Empire 8 Conference Players of the Week - February 4
Empire 8 Players of the Week
January 28 - February 3
Men's Basketball
Player - Ryan Henderson, St. John Fisher (Senior, Cazenovia, N.Y.)
Henderson helped guide the Cardinals to three wins in conference play as the Cardinals defeated Utica at home, followed by back-to-back road wins at Stevens and at Sage. Henderson averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and one steal per game while shooting 22-34 (.647) from the floor and 14-15 (.933) from the free throw line. Against the Pioneers, Henderson finished with 14 points in 22 minutes before topping double figures in scoring again at Stevens. The senior forward saved his best game for last, producing a career-high 35 points in a perfect night as he shot 12-12 from the floor and 11-11 from the free throw line.
Rookie - Elliot Bowen, Alfred (Freshman, Salamanca, N.Y.)
Bowen held a double-digit average on the Saxons' 2-0 week. He went 5-8 on Friday at Hartwick for 11 points while pulling down three rebounds and recording one assist. He then capped off his week with a 5-7 performance from the floor and adding 5-6 show from the free throw line against Elmira. Bowen tacked on another three rebounds and one assist, and also recorded a steal and a block on the day. It's the second time this season he's been recognized with this award.
Women's Basketball
Player / Rookie - Ella Eckert, St. John Fisher (Freshman, East Amherst, N.Y.)
Eckert played a significant role in helping lead St. John Fisher to three wins in Empire 8 play last week as the Cardinals defeated Utica at home before taking down Stevens and Sage on the road. For the week, Eckert averaged a double-double with 16.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per game as she shot 20-39 (.513) from the field overall. She also got it done on the defensive end of the court with nearly two steals per game. Against Utica, the freshman forward finished with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, before adding 11 points and nine boards in a big win over Stevens. Eckert finished her week with a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds in Fisher's win over Sage.
Swimming & Diving
Men's Athlete - Tyler Zanki, Stevens (Junior, Wyckoff, N.J.)
Zanki finished first in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events. His 2:09.54 time in the 200-breast broke Hartwick's pool record and his effort in the 100-meter breaststroke was the third-best time posted in the conference so far this season. The Wyckoff, New Jersey native also helped lead the 200-yard medley relay team to victory. It's the second time he's earned this honor from the conference office.
Women's Athlete - Isabella Fairman, Stevens (Junior, Saint Paul, Minn.)
Fairman was a triple event winner in Saturday's loss against Hartwick and posted three top-five times in the conference this winter. The Saint Paul, Minnesota native finished first in the 100, 200, and 500-yard freestyle events. She was also a member of the winning 400-yard freestyle relay team. It's the second time this winter she's been recognized.
Indoor Track & Field
Men's Track Athlete - Mitchell Marlow, Utica (Junior, Malone, N.Y.)
Marlow turned in an Empire 8 conference-leading time in Saturday's featured event, the 3,000 meters at the Blue and Orange Invitational in Utica. In a stacked field featuring multiple All-Americans, Marlow finished 8th in a time of 8:53.96. That performance came following a lengthy trip on Friday to the New Balance Track and Field Center in New York City, where Marlow also placed 8th at the NYC DIII Invitational in the mile with his second fastest time of the season at 4:25.13.
Men's Field Athlete - Kyle Swiecki, Utica (Junior, Boonville, N.Y.)
Swiecki improved on his indoor school record mark and moved up the national leaderboard in the heptathlon with 4,664 points to finish first at the Blue and Orange Invitational. He is currently 12th on the NCAA indoor qualifying list after this weekend's performance. He won the long jump and 60-meter hurdles, and did not fail to finish in the top three in each event. 816 points of his total came in the hurdles event.
Women's Track Athlete - Gina Dello Russo, Stevens (Junior, Whippany, N.J.)
Dello Russo won the 200-meter dash at the NYC DIII Invitational with a time of 25.30 seconds, which is the top time in the Atlantic Region so far this season. It's the second time this season she's been honored.
Women's Field Athlete - Haley Brust, St. John Fisher (Senior, Hilton, N.Y.)
Brust helped lead the Cardinals to a first place showing at the RIT Invite on Friday after posting a career performance in the long jump. She won the event after the senior leaped 5.54 meters. That performance landed her not only 10th overall in the nation, but also broke the standing school record in the event. The senior also jumped 1.61 meters in the high jump to win, which puts her 33rd overall in the country.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com and
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