Empire 8 Announces 2022-23 Women’s Indoor Track & Field Award Winners and All-Conference Selections

Women's Indoor Track and Field | 3/20/2023 9:24:26 AM

The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2022-23 Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference awards on Monday, March 20. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
 
St. John Fisher University graduate student Samantha Shea was named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Shea placed eighth in the preliminaries of the 400-meter dash at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in a time of 56.82 seconds. She won the 400-meter dash at the 2023 E8 Indoor Track and Field Championships and was part of the winning 4 x 400-meter relay team that set a meet record, crossing the finish line in 4:02.83. Shea was also second in the 60-meter dash and third in the 200-meters. She is St. John Fisher’s first Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year award winner.
 
Nazareth College graduate student Brenna Johnson was named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. Johnson competed in the long jump at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. She was also named the 2023 Empire 8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Championship meet after helping lead the Golden Flyers to their first league title in program history. Johnson won her second straight high jump at the Empire 8 Championship, jumping 5.66 meters. She also earned her third straight Empire 8 title in the 60-meter dash in a meet record time of 7.82 seconds, while winning the high jump, placing second in the 200-meter dash and third in the 400-meters. Johnson, who was also named Rookie of the Year in 2018-19, is the third Nazareth student-athlete to garner E8 Field Athlete of the Year honors.
 
Zhane Lettsome of St. John Fisher College was named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Indoor Rookie of the Year. Lettsome emerged as a standout sprinter as the year progressed, finishing fourth in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dash events at the 2023 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship. She placed seventh overall in the 200-meters at the All-Atlantic Region Championships in a time of 25.59 seconds to wrap up her season. Lettsome is St. John Fisher’s second straight E8 Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year. 
 
Nazareth head coach James Goss and his staff was named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. The Golden Flyers won their first Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Championship. Overall, Nazareth had 15 different student-athletes earn All-Conference honors, while Johnson made her second appearance at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
 
The Empire 8 first, second and third team all-conference selections were determined at the championship meet on Feb. 24-25 from the Golisano Training Center, hosted by Nazareth.
 
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2022-23 Women's Indoor Track & Field Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference 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.
   
Track Athlete of the Year: Samantha Shea, Gr., St. John Fisher
Field Athlete of the Year: Brenna Johnson, Gr., Nazareth
Rookie of the Year: Zhane Lettsome, Fr., St. John Fisher
Coaching Staff of the Year: Nazareth, led by head coach James Goss
 
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Ashley O’Toole, Gr., Alfred
Giovanna Wall, So., Hartwick
Rachel Smith, Fr., Houghton
Sydney Vanderhoof, Sr., Nazareth
Giuliana Capparello, Jr., Russell Sage
Zhane Lettsome, Fr., St. John Fisher
Gabrielle DeSanctis, Sr., Utica
   
60-Meter Dash
First Team: Brenna Johnson, Gr., Nazareth – :7.82 (Meet Record)
Second Team: Samantha Shea, Gr., St. John Fisher – :7.82
Third Team: Ciarra Franz, So., St. John Fisher – :7.83
 
60-Meter Hurdles
First Team: Ciarra Franz, So., St. John Fisher – :8.97 (Meet Record)
Second Team: Laura Meade, Gr., Utica – :9.56
Third Team: Sydney Vanderhoof, Sr., Nazareth – :10.00
 
200-Meter Dash
First Team: Mackenzie Mix, So., Utica – :25.69
Second Team: Brenna Johnson, Gr., Nazareth – :25.99
Third Team: Samantha Shea, Gr., St. John Fisher – :26.15
 
400-Meter Dash
First Team: Samantha Shea, Gr., St. John Fisher – :57.87
Second Team: Mackenzie Mix, So., Utica – :58.02
Third Team: Brenna Johnson, Gr., Nazareth – :59.47
 
800-Meter Run
First Team: Olivia Gilbert, So., Alfred – 2:26.48
Second Team: Ella Impaglia, Fr., Nazareth – 2:27.62
Third Team: Abbey Szumloz, Gr., Nazareth – 2:28.14
 
