General | 2/24/2025 12:50:50 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on February 24, 2025, for games played from February 17-February 23. It is the 23rd Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2024-25 season. Sports featured include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Zach Eldred, SUNY Brockport, Sr., OF, East Greenbush, NY/Columbia
In a 3-0 weekend for Brockport, Zach Eldred started the scorching hot, slashing 545/.625/1.091 with two homers, nine RBIs, and 12 total bases. In the first game of a doubleheader with William Peace, Eldred went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs. Eldred also started on the bump for Brockport in game one, tossing three hitless innings with five strikeouts.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Conner Walker, St. John Fisher, Jr., P, Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West
Walker was the winning pitcher in the Cardinals' 12-8 victory over Maritime on Sunday. He came on in relief in the high leverage situation in the eighth inning and kept the game tied at 8-8, striking out three batters while keeping the go-ahead run stranded at second before Fisher used a big rally to take the lead for good.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Luke Landis, SUNY Poly, Fr., 3B, Moravia, NY/Moravia
Landis went 3-for-6 with a double, run scored and run batted in, while competing in his collegiate debut, a 16-12 slugfest loss to Montclair State on Saturday. He recorded his first collegiate hit, a single to lead off the third inning and singled in his first run in the fourth and laced a double to left centerfield in the sixth inning.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Avery Oduro-Dompreh, Russell Sage, So., F, Owego, NY/Owego Free Academy
Oduro-Dompreh averaged 21.0 points on remarkable 86.4 percent shooting from the floor (19-of-22), 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals across two games this week. He began the week with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting and two blocks in a 77-69 win at Hartwick. Playing in his first postseason contest, Oduro-Dompreh was 9-of-10 from the floor, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the E8 Quarterfinal at Nazareth.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Merritt Holly, Nazareth, Fr., F, LeRoy, NY/LeRoy
Holly averaged 12.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 63 percent from the floor in a 2-0 week for the Golden Flyers. In the final regular season game of the year against St. John Fisher on Tuesday, Holly had a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while also swatting one block. On Saturday in Nazareth’s 73-65 comeback win over Russell Sage, Holly helped the Golden Flyers survive and advance with seven points, nine rebounds, and a steal. It is Holly’s fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Madalyn Kelly, Nazareth, Sr., G, Webster, NY/Webster Thomas
Kelly averaged 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 64 percent shooting from the floor in two games last week. In the regular season finale against St. John Fisher on Tuesday, Kelly put up 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field while also grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out three assists and adding one block and one steal in a win. In the win over Russell Sage in the first round of playoffs, Kelly led the team with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. She also grabbed six rebounds, had four assists, and added two steals. It is her second straight E8 weekly accolade.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Peyton Maneri, SUNY Brockport, Fr., G, Auburn, NY/Auburn
Maneri helped secure the No. 1 seed in the Empire 8 Tournament for SUNY Brockport against SUNY Geneseo on Tuesday by recording seven steals, adding four points, three assists, two blocks, and five rebounds. In Brockport's playoff win against Elmira on Saturday, Maneri scored six points with four steals and four assists. It is her fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Johnny Mulera, Utica, Gr., F, Rockville, MD
Mulera scored three goals in a weekend sweep over Manhattanville to help the Pioneers earn their eighth-straight UCHC Regular Season Title. Mulera scored pair of key goals in Friday's 5-1 win on home ice. On Saturday, Mulera netted the eventual game winner while on a power play to give the Pioneers a 3-2 victory and secure them the number one seed in this season's UCHC Tournament.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Ryan Piros, Utica, Fr., G, Hartland, MI
Piros made 37 saves on 40 shots to help the Pioneers earn two key victories over Manhattanville this past weekend. He improved his record to 11-1-1 on the season since joining the team in early January. Piros recorded a .925 save percentage over the weekend in helping Utica clinch its eighth-straight UCHC Regular season Championship. It is his second UCHC weekly accolade of the season. It is his fourth E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Riley Henselder, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., A, Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge
Henselder scored three goals and added an assist in SUNY Geneseo’s season-debut at No. 6 Rensselaer on Saturday. He scored on all three of his shots on goals in the game.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Tyler Manning, St. John Fisher, Jr., G, Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Manning made 12 saves to lead the nationally ranked Cardinals to a 12-11 win over Ithaca on Saturday. Manning was stout in the second half, making seven saves, while allowing just three goals. It is his second straight E8 weekly accolade.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sydney Carpenter, St. John Fisher, Sr., M, Rochester, NY/Hilton
Carpenter stuffed the stat sheet in the Cardinals' dominant 20-6 season-opening victory over the University of Rochester on Saturday. She scored three goals and tallied three assists to go along with four caused turnovers and five draw controls.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Maggie Cross, St. John Fisher, So., G, Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy
Cross made six saves while facing 16 shots and allowed just six goals in the Cardinals' victory over the University of Rochester on Saturday.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
CO-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Trent Makowiec, SUNY Geneseo, Gr., Diving, Addison, NY/Addison
