General | 4/21/2025 12:55:35 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on April 21, 2025, for games played from April 14-April 20. It is the 33rd Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2024-25 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men's golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, and men's and women's outdoor track and field.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mario Cubello, St. John Fisher, Sr., OF, Bethlehem, NY/Glenmont
Cubello hit .769 (10-for-13) with 11 runs scored, eight RBI, two home runs, five walks and eight stolen bases in a 4-0 week for the Cardinals. He reached base three times and scored twice in a 12-1 win over SUNY Poly on Monday. Cubello reached base seven times in eight plate appearances, stole four bases, and drove in three runs in a doubleheader sweep of Alfred on Friday. In a 19-8 victory over the Saxons on Saturday, Cubello went 5-for-6 with a pair of two-run homers for his first collegiate multi-home run game. He also scored five runs and stole four bases.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Zach Eldred, SUNY Brockport, Gr., P/OF, East Greenbush, NY/Columbia
Eldred snapped Russell Sage’s Empire 8 winning streak at 12 games in the opener on Friday, firing a complete game shutout, striking out seven batters and allowing just three hits and one walk, while needing just 76 pitches to shut down a Russell Sage offense that had averaged nearly 12 runs per game in Empire 8 play heading into last weekend. It is his fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Ryan Vanderlip, St. John Fisher, Fr., INF, Buffalo, NY/West Seneca
Vanderlip hit .500 (7-for-14) and recorded a 1.489 OPS, while scoring 10 runs and driving in eight in a 4-0 week for the Cardinals. Vanderlip had four hits in seven at-bats in a doubleheader sweep of Alfred on Friday, while plating eight runners. He smacked a three-run homer, his first long ball of his collegiate career, in the second game. He scored at least two runs in all four games.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Morgan Russo, Nazareth, So., 1B/C, Illion, NY/Central Valley Academy
Russo hit an incredible .714 and recorded an OPS of 2.479 with four home runs, two doubles, nine runs scored and 11 RBIs, as the Golden Flyers went 3-1 in four league contests. In the doubleheader against SUNY Geneseo Thursday, Russo went 2-for-3 with two doubles in the first game and 3-for-5 in game two, a 17-15 win. In game one against SUNY Brockport Saturday, Russo went 4-for-4 from the at the plate including three homers, the third of which was a grand slam. She drove in nine runs as Nazareth won 17-3. In the 10-2 game two win, Russo slammed a two-run homer. She also walked once and was hit by a pitch.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Trinity Critelli, SUNY Poly, Gr., P, Frankfort, NY/Frankfort-Schuyler
Critelli was nearly unhittable in back-to-back complete game shutout wins over Hartwick and Houghton, allowing just a two hits and five walks, while striking out 29 batters in 14 innings. On Thursday, Critelli fired a one-hit shutout, while striking out 16 batters, as Poly defeated Hartwick, 9-0. The following day, Critelli struck out 13 batters, while allowing just one hit in a 4-0 victory over Houghton.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lincoln Crosby, Nazareth, So., Chevy Chase, MD
Crosby shot a two-round score of 147 (+3) during rounds three and four of the 2024-25 Empire 8 Men’s Golf Championship from Lebanon Country Club over the weekend, which was the lowest two round score among all E8 student-athletes. Crosby also took home Empire 8 Golfer of the Year honors, as his four-round score (first two rounds played in the fall) of 302 was one shot better than RJ Juodaitits of St. John Fisher University.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brady Mason, St. John Fisher, Sr., A, Silver Spring, MD/Montgomery Blair
Mason scored six goals and dished out three assists as he piled up nine points in the Cardinals' wins over SUNY Brockport and crosstown rival Nazareth last week, as they took over sole possession of the top spot in the E8 standings. Mason scored four goals and had three assists as part of a seven-point effort against Nazareth. In the second half, as the Cardinals took control after trailing 4-0 early, he scored three times and tallied two assists. Mason began the week by scoring twice and grabbing four ground balls in a win over SUNY Brockport Wednesday. It is his second straight E8 weekly honor.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Jordon Hankel, Russell Sage, Fr., G, Cold Spring, NY/Haldane
Hankel made 39 saves, recording a .629 save percentage in a pair of Empire 8 contests last week. He began the week by stopping 20 shots in a 12-9 loss to Utica Wednesday and followed that up with 19 saves in an 11-8 loss to SUNY Brockport. It is his second E8 Goalkeeper of the Week honor of 2025.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Maddie Brown, SUNY Geneseo, Gr., A, Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta
Brown recorded 15 points on three goals and 12 assists in a pair of wins that helped clinch a postseason berth for the Knights. She began the week with seven points on two goals and five assists in a win over Keuka and added eight points on a goal and seven assists in a victory over SUNY Poly Saturday. In addition, Brown shattered Geneseo’s career record with 104 assists. It is her second E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kristen Vaccarelli, Hartwick, Sr., M, Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West
Vaccarelli dominated on both ends of the field in a pair of wins that helped clinch a postseason berth for the Hawks, recording 14 points on 11 goals and three assists, while recording 18 draw controls to go along with 10 ground balls and causing five turnovers. In addition, she became the Empire 8's all-time leader in career goals with 221 and counting, surpassing the previous mark of 217, held by Taylor Hughes, who played at St. John Fisher from 2011-14. She began the week with six goals and an assist, while picking up 11 draw controls and five ground balls a win over SUNY Poly Wednesday. She added five goals, two assists, seven draw controls and five ground balls in a 21-7 win over Keuka Saturday. It is her third E8 weekly honor of the season.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Angelina Borowiec, Utica, So., G, Clinton, NY/Clinton
Borowiec made 11 saves and recorded a .611 save percentage, as Utica clinched a spot in the Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Tournament with two wins this week. She excelled by making 10 saves and allowing just three goals in a 20-3 win over Russell Sage College on Wednesday.
MEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gabriel McPhail, Norwich, Sr., Windham, ME/Windham
McPhail earned a pair of singles and doubles wins at the No. 1 position on Saturday, helping clinch the top-seed in the East Division as Thomas rolled to a pair of 8-1 wins over SUNY Delhi. McPhail won 6-0, 6-1 in singles and 8-1 in doubles in match one. In match two he won 6-3, 6-2, and won 8-6 in doubles. McPhail has led Thomas to a 10-match win streak as a team entering the E8 Tourney. It is his second E8 weekly honor of the season.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Jaxson Redmond, Norwich, Fr., Kennebunkport, ME/Kennebunk
Gabe Wettig, Norwich, Fr., Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa
The tandem of Redmond and Wettig proved to be a cornerstone of Norwich's doubles success during the week, compiling a 2-0 record at the No. 2 spot and helping the Cadets earn a crucial conference victory to secure a trip to the Empire 8 Tournament. Redmond and Wettig opened the week by cruising to an 8-2 win over VTSU Johnson, then delivered again in non-league play with another 8-2 triumph over Rhode Island College, showcasing sharp coordination and strong service games. Redmond earned his second E8 weekly honor, while Wettig garnered his third honor of the 2024-25 season.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jacob Miller, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Sprints, Brockport, NY/Brockport
Miller competed in the 400-meters and 4x400-meter relay at the Paul Donahue Invitational at Widener this past weekend, racing to a time of 47.35 in the 400-meters, the 15th fastest time in the country, while the 4x400 relay team came in at 3:11.65, fourth best time this season to date in Division III. His time of 47.35 in the 400-meters tied an Empire 8 record, also held by Peter Girardi of St. John Fisher in 2017.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Joshua Talbot, Utica, Jr., Throws, Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy
Talbot broke the school record in the hammer throw, a record that has been broken in each of the last three meets, with a 57.49-meter (188’7”) toss in route to a second-place finish in the event at the Cortland Classic over the weekend. Talbot’s throw is currently 18th in Division III to date this season.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Brandon Kaplan, St. John Fisher, Sr., Throws, Grahamsville, NY/Tri-Valley
Kaplan placed third in the hammer throw at the Cortland Classic, recording a mark of 56.86 meters (186’6”), which is 22nd nationally in Division III through this weekend's events.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Sierra Doody, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Middle Distance, Webster, NY, NY/Webster Schroeder
Doody recorded the fifth fastest time in Division III this season in the 800-meter run at the Paul Donahue Invitational at Widener over the weekend, recording a time of 2:08.09. That time shattered the former Empire 8 mark of 2:10.45 originally set by Lynn Janovich of Ithaca in 2003. She also competed in the 4x400-neter relay and recorded a time of 3:48.13, a top-10 time in Division III.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Isabel Morse, Nazareth, Jr., Pole Vault, Ithaca, NY/Charles O. Dickinson
Morse recorded an outdoor personal best vault of 3.81 meters (12’6”), finishing first among Division III student-athletes at the University of Rochester Alumni Invitational on Saturday. Her performance is currently tied for the 15th best in Division III to date this 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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