Mile
First Team: Amanda Burrichter, Sr., Houghton – 5:14.19
Second Team: Emily Weaver, Sr., Nazareth – 5:19.38
Third Team: Olivia Grinnell, Fr., St. John Fisher – 5:21.83
 
3,000-Meter Run
First Team: Amanda Burrichter, Sr., Houghton – 10:15.82 (Meet Record)
Second Team: Lilianna Hanning, Jr., Nazareth – 10:41.38
Third Team: Rachel Domaracki, Jr., Houghton – 10:49.95
 
5,000-Meter Run
First Team: Lauren DeMichele, Jr., St. John Fisher – 18:35.12
Second Team: Lilianna Hanning, Jr., Nazareth – 18:42.82
Third Team: Rachel Domaracki, Jr., Houghton – 18:45.04
 
4 x 400-Meter Relay
First Team: Grace Wright, So., Emma Wright, So., Brenda Le, So., Samantha Shea, Gr., St. John Fisher – 4:02.83 (Meet Record)
Second Team: Abbey Szumloz, Gr., Shiana Susa, Fr., Isabella Heath, Jr., Brenna Johnson, Gr., Nazareth – 4:10.00
Third Team: Kyra Binney, Fr., Noelle Linenfelser, Fr., Mary Shaker, Jr., Alexandra Wisniewski, Jr., Houghton – 4:22.96
 
Distance Medley Relay
First Team: Noelle Linenfelser, Fr., Kyra Binney, Fr., Alexandra Wisniewski, Jr., Amanda Burrichter, Jr., Houghton – 13:06.84
Second Team: Riley Jameson, So., Brenda Le, So., Olivia Grinnell, Fr., Caitlin Voloshen, Fr., St. John Fisher – 13:09.32
Third Team: Paige Ackley, Jr., Shiana Susa, Fr., Leigha Gould, Sr., Megan Morin, Sr., Nazareth – 13:15.43
 
Pole Vault
First Team: Isabel Morse, Fr., Nazareth – 3.40 meters
Second Team: Kiara Tornusciolo, Fr., Nazareth – 3.20 meters
Third Team: Rosie Morse, Fr., Nazareth – 2.90 meters
 
High Jump
First Team: Brenna Johnson, Gr., Nazareth – 1.57 meters
Second Team: Hayden Williamson, Sr., Houghton – 1.54 meters (tie)
Second Team: Aaliyah Williams, Fr., Hartwick – 1.54 meters (tie)
Second Team: Bianca Durso, So., Alfred – 1.54 meters (tie)
 
Long Jump
First Team: Brenna Johnson, Gr., Nazareth – 5.66 meters
Second Team: Victoria Duell, So., St. John Fisher – 5.65 meters
Third Team: Michaela Kurbs, Jr., St. John Fisher – 5.64 meters
 
Triple Jump
First Team: Laura Meade, Gr., Utica – 11.29 meters
Second Team: Michaela Kurbs, Jr., St. John Fisher – 10.97 meters
Third Team: Isabella Heath, Jr., Nazareth – 10.84 meters
 
Shot Put
First Team: Jane Fahy, Sr., Utica – 13.24 meters
Second Team: Makenna King, Jr., St. John Fisher – 11.58 meters
Third Team: Erin McGuinness, Fr., St. John Fisher – 11.48 meters
 
Weight Throw
First Team: Lea Richard, Jr., Nazareth – 16.87 meters
Second Team: Gabrielle DeSanctis, Jr., Utica – 14.44 meters
Third Team: Makenna King, Jr., St. John Fisher – 13.08 meters
 
Pentathlon
First Team: Laura Meade, Gr., Utica – 2,955 points
Second Team: Hannah Ragule, Jr., Nazareth – 2,917 points
Third Team: Anne Spila, Fr., Alfred – 2,792 points
 
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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