General | 5/28/2024 10:37:14 AM
The Empire 8 Conference is proud to announce the Spring 2024 Torchbearer Award winners for academic and athletic excellence. Nine different student-athletes from three institutions earned the prestigious award during the spring season.
The Empire 8 Torchbearer is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average (GPA) participating in the championship game for each E8 sport. To be eligible for the Empire 8 Torchbearer Award, a student-athlete must be a junior, or senior and in at least their second season of competition with their current team. Graduate students are not eligible.
For sports where an individual is awarded all-conference honors at the conference championship, such as men’s and women’s cross country, the individual with the highest cumulative GPA amongst the first and second place finishing teams will receive the award. For sports that compete in a conference tournament, the student-athlete with the highest GPA from the championship finals contest will receive the honor. For football, the student-athlete with the highest GPA from the first or second place team in the conference standings is honored.
The torch has served as served as the Empire 8’s primary symbol since the league’s inception in 1999. A torchbearer is “a person who carries a torch at the head of a group of people; someone who leads a campaign, movement and who leads or inspires others in working toward a valued goal. The Empire 8 Torchbearer award captures the essence of Empire 8’s mission of “Tomorrow’s Leaders Compete Here Today” and commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes, which is the league’s hallmark.
2024 Spring Empire 8 Torchbearer Award Winners
Baseball – Mario Cubello, St. John Fisher, Jr., Biology, 3.98 GPA
Men’s Golf – RJ Juodaitis, St. John Fisher, Jr., Economics, 3.76 GPA
Men’s Lacrosse (co-winner) – Jack Gullo, St. John Fisher, Jr., Accounting, 3.97 GPA
Men’s Lacrosse (co-winner) – Brady Mason, St. John Fisher, Jr., Finance, 3.97 GPA
Women’s Lacrosse – Aana Blaszka, Utica, Sr., Psychology, 3.96 GPA
Softball – Marion Leskovar, St. John Fisher, Jr., Political Science, 3.96 GPA
Men’s Tennis – Curtis Clemont, Nazareth, Jr., Math Education, 3.976 GPA
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field – Joseph Nettles, Nazareth, Jr., Biochemistry, 3.98 GPA
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field – Sofie Fischler, Nazareth, Jr., Biochemistry and Public Health, 3.983 GPA
Men’s Volleyball – Andrew Bodensteiner, Nazareth, Jr., Physical Therapy, 3.9 GPA
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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