General | 3/10/2025 12:47:18 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on March 10, 2025, for games played from March 3-March 9. It is the 27th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2024-25 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s volleyball.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jason Story, SUNY Brockport, Gr., OF, Hilton, NY/Hilton
Story went 5-for-8 in a doubleheader sweep at the College of Wooster on Sunday with two home runs, eight RBIs, and seven runs scored. He recorded an incredible 2.325 OPS on the afternoon. Story homered and drove in three runs in the 11-5 game one win and exploded to go 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, five runs scored and five RBIs in the 14-9 game two victory. Story has connected for four home runs on the season for Brockport.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Keegan Ferris, Keuka, Sr., P, Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge
Ferris pitched the Wolves to victory on Saturday at Penn State Scranton, hurling a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits. He sat down a career-best six batters via the strikeout. It was just his third start for the Wolves after making two starts and 12 relief appearances on the mound last season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Ty Montrose, Utica, Fr., U/P, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
Montrose excelled at the plate and on the mound for the Pioneers. He picked up four hits and a team-high six RBI in his two games as a part of the lineup. Montrose finished that pair of contests with a .500 average and hit well in the clutch with a .625 slugging percentage. In the third game of the weekend, Montrose took to the mound, where he spun a five-inning gem, holding an impressive Penn State Altoona lineup to just three runs on four hits, striking out three batters and allowing his team to capture a key win as he picked up his first-career victory on the mound.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Abigail Gatza, Alfred, Fifth Year, 3B, Burlington, Ontario/Assumption Catholic
Gatza helped the Saxons not only start the season off 2-0, helping Alfred set a new program record for runs in a game with 22 against Regis College in the season-opener and doing so in just five innings of play. The Saxons tied the school record for most RBI in a single game with 19. Gatza went a combined 4-for-6 on Sunday, picking up the 22-0, five-inning win over Regis and a 7-2 win over Montclair State. She had five RBI on the day with two home runs, a double and crossed home plate, herself, three times. She also registered a sacrificed fly and put down one sacrificed bunt. In the field at third base, she assisted on two outs with no errors.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Cassidy Ormond, St. John Fisher, Sr., P, Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
Ormond, the reigning E8 Pitcher of the Year, twirled a gem in the Cardinals' 4-1 victory over Emory on Friday. Ormond, who held previously unbeaten Emory to one hit through six innings, struck out four batters and walked just three while going the distance for her second victory of the season.
MEN’S LACROSSE
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ryan Considine, Utica, So., A, Syracuse, NY/West Genesee
Considine combined for 11 points in two games against Hamilton College and Vermont State Castleton University. His 10 points against Castleton tied his career high from last season. Against Hamilton, he notched one assist and two shots on goal and versus Castleton, he recorded six goals and four assists off eight shots on goal.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Timmy Salit, St. John Fisher, Fifth Year., A, Johns Creek, GA/Johns Creek
Salit scored six goals, including three in each game, in helping lead the nationally-ranked Cardinals to two victories last week against Aurora University and Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO. He also had four assists, including three on Saturday in the 14-8 win against No. 17 Colorado College for a six-point day.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Tyler Manning, St. John Fisher, Jr., G, Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Manning faced 47 shots and made a career-high 19 saves in St. John Fisher’s 14-8 win over No. 17 Colorado College on Saturday. He made seven saves in three quarters in a 17-5 victory over Aurora on Thursday. Manning, who earned his third E8 weekly honor of the season, finished the week with a 6.86 goals against average and an impressive .684 save percentage.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kristen Vaccarelli, Hartwick, Sr., M, Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hill East
Vaccarelli was a force to be reckoned with all over the turf over three contests this past week, piling up 20 points on 14 goals and six assists to pair with 21 draw controls, 11 ground balls and three caused turnovers. She began the week with three goals and an assist against SUNY Cortland on Wednesday. On Saturday, Vaccarelli exploded for a career-high 11 points on eight goals and three assists to go along with seven draw controls in a 23-5 win over Bard. The following day. She added nine draw controls and five points on three goals and two helpers at Smith College.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Allie Klestinec, Nazareth, Jr., G, Geneva, NY/Geneva
Klestinec made 22 saves, recording a .537 save percentage in a 1-1 week for the Golden Flyers. Against RIT on Wednesday, Klestinec had 11 saves and a save percentage of .458. In the 14-8 win over Buffalo Sate on Saturday, she added another 11 saves with a save percentage of .647. It is her second straight E8 weekly honor.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Charlie Wilson, SUNY Geneseo, Gr., Distance, Romeo, MI/Romeo
Wilson set an All-Atlantic Region Indoor Track and Field Championship record, cruising to a nearly 37-second win in the 5,000-meter run from Ithaca College on Saturday. Wilson took the lead at the 2,600-meter mark and pulled away for the victory, crossing the finish line in a time of 14:26.66.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Hunter Logan, Utica, Gr., Throws, Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer
Logan finished second in the shot put at the 2025 All-Atlantic Region Indoor Track and Field Championships from Ithaca College on Friday with a season-best throw of 16.83 meters (55’ 2.75”). That effort, which came on Logan’s second throw of the preliminary round moved him into 13th nationally, which also allows him to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships for the third time in the last four seasons. It is Logan’s fourth E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Victoria Brewster, Houghton, So., Sprints, Montour Falls, NY/Odessa-Montour
Brewster won the 60-meter dash, shattering her own Empire 8 record at the All-Atlantic Region Indoor Track and Field Championships from Ithaca College on Saturday, crossing the finish line in 7.51 seconds. That time is the third fastest in all of Division III this season. It is Brewster’s third E8 weekly honor of the 2024-25 season.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Alexa Belanger, Houghton, Fr., High Jump, Ballston Lake, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Belanger won the high jump at the All-Atlantic Region Indoor Track and Field Championships from Ithaca College on Saturday, clearing 1.68 meters, which also punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships. Belanger cleared 1.68 meters (5’ 6”) in her first attempt on Saturday, which clinched the regional title. The leap was tied for the 16th best in Division III this season. It is Belanger’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Lanna Wandy, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Multi-Events, LaGrangeville, NY/Arlington
Wandy won the pentathlon by 90 points at the All-Atlantic Region Indoor Track and Field Championships from Ithaca College on Friday, compiling 3,514 points, which was the ninth-best performance in all of Division III this season, earning her a berth in the NCAA Championships. She was the top finisher in the long jump (with a leap of 5.68 meters) and shot put, while finishing as the runner-up in the 800-meters.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Owen Wickens, Nazareth, Gr., OH/L, Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Wickens had 33 kills over the weekend and hit .302 in three matches. He also tallied 19 digs, 10 aces, 10 assists, and five blocks. In the first set of the three-set loss to No. 6 Juniata on Friday, Wickens surpassed Nazareth's career kill record of 1,410. He now holds the record at 1,432 kills and counting. In the three-set win over Penn State Altoona on Saturday, Wickens served up an impressive eight aces. He led Nazareth in an exciting five-set win over Baldwin Wallace on Saturday with 18 kills, including five in the fifth set to give Nazareth the edge over the Yellowjackets. It is Wickens’ second E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Evan Devine, Russell Sage, Fr., MB, Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
Devine hit .519 with 17 kills, five blocks and three service aces for the Gators in a pair of five-set contests last week. On Wednesday, he hit .692 with 10 kills and two solo blocks against Bard. Three days later, Devine added seven kills, three blocks and three aces against SUNY Poly.
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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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