General | 1/20/2025 1:08:58 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on January 20, 2025, for games played from January 13-January 19. It is the 20th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2024-25 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – LaMarqus Merchant Jr., SUNY Poly, Sr., G, Utica, NY/Utica Academy of Science
Merchant averaged 21.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals, while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor (21-of-36), as SUNY Poly won a pair of league games in three contests during the week. A model of consistency, Merchant had 22 points, nine boards, six assists and three steals at SUNY Brockport Tuesday, 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 67-63 overtime win over Alfred Friday and 21 points, four assists and two steals in a 90-74 win over Houghton Saturday. He also shot at least 50 percent from the floor in each game. It is his second E8 weekly honor.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jaylen Savage, Nazareth, Jr., G, Elmford, NY/Alexander Hamilton
Savage averaged 31.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 per game, while shooting 61.4 percent from the floor (27-for-44) in two Empire 8 contests over the weekend. In addition, Savage hit his 1000th point milestone in dramatic fashion in Nazareth’s 72-66 win over Hartwick on Friday night. Savage led all scorers with 31 points, while shooting 13-for-21 from the floor with six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. His 31st point was on a free throw with 17 seconds left in the game, which earned Savage his 1,000th career point. On Saturday in a two-point loss to Sage on the road, Savage scored a game-high 32 points, while hitting 14-of-23 shots from the field. He also added seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal. It is his second straight E8 weekly honor.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Chris Woodard, Elmira, Fr., F, Elmira, NY/Elmira
Woodard averaged 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game in three Empire 8 contests for the Soaring Eagles last week. He was a key contributor in a 92-85 win over SUNY Brockport Saturday, scoring 16 points on 7-fo-12 shooting to go along with six boards and a pair of assists. It is Woodard’s second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Katie Moravec, St. John Fisher, Sr., G, Newfield, NY/Newfield
Moravec averaged 19.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists, while shooting 53.8 percent (21-of-39) from the floor in three wins last week, as the Cardinals are now 6-0 in Empire 8 play. Moravec enjoyed a career-best performance in an 81-62 win over Houghton on Tuesday, exploding for 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists. She also added 21 points, six boards, four assists and two blocks in a win over Russell Sage on Friday.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Peyton Maneri, SUNY Brockport, Fr., G, Auburn, NY/Auburn
Maneri helped lead Brockport to three wins in league play, as the Golden Eagles are now 6-0 in E8 play, averaging 8.0 points, 2.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game. Her best outing came against Elmira on Saturday, as she poured in 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor. Maneri also chipped in with four steals in a win over SUNY Poly Tuesday. It is Maneri’s third E8 Rookie of the Week honor this season.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Zach Purcell, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., F, Parker, CO
Purcell led the No. 3 Knights to a pair of wins over Nazareth, tallying five points on two goals and three assists, while recording a plus-3 rating. He scored a goal and added an assist in Geneseo’s 4-3 overtime win at Nazareth Friday evening and finished the weekend with two goals and an assist in a 7-2 home win over the Golden Flyers on Saturday.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Ryan Piros, Utica, Fr., G, Hartland, MI
Piros recorded a 1.00 goals against average and .966 save percentage, stopping 56-of-58 shots in leading the No. 2 Pioneers to pair of wins over Manhattanville University. On Friday, Piros made 25 saves and drew an assist in a 3-2 road win. In Saturday's showdown, Piros stopped all 31 shots he faced to earn his first career shutout in a 1-0 win.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Trent Makowiec, SUNY Geneseo, Gr., Diving, Addison, NY/Addison
Makowiec won all four diving events in dominant fashion during the week, as Geneseo took on Alfred University and Case Western Reserve University in a pair of dual meets. On Wednesday, he recorded a score of 364.75 in winning the 1-meter diving event and a score of 390.75 in the 3-meters against Alfred. On Saturday, he scored 355.20 points in winning the 1-meter and 367.35 in the 3-meter against national power Case Western. He won all four events by at least 85 points over his closest competition.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Elizabeth Share, Alfred, Fr., Backstroke/Butterfly, Macedon, NY/Palmyra-Macedon
