Women's Golf | 11/14/2025 11:00:00 AM
The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2025 Women's Golf Invitational Award Winners and All-Conference selections, based on results from the Empire 8 Women's Golf Invitational, which was held at Teugega Country Club in Rome, NY on Oct. 12-13. First-year Emma Sweazy of St. John Fisher University was the Empire 8 Invitational Individual Champion and was the Rooke of the Meet, while Head Coach Bob Simms of Empire 8 Invitational Champion St. John Fisher was the Coach of the Meet.
Sweazy won the Empire 8 Invitational Individual Championship by six strokes, carding a 163 for the 36 holes. She finished six strokes ahead of teammates Sarah Burgess and Ava Malvaso.
Simms helped guide St. John Fisher to the 2025 E8 Invitational team title by 61 strokes over defending champion Nazareth University to earn Coach of the Meet honors. St. John Fisher had three All-Conference selections.
Sweazy, Burgess, Malvaso, Bethany Wineburg of Nazareth and Alaina Weaver of Utica were the top five finishers, securing All-Empire 8 first team accolades. Burgess, Malvaso and Weaver were repeat first team selections.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025 Women's Golf Tomorrow's Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they "compete with honor and integrity" and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical trais as outstanding sportswomen.
"Developing character and integrity is a hallmark of the Empire 8," said E8 Executive Director Chuck Mitrano. "This series is proof that Empire 8 and our member institutions are committed to intercollegiate athletes' important role in higher education."
2025 Empire 8 Women's Golf Invitational Award Winners
Individual Winner: Emma Sweazy, Fr., St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Meet: Emma Sweazy, Fr., St. John Fisher
Coach of the Meet: Bob Simms, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 First Team
Sarah Burgess, Jr., St. John Fisher (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville DeWitt)
Ava Malvaso, Jr., St. John Fisher (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland)
Emma Sweazy, Fr., St. John Fisher (Rush, NY/Rush-Henrietta)
Alaina Weaver, So., Utica (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit)
Bethany Wineburg, So., Nazareth (Homer, NY/Homer)
Empire 8 Second Team
Jillian Draper, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Watertown, NY/Watertown)
Lydia Hickey, So., SUNY Geneseo (Macedon, NY/Penfield)
Grace Kinkaid, Sr., Russell Sage (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa)
Lainie Liberatore, Fr., Nazareth (Camden, NY/Camden)
Jaeda Robinson, Fr., Keuka (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt)
Empire 8 Tomorrow's Leaders
Jillian Draper, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Watertown, NY/Watertown)
Kara Kopyt, Sr., Nazareth (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford)
Olivia Hatch, So., Keuka (Elmira, NY/Horseheads)
Grace Kinkaid, Sr., Russell Sage (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa)
Paige Lasher, Jr., St., John Fisher (Ontario, NY/Wayne)
Paige Graves, Sr., Utica (Syracuse, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius)