The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the Track Athlete, Field Athlete, Rookie and Coaching Staff of the Year awards for the 2017-18 women’s indoor track and field season. The conference coaches vote on the awards.
Stevens Institute of Technology sophomore
Gina Dello Russo has been voted the Track Athlete of the Year. Dello Russo capped off an outstanding 2017-18 campaign by earning a pair of All-America accolades. She took fifth in the 400 meters with a time of 55.52 at the NCAA and placed seventh in the 200 meters (25.17).
She set the Empire 8 conference record and Stevens school record in both events at the national championship during the preliminary heats as she clocked a 55.39 in the 400 and a 24.83 in the 200.
At the Empire 8 Championship meet, Dello Russo set a new conference meet record en route to a first-place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 25.27. She also placed first in the 400 meters (58.51), fifth in the 60 meters and anchored the 4x400 meter relay with a split time of 55.28. As a result of her outstanding performance she was named the Track Athlete of the Meet.
Nazareth College junior
Alycia Eaton and Stevens junior
Katie Weeks have been voted co-Field Athletes of the Year.
Eaton is the second Golden Flyer to be named Field Athlete of the Year and the first since 2007-08. She scored six points at the NCAA Championship as she earned All-American status in the triple jump with a third-place jump of 11.89 meters to set the school record.
Eaton was tabbed the Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Meet at the Conference Championship after she won both the long jump (5.55m) and triple jump (11.39m).
Weeks won Empire 8 titles in both the Shot Put (13.98m) and Weight Throw (16.82m). Her shot-put mark set a new facility, school and meet record.
Weeks went on to qualify for the NCAA’s for the first time in her career and was seeded seventh in the shot put and 16
th in the weight throw. She earned All-American honors in both events with marks of 13.77 meters for seventh in the shot-put and a school record mark of 17.27 meters for seventh-place in the weight throw.
It is the fourth time a Stevens athlete has earned the Field Athlete of the Year honors.
Utica freshman
Tekitha Posey was voted the Rookie of the Year and is the second Pioneer athlete to earn the award, joining previous recipient Lauren DeLude (2001-12). Posey was the runner-up in the long jump at the conference championship with a leap of 5.47m. She was also the runner-up in the 200 meters (26.50), third in the 60-meter dash (8.04) and part of the third place 4x400 meter relay. Posey qualified for the AARTFC in the three individual events and finished the year ranked 46th in the long jump.
The
Stevens coaching staff, led by Head Coach Justin Wood, have been voted the Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year for the first time.
During the season, Stevens claimed its first Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship as Dello Russo was named the Track Athlete of the Meet.
The Ducks also finished ninth at the All-Atlantic Regional Championship and placed 20
th at the NCAA Championship. The coaching staff guided three women to USTFCCCA all-region honors, had two individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships, and had four All-American performances.
In addition, one member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2017-18 Women’s Indoor Track and Field 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.
Sportsmanship Team
Alfred: Brynn Hyde
Houghton: Shelby Langlois
Nazareth: Maria Staehr
SJFC: Leah Hulbert
Stevens: Sammi Pearson
Utica: Jen Stimpson