General | 11/25/2025 10:30:00 AM
The Empire 8 Conference is proud to announce the Fall 2025 Torchbearer Award winners for academic and athletic excellence. Nine different student-athletes from seven 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.
2025 Fall Empire 8 Torchbearer Award Winners
Men’s Cross Country – Tobias Jeralds, Utica, Sr., Finance, 3.79 GPA
Women’s Cross Country – Emberlynn Nolt, Houghton, Jr., Adolescence Education/Biology, 4.0 GPA
Field Hockey – Heather Bliss, Nazareth, Sr., Elementary Education & Mathematics, 4.0 GPA
Football – Logan Frederick, Utica, Sr., Physical Therapy, 3.93 GPA
Women's Golf – Sarah Burgess, St. John Fisher, Jr., Biology, 4.0 GPA
Men's Soccer – Kyle Arraiano, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Biology, 3.94 GPA
Women’s Soccer – Megan Gates, SUNY Brockport, Jr., Nursing, 3.94 GPA
Women’s Tennis – Samantha Lantzy, Hartwick, Jr., Biology, 3.87 GPA
Women’s Volleyball – Ellie Kalbach, Hartwick, Sr., Nursing, 3.97 GPA