General | 1/27/2020 12:58:40 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on Jan. 27, 2020 for games played from Jan. 21-Jan. 26. It is the 21st Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2019-20 season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Isander Ramos-Net, Houghton, Sr., G, San Juan, Puerto Rico/Wesleyan Academy
Ramos-Net averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game, while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor in a pair of Empire 8 contests. On Friday, Ramos-Net scored 20 points to go along with seven boards and four assists versus Utica. He followed that up with 19 points, a career-high 10 assists and seven rebounds versus Sage. Ramos-Net is averaging 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in 2019-20.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Thomas Morreale, Utica, Fr., F, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
Morreale averaged 19.5 points per game while leading Utica to a pair of Empire 8 wins over Alfred and Houghton this weekend for his fourth E8 Rookie of the Week honor in 2019-20. He had a game-high 25 points to go with seven rebounds in a win over Houghton on Friday. Morreale added a team-high 14 points to go along with six boards and two blocks in a win over Alfred Saturday. He is averaging 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ella Eckert, St. John Fisher, So., F, East Amherst, NY/Clarence
Eckert led the first-place Cardinals to a pair of wins over Elmira and Hartwick in conference play over the weekend. She averaged 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists overall, while shooting 15-of-27 (55.5 percent) from the floor and 8-of-9 (88.9 percent) from the free throw line. Against Elmira, Eckert finished with a game-high 22 points, seven rebounds (four offensive) and two dimes in just 20 minutes of action. Eckert went on to notch her fifth double-double of the year in a win over the Hawks on Saturday with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. She is averaging 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.5 percent from the floor this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Harper Mead, St. John Fisher, Fr., G, Hinesburg, VT/Champlain Valley Union
Mead turned in two efficient performances as she helped lead the Cardinals to a pair of conference wins over Elmira and Hartwick. Mead averaged 7.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds on the week and combined to shoot 5-of-10 from the field with just one turnover. Against Elmira, Mead finished with eight points, two assists and a rebound before adding six points, a game-high six assists and four boards in a win over Hartwick on Saturday. Mead is fifth in the league, averaging 3.3 assists per game.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Eddie Mahana, St. John Fisher, Sr., Sprints/Hurdles, Clay, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
Mahana recorded a second-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles and a third-place finish in 200-meter dash at the Conference Challenge Cup, hosted by Nazareth on Saturday. In his first hurdles event this season, Mahana had the fastest time in qualifying. The senior was then bested by .02 seconds in the final but tied his program record of 8.11 seconds. The time currently ranks tied for third in the nation. Mahana finished the day by running the 200-meter dash in 23.07 seconds.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Kyle Rollins, St. John Fisher, Jr., Jumps, Groveland, NY/Geneseo
Rollins won both the high jump and the triple jump at Nazareth's Conference Challenge Cup Saturday. He recorded a season-high leap of 2.09 meters to win the high jump. The mark currently has him tied for second in the nation. Rollins later cleared 14.41 meters in the triple jump to take the top prize. He is currently tied for the fifth best triple jump in the nation. Rollins has placed first every time he has competed in the both the high jump and the triple jump during the 2019-20 season.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Amanda Burrichter, Houghton, Fr., Middle Distance, Fillmore, NY/Fillmore
Burrichter finished third overall in the mile run at the Highlander Invitational on Friday, crossing the finish line in 5:35.64. Burritcher was also part of the winning 4 x 400-meter relay team that recorded a time of 4:31.26 to win by nearly seven seconds.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Kelsey Wands, Utica, Fr., Jumps, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
Wands put together a personal best jump of 5.30 meters to measure up in sixth place in the women's long jump at the Cornell Upstate Challenge Saturday. That mark qualifies for the AARTFC Championships. She was the second-best Division III competitor in the competition.
MEN’S SWIMMNG & DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Diallo Marshall, Hartwick, Fr., Freestyle, Saint George, Antigua & Barbuda/St. Anthony’s
Marshall won two events and had strong performances in two more relays in Saturday's meet against WPI. He claimed victory in the 50-yard freestyle by clocking in at 21.65 seconds and in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 47.94 seconds. In the 200-yard medley relay, he anchored the Hawks with a time of 20.73 seconds and later opened up the 200-yard freestyle relay in 21.65 seconds.
WOMEN’S SWIMMNG & DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Lauren Serotta, Alfred, Jr., Backstroke, Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna
Serotta swept the backstroke events and picked up an individual second place finish on the day in the regular season dual meet finale against Ithaca College Saturday. Serotta first won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:01.37. Serotta then picked up another victory in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:16.16. Both backstroke times are the fastest in the E8 to date this season. She finished her day with a second-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:03.90. Serotta swam the fastest leg of the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 28.63 in the backstroke as her team finished third.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – David Cerqua, St. John Fisher, Jr., L, Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville
Cerqua led all players in digs in every match this past weekend for the Cardinals as they went 4-0 at the SUNY Poly Wildcat Invitational. On Saturday, Cerqua recorded a program-record 26 digs in the five-set win over Wentworth as Fisher came back from down two sets to defeat the Leopards. Heading into the match, Wentworth was undefeated and is receiving votes in the latest national poll. Cerqua leads the conference in digs (97) and digs per set (3.73) this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Matt Beiter, St. John Fisher, Fr., OPP, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Beiter recorded match-highs of 14 kills, two aces and two blocks in the four-set victory against Adrian on Friday. In addition, Beiter posted five digs, three kills and one ace versus Wentworth on Saturday as part of a team effort that saw the Cardinals come back from down two sets to win in five.
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.
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