General | 2/12/2024 12:52:02 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on February 12, 2024, for games played from February 5 – February 11, 2024. It is the 23rd Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2023-24 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 – Justice Brantley, Utica, Gr., G, Catskill, NY/Catskill
Brantley averaged 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 52.8 percent from the floor, as Utica won a pair of road games to improve to 12-1 in league play. On Saturday, Brantley scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting with five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in an 89-83 win over Keuka. Against St. John Fisher on Tuesday, he scored 20 points, three rebounds, and three assists and hit some clutch shots late in the second half, as Utica out-scored the Cardinals 43-24 over the final 20 minutes of play. It is Brantley’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Franlys Valenzuela, Alfred, So., F, Santiago de los Cabelleros, Dominican Republic/San Ysidro
Valenzuela led Alfred to three consecutive wins over E8 foes Houghton, Russell Sage and Hartwick. Against Houghton on Tuesday, Valenzuela posted 12 points to go with a career-high 20 rebounds. On the defensive end, he was credited with two steals. Later in the week against Russell Sage, Valenzuela contributed with eight points and 13 boards, shooting 4-of-7 from the field. Against Hartwick, Valenzuela recorded his ninth double-double of the season, totaling 18 points and 19 rebounds. He has moved into second place in Alfred single-season program history with 248 rebounds in 2023-24.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Henry Perkins, Hartwick, Fr., F, Albany, NY/Green Tech Charter
Perkins registered a double-double on Friday against Elmira, posting 16 points and pulling down 15 rebounds. The first-year forward followed that up with a 14 point performance in Hartwick's double overtime loss to Alfred. Overall, Perkins shot 57.7 percent from the floor, averaging 11.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. It is his second E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Crysta Lacrosse, Houghton, So., G, Liberty Township, OH/Mt. Notre Dame
Lacrosse averaged 15.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals over three conference games, as Houghton clinched a postseason berth and top-three finish in league play. Her efforts on both ends of the floor helped the Highlanders end St. John Fisher's 45-game conference winning streak on Thursday and defeat second place Nazareth on Saturday. Lacrosse had 17 points, eight boards and three steals against Alfred Tuesday and added 18 points, six boards, five assists and three steals in the win over St. John Fisher.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Joleen Lusk, St. John Fisher, Fr., F, Cherry Valley, NY/Cherry Valley Springfield
Lusk averaged 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals in a pair of games last week, while shooting 63 percent from the floor (17-of-27). She began the week with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor, seven boards and three steals in a win over Utica. She added 18 points and 15 boards in Fisher’s first conference loss of the season at Houghton on Thursday. It is Lusk’s fifth E8 weekly accolade of the season.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Sarina McDowell, Nazareth, Fr., F, Avon, NY/Avon
McDowell led Nazareth in the two games last week with a scoring average of 18.5 points per game, while shooting a blistering 83.3 percent from the floor (15-for-18). She scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win over Keuka and then added 18 points and seven rebounds at Houghton Saturday. She was also 7-for-10 from the free throw line.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
CO-TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Caleb Kasper, Houghton, Sr., Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park
Kasper broke Joe Campagna's 5,000-meter school record from 1996 at the Fastrack National Invitational in Staten Island, NY. Kasper is now the only Highlander to ever run under 15:10, indoors or outdoors, for that distance. He won his heat in a time of 15:05.73 (4:52 per mile), which is the fastest mark in the Empire 8 this year, and qualifiers him for the All-Atlantic Region Championships.
CO-TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Bennett Melita, Utica, Fr., Distance, Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville
Melita placed eighth in a time of 8:37.79 at the very competitive 3,000-meter event at the Central New York Valentine meet at Utica that saw four NCAA top-50 performances. Melita's time broke the school record and qualified him for the All-Atlantic Region Championships championships. It is also the top-time in the Empire 8 this season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Antwan Kelly, Utica, Gr., Throws, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Kelly had the top performance for the Utica at the Boston University Valentine Invitational, as he took fourth place overall and first among all Division III student-athletes in weight throw, with a toss of 17.19 meters. He is currently ranked 23rd nationally in the event.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Arianna McClendon, Utica, Fr., Sprints, New York Mills, NY/New York Mills
McClendon set a program record with a time of 57.52 seconds in the 400-meters at the Boston University Valentine Invitational over the weekend. She now leads the Empire 8 in the 400-meters and has the 25th fastest time in Division III this season. McClendon earned her second weekly honor of the season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Lea Richard, Nazareth, Sr., Throws, Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls
Richard proved she was one of the top weight throwers in the country with a second-place finish Friday against a field of predominantly NCAA Division I and II athletes at the Fast Track Invitational Meet at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Center. Richard uncorked a throw of 16.91 meters (55' 6") on her final throw in the first round to earn the second-place finish as she placed among athletes from Long Island University, Columbia, East Stroudsburg and Delaware State. She is currently 12th nationally in the weight throw and earned her second weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Josh Weaver, Nazareth, Jr., S/RS, Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
Weaver finished with 26 kills and 21 assists working in the 6/2 offense for Nazareth as the Golden Flyers completed a 3-0 weekend with consecutive three-set wins over Manhattanville, Potsdam and Buffalo State. With just four attack errors, he had a .611 attack percentage and averaged 2.89 kills/set and 2.33 assists per set. He added six aces, four digs and three blocks. Weaver hit .688 with 12 kills in the win over Buffalo State and added 21 assists, five kills and four aces against Manhattanville.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Dylan Fox, Russell Sage, Fr., OH, Albany, NY/Colonie
Fox slammed 35 kills to go along with 19 digs and seven blocks as the Gators earned a sweep over Regis College and Houghton University on Saturday. He had 15 kills, eight digs and five blocks in the four-set win over Regis and added 20 kills and 11 digs in the five-set thriller over Houghton.
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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