General | 2/26/2024 12:45:23 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on February 26, 2024, for games played from February 19 – February 25, 2024. It is the 25th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2023-24 season. Sports featured include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s volleyball.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brian Norsen, St. John Fisher, Gr., 1B, Hamburg, NY/Frontier
Norsen went 10-for-16 (.625) in this week's games, driving in two runs, while scoring six of his own, and hitting four doubles (including three against William Paterson on Sunday) and a triple. Norsen slugged 1.273 on the week. On Sunday, Norsen was 5-for-6 with three doubles, two runs scored, a stolen base and RBI in an 8-5 win over William Patterson.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Tanner Frank, St. John Fisher, Jr., P, Rochester, NY/Brighton
Frank threw six innings of work for the Cardinals this week across two relief appearances. He struck out four while allowing just three hits without giving up an earned run. He threw a pair of scoreless innings in Wednesday’s opener against Clarkson and fired four scoreless innings, while striking out three batters in an 8-5 win over William Patterson Sunday.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Nate Hall, Houghton, Fr., LF, Rochester, NY/Greece Athena
Hall started his Highlander career in style going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, a run scored, and an RBI in the Purple & Gold's opener against Carthage on Saturday. He followed that up later in the day with another walk in three plate appearances versus Grove City. Overall, Hall hit .400 with a 1.171 OPS on the week.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Justice Brantley, Utica, Gr., G, Catskill, NY/Catskill
Brantley was named Empire 8 Tournament Most Valuable Player after leading the top-seeded Pioneers to their second E8 title in program history. Brantley averaged 20.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the floor in a pair of postseason contests. He scored 12 points in Utica’s E8 semifinal win Thursday evening over No. 5 seed Alfred University. In Saturday’s championship game, Brantley scored 18 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, leading the Pioneers to a 97-90 win over No. 2 Nazareth University to claim the E8 title. Brantley was 10-of-20 from the floor, drained four 3-pointers and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line, while grabbing six boards and dishing out four assists. It is Brantley’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Tyler Curran, Alfred, Fr., G, Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone
Curran averaged 11.0 points and 2.0 steals, as Alfred advanced to the 2024 Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Semifinals. He had 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor to go along with three made 3-pointers and four steals as No. 5 Alfred knocked off No. 4 Keuka in first round action Tuesday night. It is Curran’s second E8 weekly accolade of the 2023-24 season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sidney Tomasso, St. John Fisher, Jr., G, Waverly, NY/Waverly
Tomasso was named Empire 8 Tournament Most Valuable Player after leading the Cardinals to their third straight league title and eighth in program history over the weekend. Tomasso, the 2023-24 Empire 8 Player of the Year averaged 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in the two tournament games. She scored 13 points and added six rebounds in top-seeded St. John Fisher’s 62-50 win over No. 4 Hartwick College in the semifinal and followed that up with 21 points and six boards in the Empire 8 Championship game, a 66-55 victory over No. 3 seed Houghton University. Tomasso drained three 3-pointers and was 6-for-6 from the foul line in the win. It is Tomasso’s fourth E8 weekly honor of the 2023-24 season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Madeline Ramsgard, St. John Fisher, Fr., G, Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles
Ramsgard averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals, while shooting 60 percent from the floor in two games to help lead St. John Fisher to its third straight league title and eighth in program history over the weekend. She had 12 points and six steals in the 62-50 win over Hartwick in semifinal action Thursday and tallied 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor in the title game, a 66-55 victory over Houghton Saturday.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Owen Zimmerman, Alfred, Gr., A, Reamstown, PA/Cocalico
Zimmerman enjoyed his debut with Alfred University, who defeated SUNY Morrisville , 14-9 this past Friday. Zimmerman led the Saxons with 10 points from a game-high six goals and four assists. He scored each of Alfred's first three goals in the opening quarter and was responsible a point in 10 different scoring sequences. Zimmerman finished the game with 14 shots, 12 of which were on goal.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Chris Andersen, Hartwick, Fr., G, Schnecksville, PA/Parkland
Andersen made his first collegiate start, one to remember, stopping 19 shots (.655 save percentage) in helping Hartwick earn a season-opening, 11-10 win against SUNY Oswego on Sunday. He made 11 of his 19 saves in the first half, as Hartwick jumped out to a 9-5 lead.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bella Kolb, Utica, Fr., A, New Hartford, NY/New Hartford
Kolb registered her first career hat-trick with four shots on goal, two ground balls and one caused turnover in Utica’s season-opening contest against SUNY New Paltz on Saturday.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Makayla Purdy, Utica, Fr., G, Shirley, NY/William Floyd
Purdy made six saves with five coming in the second half in Utica’s season-opening contest against SUNY New Paltz on Saturday.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Kaleb Luton, Nazareth, Gr., Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps, Amherst, NY/Sweet Home
Luton was named the 2024 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Champion Track Athlete of the Meet after securing 28 points to help lead Nazareth to its second straight Empire 8 Championship. Luton set an Empire 8 Championship meet record and posted the eighth fastest time in Division III this season in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.01 seconds. He also won the 60-meter dash in a personal-best time of 7.06 seconds, was runner-up in the triple jump and placed sixth in the long jump. It is Luton’s third E8 weekly accolade of the 2023-24 season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Sean Cochrane, St. John Fisher, Sr., Jumps, Avon, NY/Avon
Cochrane was named the 2024 Empire 8 Indoor Trach and Field Championship Field Athlete of the Meet. He won the high jump, clearing 2.07 meters and was fourth in the long jump with a leap of 6.43 meters. Cochrane’s high jump is now the fifth-best in all of Division III this season. It is Cochrane’s third E8 weekly accolade of the 2023-24 season.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Noelle Linenfelser, Houghton, So., Distance, Grand Island, NY/Grand Island
Linenfelser was named 2024 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Champion Track Athlete of the Meet after sweeping both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter championship races at her home venue. Linenfelser won the 3,000-meters by nearly seven seconds in a time of 10:46.47. In addition, she earned the win in the 5,000-meters by just under 15 seconds in 18:40.62.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Nora Devitt, Utica, Jr., Multi-Events/Jumps, Beverly, MA/Beverly
Devitt earned 2024 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship Field Athlete of the Meet honors after winning the long jump with a leap of 5.56 meters and triple jump with a tremendous leap of 11.45 meters. Devitt is currently 29th nationally in the long jump and 35th in the triple jump.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jake Baker, St. John Fisher, Sr., OH, Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
The Cardinals finish the week 3-0 with wins over no. 13 ranked Nazareth University, Elizabethtown College and SUNY Poly. Jake Baker was an important part of the attack in all three games, starting on Wednesday when he recorded 17 kills with a hitting percentage of .484. He also added four total blocks, nine digs and one service ace. Against the Blue Jays, Baker once again was efficient, recording nine kills on a .389 hitting percentage. He added two aces and two digs to his stats as well. In the final match against, the senior saw action in just two sets and tallied four kills, one ace and four total blocks.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Guillermo Perez, St. John Fisher, Fr., MB, San Juan, Puerto Rico/The Cupeyville School
Perez saw action in two games this week, in 3-0 wins against Elizabethtown and SUNY Poly. Against the Blue Jays, Perez tallied four kills on a .500 hitting percentage, while adding a service ace and one dig. Against Poly, the middle blocker once again recorded four kills, this time on a .600 percentage and tallied two total blocks.
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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