General | 2/7/2022 12:47:50 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on February 7, 2022, for games played from January 31-February 6. It is the 21st Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2021-22 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s volleyball.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brewster Marshall, Alfred, Sr., F, Horseheads, NY/Horseheads
Marshall recorded back-to-back double-doubles on the week, averaging 24 points, 11.5 rebounds while shooting 63 percent from the floor. On Tuesday, Marshall poured in a career-high 31 points, shooting 13-for-19 from the floor, a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point land and 3-for-4 from the free throw line while adding 12 rebounds (seven defensive), two blocks and one assist in just 22 minutes in a win over Keuka. The following night at Keuka, Marshall scored 17 points from his 7-for-13 performance from the floor, including 2-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc and was 1-for-2 from the charity stripe. He added 11 rebounds (seven defensive), one block and one assist.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kevin Underwood, Nazareth, Gr., F, Kirkville, NY/Christian Brothers Academy
Underwood was a model of efficiency for the nationally-ranked Golden Flyers, shooting 73 percent from the floor (24-for-33) while averaging 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in three victories. He began the week by scoring 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting in a win over Elmira. On Saturday, Underwood poured in 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting to go along with seven boards against Russell Sage. He ended the week by scoring 13 points to go along with four assists in a win over Hartwick.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Preston Bax, Houghton, Fr., G, New Orleans, LA/St. Augustine
Bax led the Highlanders to a 2-1 week against Empire 8 foes. Bax averaged 10 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 11-for-25 from the field and 3-for-10 from beyond the arc. He scored 13 points and added five boards in a win over Elmira Friday and had a career-best five steals Saturday against Keuka. It is Bax’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kaitlyn Walker, St. John Fisher, Jr., F, Camillus, NY/West Genesee
Walker nearly averaged a double-double as the No. 22 Cardinals picked up three more wins in league play and clinched a berth in the upcoming Empire 8 Championship following wins over Houghton, Hartwick and Russell Sage. Walker averaged 14.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and nearly two assists per game last week while shooting 63 percent (19-of-31) from the floor. Against Houghton, she contributed a game-high 22 points paired with 10 rebounds before adding 15 points, nine rebounds and a career-high six blocks against the Hawks. Walker capped off the week with seven points, five rebounds and four more blocks in 18 minutes against Russell Sage. It is Walker’s second weekly honor of the 2021-22 season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Krissy Geraci, Utica, So., F, Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia
Geraci averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and one steal per game in a 2-0 week for the Pioneers. On Friday at Keuka, Geraci recorded a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double on 5-for-11 shooting in Utica’s 63-32 win over the Wolves. On Saturday at Elmira, Geraci netted 16 points on 8-for-14 shooting in her second career start in Utica’s 67-65 comeback win over the Soaring Eagles. It is Geraci’s third weekly accolade of the season.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Nathan Bowers, Nazareth, Jr., Middle Distance, Endicott, NY/Owego Free Academy
Bowers set a personal record in the mile run with a time of 4:22.66 at the Ithaca Invitational on Saturdy. The time also qualified Bowers for the All-Atlantic Region Championship meet.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Hunter Logan, Utica, So., Throws, Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain
Logan delivered a 16.03 meter toss to stand atop the men's shot put standings at Saturday's Pioneer Invitational. Logan was just short of his personal best of 16.05 meters, a mark which stands seventh nationally. Logan is now a two-time E8 weekly award winner in 2021-22.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Kyle Rollins, St. John Fisher, Gr., Jumps, Groveland, NY/Geneseo
Rollins one-upped his national ranking in the triple jump at Saturday's second day of the Brockport Multi & Invite, as his leap of 14.88 meters was virtually untouchable by the day's competition, as the nation's leader in the high jump became the owner of the nation's third best mark in the triple jump. Rollins garnered his third E8 weekly accolade of the season.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Natalie Ricci, Russell Sage, Sr., Sprints, Cohoes, NY/Cohoes
Ricci penned her name to three school records on Saturday at the Utica Pioneer Invitational. She was fourth in the 60-meter dash in a time of 8.31 seconds and also fifth in the 200-meter dash (27.31). Ricci was also part of the record setting foursome in the 4 x 200-meter relay with a time of 1:53.99. She bettered her own time of 8.38 in the 60-meter run set last year, while improving upon another of her times in the 200-meter run (27.56) set in 2021.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Brenna Johnson, Nazareth, Sr., Jumps/Sprints, Homer, NY/Cortland
Johnson won the long jump at the Ithaca Invitational on Saturday with a regional qualifying effort of 5.41 meters (17' 9"). She is now tied for 26th in Division III and sixth in the Atlantic Region with that performance.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Owen Wickens, Nazareth, So., OH/S, Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Wickens exceled in all facets for the nationally-ranked Golden Flyers to a perfect 4-0 week, hitting .337 with 42 kills, 29 digs, 13 blocks, 12 service aces and 72 assists. He averaged nearly five assists and 4.2 points per set. He opened the week with 12 assists and 11 kills in a win over Elmira and added 29 assists in a three-set win over Wittenberg on Saturday afternoon. Wickens added 25 assists and seven kills and four blocks in a three-set win over Thiel before wrapping up the week with 17 kills, 13 digs, six service aces and three blocks in a five-set win over Mt. Union on Sunday. It is Wickens’ third E8 weekly accolade of the 2022 season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Alberto Mauricio, Elmira, Fr., OH/RS. San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic/Liceo Gaston Fernando Deligne
Mauricio recorded a total of 30 kills, 11 digs, five service aces, and 35.0 points in total in three matches during the week for the Soaring Eagles. He put up 11 kills against Nazareth Wednesday and hit .389 with 11 kills, eight digs and four service aces in a three-set win over Misericordia Saturday. It is his third E8 weekly honor of the season.
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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