five-set win over No. 24 Christopher Newport University. All totaled, Hain collected 26 kills on 53 attacks with just four errors (.415 attack percentage) and added 12 blocks. The sophomore middle was especially efficient against Arcadia, knocking down 10 kills on 17 attacks without any errors (.588).
Women’s Volleyball Rookie – Nazareth
Jessica Barry, Freshman, Setter – Brewerton, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
Jessica Barry amassed 114 assists in three five-set matches (8.77 assists per set) over the weekend as Nazareth went 1-2 at the Hartwick Invitational. She had 35 assists with five digs i a five-set loss to unbeaten Baldwin Wallace on Friday, then totaled a career-high 52 assists and nine digs in a five-set loss to Oneonta on Saturday. She completed the weekend with 27 assists and seven digs in three sets against King's.