General | 11/21/2022 12:54:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on November 21, 2022, for games played from November 14-November 20. It is the 12th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2022-23 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball and women’s swimming and diving.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brendan Trapper, St. John Fisher, Gr., F, Buffalo, NY/Canisius
Trapper was named to the Mark’s Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout All-Tournament Team after averaging 28.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 54.8 percent from the floor with 10 made 3-pointers in a pair of games. On Thursday, Trapper put up 24 points and added four assists with five made 3-pointers against No. 11 University of Rochester. On Saturday, Trapper poured in a season-high 33 points with six rebounds on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor, while draining 10 free throws and five 3-pointers in an 89-81 win over RIT.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Dayion Thompson, Utica, Fr., G, Beacon, NY/Kimball Union Academy
Thompson scored nine points in 18 minutes off the bench in Utica's 94-81 win over SUNY Morrisville on Tuesday. Thompson's nine points came on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor and he also added a steal to his stat line.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Grace Rittenhouse, Alfred, Jr., G, Dansville, NY/Dansville
Rittenhouse finished with 13 points to go with a game-high nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 79-40 win against Cazenovia College on Saturday as part of the Alfred Classic. Her efforts led to being named to the 2022 Alfred Classic All-Tournament Team. Rittenhouse and the Saxons are now 3-0 to begin the regular season, their best start since the 2009-10 season.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Haley Burchhardt, Utica, Fr., G, Schenectady, NY/Schalmont
Burchhardt averaged 13.6 points on 40.6 percent shooting from the field, as well as 5.3 rebounds and nearly three assists per game in a 3-0 week for the Pioneers. She scored a team-high 15 points against Alfred State on Monday, 14 against SUNY Delhi Wednesday and another team-high 12 against MCLA Thursday. Against MCLA, Burchhardt also nabbed nine rebounds and also led the team with four steals and five assists.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Emma Cole, Houghton, Fr., F, Houghton, NY/Fillmore Central
Cole averaged 10 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2.5 steals while just playing 20 minutes per game during two more Highlander wins this past week. On Friday, Cole finished with 14 points, 15 boards and four blocks in a win over Wells. Houghton is off to a 4-0 start with Cole as their leading rebounder (9.8 rebounds per game), most accurate shooter (55.6 percent), and second leading scorer (11.8 points per game). It is her second straight E8 weekly honor.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Mikey Schultz, Hartwick, Jr., Freestyle/Butterfly/Individual Medley, Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley
Schultz finished first in all three of his events on Saturday in Hartwick's 154-144 win over Scranton. The junior won the 100-yard butterfly (52.43 seconds), the 200-yard butterfly (1:57.97), and the 200-yard IM (2:02.05). Schultz's time of 1:57.97 in the 200-yard butterfly was a pool record at the University of Scranton. It is his fourth E8 weekly honor of 2022-23.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Joelle Ocheltree, Hartwick, Jr., Freestyle, Libertyville, IL/Libertyville
Ocheltree won the 1,000-yard freestyle (11:26.87) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:33.73) in Hartwick’s dual meet at Scranton on Saturday. She also placed third in the 200-yard freestyle.
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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