Share was undefeated in individual events against both SUNY Geneseo and Hartwick College during the week, taking the 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly in both meets. On Wednesday, Share broke the Alfred University McLane Natatorium pool record in the 100-back with a time of 1:00.52, breaking the 2015 record of 1:00.60. Share’s time was over three seconds faster than the rest of the pool. She then beat out the remaining competition in the 200-yard backstroke by over five seconds with a time of 2:11.08 and ended her midweek individual competition with a 1:01.71 victory in the 100-fly against the Knights. On Saturday’s regular season finale against Hartwick, Share started the day off with a 1:00.96 in the 100-back, almost a full five seconds faster than the rest of the pool. She was almost eight seconds faster than everyone in the 200-back, clocking a 2:12.88, just prior to her time of 1:02.50 in the 100-fly to pick up her sixth win of the week. It is her second straight E8 weekly accolade.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jonathan Zavala, SUNY Brockport, Gr., Distance, Montgomery, NY/Valley Central
Zavala nearly broke an almost 16-year-old Empire 8 record in the mile run at the SUNY Brockport Friday Night Rust Buster, crossing the finish line first by nearly five seconds in a time of 4:11.81. Zavala, who finished third in the mile at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships to earn All-American honors, currently holds the second-best mark in Division III to date this season. It is his second straight E8 weekly accolade.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Gabe Giannini, SUNY Brockport, So., Jumps/Pole Vault, Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute
Giannini recorded a pair of tremendous performances at the SUNY Brockport Friday Night Rust Buster, winning the long jump with a leap of 7.23 meters (23’8.75”), while earning a third-place finish behind a pair of Division II athletes in the pole vault, clearing 4.60 meters (15’1”). He is currently ranked seventh nationally in the long jump and tied for 23rd in the pole vault.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Hunter Logan, Utica, Gr., Throws, Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer
Logan placed first in shot put at the Utica Winter Opener with a throw of 16.11 meters (52’10.25”), which is currently the seventh best mark in the event. He picks up where he left off a year ago, as he has placed first six out of seven times since the last indoor season.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Ethne Degan, SUNY Brockport, Fr., Middle Distance, Bainbridge, NY/Bainbridge Guilford
Degan won the 800-meter run at the SUNY Brockport Friday Night Rust Buster, crossing the finish line in 2:19.44, which is currently the 18th best performance in Division III to date this season. Degan also contributed to her team’s second place finish in the women’s 4x400 relay with a time of 4:17.29.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Lea Richard, Nazareth, Gr., Throws, Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls
Richard pulled through with a win in women's weight throw with a result of 16.55 meters (54’3.75”) at the SUNY Brockport Friday Night Rust Buster.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gavin Newman, St. John Fisher, Sr., S, Commack, NY/Commack
Newman led No. 11 St. John Fisher to a pair of home wins on Friday, recording 77 assists to go along with seven service aces, sox blocks and five digs in eight sets played. Newman recorded a career-high 49 assists to go along with five blocks in a five-set win over Buffalo State. He added 28 assists and six service aces in a three-set win over Wittenberg College.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Bodey Groff, Nazareth, Fr., L/DS, Webster, NY/Webster Thomas
Groff had a total of 27 digs in three matches over the weekend for Nazareth, including 15 in a five-set loss to Misericordia, nine in a three-set win over Randolph-Macon, and three in a three-set loss to Messiah. He averaged 2.45 digs per set during the weekend.
MEN’S WRESTLING
CO-WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Trevor Cortright, Utica, So., 133 lbs., Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley
Cortright had a fantastic weekend at the SUNYAC championships, placing first in the 133 lb. weight class. He went 4-0 and only allowed four points against him in all four matches. He won one match by fall, two by major decision and defeated Derek Bernardino of St. john Fisher in the title match by a score of 7-0. Cortright is the first champion in the program's two years of existence while totaling a 20-1 record overall this season. It is Cortright’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Gavin McLaughlin, SUNY Brockport, Jr., 165 lbs., Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C. Ketcham
McLaughlin made his mark at the SUNYAC Championships with a 1st place finish at 165 lbs. scoring 20.5 points. McLaughlin won by fall in the second round and tech fall in the quarterfinals before earning a 10-3 decision in the semifinals. McLaughin had a strong match in the championship, winning by major decision of 10-0 over Mason Rappold of Oneonta. It is McLaughlin’s second 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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