Makowiec garnered Empire 8 Diver of the Championship Meet at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships, held at the Webster Aquatic Center. He swept both the 1- and 3-meter diving events, setting an Empire 8 Championship record in both events. He broke an 11-year-old Empire 8 Championship record previously held by All-American Matt Morrison in the 3-meter diving event on Feb. 19, finishing with a score of 614.80. Two days later, Makowiec claimed the 1-meter diving title, winning with a final score of 592.40. Makowiec set the Empire 8 Championship record in the prelims, recording a score of 596.85. It is his fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Brian Pabisch, SUNY Geneseo, So., Freestyle/Butterfly, Huntington Station, NY/Half Hollow Hills East
Pabisch was named the Empire 8 Swimmer of the Championship Meet at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships, held at the Webster Aquatic Center. He won individual titles in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle and was runner-up in the 50-yard freestyle. Pabisch was also part of the winning 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay teams. He recorded a winning time of 49.30 in the 100-fly and recorded an NCAA "B" cut time of 44.84 in winning the 100-free. Pabisch was part of two Empire 8 Championship record-setting relay teams, the 200-free (1:20.92) and 400-free (3:00.96), which were also NCAA "B" cut times. Pabisch concluded with a time trial in the 50-free on Saturday, recording an incredible time of 20.31 seconds, while the 200-free relay dropped its record to 1:20.37 in a time trial. It is Pabisch’s second E8 weekly honor of the year.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
CO-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Alise Hale, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Individual Medley/Butterfly, Schenectady, NY/Niskayuna
Hale was named the 2025 Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet at thr 2025 E8 Women's Swimming Diving Championships, held at the Webster Aquatic Center. She won individual titles in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly and was runner-up in the 200-yard individual medley. Hale was also part of the winning 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams and 400-yard freestyle relay team. She recorded an Empire 8 record winning time of 55.18 in the 100-fly and did the same in an NCAA "B" cut time of 2:01.97 in winning the 200-fly. Hale was part of two Empire 8 Championship record-setting relay teams, the 200-medley relay (1:43.16) and 400-medley relay (3:47.49), which were also NCAA "B" cut times. Hale concluded with a time trial in the 200-yard medley relay on Saturday, dropped its record to 1:42.87. It is Hale’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Elizabeth Tripp, Nazareth, Gr., Diving, Hamburg, NY/Hamburg
Tripp was named Empire 8 Diver of the Championship Meet for the third time at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships, held at the Webster Aquatic Center. Tripp swept both the 1- and 3-meter diving events. She won the 1-meter event on Thursday with a score of 476.45 and won the 3-meter event on Saturday with a finals score of 474.85. Tripp recorded a weekend best score of 508.25 in the prelims early on Saturday. It is Tripp’s second weekly honor of the season. It is Tripp’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Ryan Hagan, SUNY Geneseo, So., Middle Distance, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Hagan helped lead the Knights at the Nazareth Conference Tune Up, where he ran the 800-meters and took first overall with an AARTFC qualifying time of 1:53.56. He also moved into 13th place nationally with that time.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Ellis Urgent, Utica, Fr., Jumps, Cornwall, NY/Cornwall
Urgent placed first overall in long jump at the Pioneer Fast Trax Invitational with a leap of 7.10 meters (23’3.5”), ranking him No. 25 nationally. His mark is now second all-time in Utica indoor program history.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo, So., Sprints/Jumps, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Ambler took first overall in the 60-meter hurdles at the Nazareth Conference Tune Up on Friday with a time of 8.98 seconds. She also won the long jump, posting an E8 best distance of 5.75 meters (18’10.5”), which moves her into 11th nationally in the event. It is Ambler’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Isabel Morse, Nazareth, Jr., Pole Vault, Ithaca, NY/Charles O. Dickinson
Morse broke a program record for the second straight week on her way to winning the pole vault at the Nazareth Conference Tune-Up on Friday. She cleared 3.86 meters (12’ 8”) which is not only the best pole vault height in the Empire 8 this season but moves her into seventh in Division III. It is her second straight E8 weekly accolade.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Griffin Stella, St. John Fisher, Gr., MB, Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili
Stella hit .636 with 24 kills and six blocks for the nationally-ranked Cardinals in seven sets last week. On Friday, Stella slammed 14 kills and recorded three blocks to lead the Cardinals to a sweep of previously undefeated Elmira College in a key UVC and Empire 8 conference contest on Friday night. He hit .756 in the match. On Saturday, Stella He had eight kills and hit over .600 against No. 6 Juniata on Saturday. He also had a match-best three blocks in the contest.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Corey Hollingsworth, SUNY Poly, Fr., OH, Millbrook, NY/Millbrook
Hollingsworth helped the Wildcats to a 2-0 weekend, defeating both Hilbert and Potsdam in three-set sweeps. He swung .217 with eight kills in the sweep against Potsdam. Hollingsworth was a tremendous help in the back row as he tallied 11 digs during that match. Against Hilbert, Hollingsworth had 13 kills and hit .250 to go along with an ace, a block assist, and five digs.
MEN’S WRESTLING
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Kaden Potter, St. John Fisher, Fr., 174 lbs., Ravena, NY/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk
Potter led the St. John Fisher wrestling team with a first-place finish at 174 pounds on Sunday in the Cardinal Invite at Fisher's Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Athletics Center. Potter, who had a first-round bye, beat Ithaca's Aslanbek Sharipov 21-6 by technical fall in the semifinals. He took down Ithaca's John Hecht 8-5 by decision in the 174-pound first-place bout.
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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