General | 1/12/2026 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on January 12, 2026, for games played from January 5-11, 2026. It is the 20th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lamar Lovelace, Keuka, Sr., G, Rochester, NY/Northeast College Prep
Lovelace enjoyed a record-setting weekend for the Wolves as Keuka College won a pair of Empire 8 games. Lovelace opened the weekend by breaking a 35-year-old program record as he scored 41 points, the most ever in a game at Keuka College, in the Wolves' 105-100 win over Russell Sage College. He added nine rebounds to go with the single-game scoring record, in which he shot 15-of-24 from the field and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line. It was also the most points scored in a game by an Empire 8 player since Nov. 23, 2021. Lovelace followed that performance up on Saturday by recording his first career double-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 77-71 victory over Hartwick.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Mekhi Gidney, St. John Fisher, Fr., G, Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute
Gidney averaged 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal per contest, while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor (21-of-40), 7-of-15 from 3-point range and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line over three games, as the Cardinals went 2-1 in league play during the week. Gidney posted a season-high 21 points while shooting 9-of-12, including 3-of-4 from long range, to lead the Cardinals to a 67-49 win over Alfred on Tuesday. He scored 17 points and pulled down a season-best nine rebounds in a road win over Brockport on Friday night.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jaidyn Chest, Alfred, Jr., G, Mayfield, NY/Mayfield
Chest averaged 23.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game in Alfred’s three E8 contests. On Saturday, Chest broke Alfred’s program record for most points scored in a single-game with a career-high 38 during the overtime victory over Utica. She shot a career-high 15-of-26 from the field, along with 5-of-9 at the 3-point line and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. In addition, Chest played a key role on defense as she notched a season-high five steals. In the previous two contests, she led with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists during the Saxons’ hard-fought loss at St. John Fisher on Tuesday. On Friday against SUNY Poly, after a scoreless first half, Chest rallied with a team-high 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals to lead Alfred to the win. It is her third E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Maggie McGrane, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., G, Pearl River, NY/Pearl River
McGrane led Geneseo to a pair of key Empire 8 wins this past weekend as the Knights defeated Nazareth and St. John Fisher to improve to 3-0 in conference play. McGrane posted 20 points, eight assists, and three steals in an overtime win over the Golden Flyers, then backed it up the next day against the Cardinals by scoring 23 against the Cardinals. McGrane also chipped in six assists and five rebounds against St. John Fisher.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Emilee Bacon, Keuka, Fr., F, Buffalo, NY/Sacred Heart Academy
Bacon had one of the best weekends of her young career as the Wolves got their first conference win of the season. She opened the weekend of Friday going a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor while scoring nine points. She tied her career-high with 12 rebounds and set a new high mark with four blocks. She then tied her career-high in scoring on Saturday as the Wolves defeated Hartwick College. Bacon scored 12 for the Green and Gold. On the weekend, she averaged 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – John Gutt, Utica, Sr., F, Middletown, NJ
Gutt continued his scorching hot scoring output with three points on two goals and an assist in a key 5-1 UCHC victory over Nazareth on Saturday. He scored the game’s first goal, and eventually the game-winning score. Gutt also assisted the fifth goal to cement the substantial victory. Gutt’s opening goal was scored shorthanded, while his second, game-winning goal was netted on the power play. He also won 11 faceoffs on the night, completing an outstanding performance that saw him raise his point total to five over the past two matchups, including a pair of goals in each contest. It is Gutt’s second E8 honor of the season.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – David Filak, SUNY Brockport, Jr., G, Northville, MI
Filak stopped 28-of-30 shots in leading SUNY Brockport to a come-from-behind 5-2 win at UCHC foe Elmira on Saturday. After allowed two goals on the first 12 shots he faced, Filak settled down and stopped the final 18 shots on goals over the final 36:16 in earning his fourth win of the season.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Logan Marchese, Nazareth, Jr., F, Mississauga, Ontario
Marchese netted two goals and an assist in a 2-0 week for the Golden Flyers to remain undefeated on the season. She began the week by registering a goal and an assist in 6-2 win over Salve Regina on Monday. On Friday, Marchese scored a first-period goal in 3-2 win over William Smith. The Golden Flyers are 14-0-0 in 2025-26.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Mia Gonsalves, Nazareth, Fr., G, Boston, MA
Gonsalves helped lead No. 5 Nazareth to a pair of wins during the week, 6-2 over Salve Regina University on Monday and 3-2 at William Smith on Friday. She stopped 19-of-21 shots Monday and 14 shots on Friday to improve to 14-0-0 this season. It is Gonsalves’ fourth E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Yousef amr Abdallatif, Alfred, Fr., Butterfly/Backstroke, Cairo, Egypt/Raya Language School
Abdallatif led the Saxons in a road win over Nazareth University on Friday afternoon. He totaled four wins as Alfred won every event. One of his wins broke the Nazareth University pool record as he clocked a time of 56.85 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke, besting the rest of the pool by almost 12 seconds. Abdallatif then won the 50-meter butterfly with a time of 25.68, defeating the rest of the competition by over three seconds. He opened the afternoon by swimming the leadoff backstroke leg of the 200-meter medley relay, swimming the fastest opening split of 26.75, over five seconds faster than everyone else. Abdallatif had the fastest leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay event to end the day with a time of 24.26 as the Saxon team put up a winning time of 1:44.58. It is his fourth E8 weekly honor of the season.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Brendan Jardin-Reed, SUNY Brockport, Fr., Diver, Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post
Jardin-Reed tallied the top score in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives on Tuesday at Nazareth, scoring a 262.85 and 214.15 respectively. It is Jardin-Reed’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Elizabeth Share, Alfred, So., Backstroke/Butterfly, Macedon, NY/Palmyra-Macedon
Share was undefeated in individual events on Friday at Nazareth University. She began the day with the fastest backstroke leg of the 200-meter medley relay, posting a split of 31.81, one second faster than the next swimmer. Share began her individual dominance with a 31.98 finish in the 50-meter backstroke, beating the rest of the pool by almost five whole seconds. She then won the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:09.28, almost three seconds faster than the rest of her competition. Share ended her Friday when she reached the wall first by almost 13 seconds faster than the second-place finisher in the 200-meter individual medley. She clocked a time of 2:36.38. In head-to-head dual meets of the 2025-26 season, Share is undefeated in individual events.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Hannah Kolakowski, Nazareth, Fr., Diver, Cohoes, NY/Cohoes
Kolakowski won the 3-meter dive against SUNY Brockport on Monday. She won both the 1-meter and 3-meter against Alfred on Friday. She received scores of 228.95 in the 1-meter dive and 224.3 in the 3-meter dive against the Saxons, being the only diver to cross the 200-point mark on the women' s side. It is Kolakowski’s third E8 weekly honor.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Corinthian Reed, St. John Fisher, So., Sprints, Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Reed set St. John Fisher’s indoor record in the 300-meter run with a time of 34.66, good for first place, at the Southern Tier Invitational, hosted by Cornell University on Saturday.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Hayden Penna, St. John Fisher, Jr., Pole Vault, Hilton, NY/Hilton
Penna placed first and smashed the program's indoor pole vault record with a mark of 4.90 meters (16’0.75”) at the Cornell Southern Tier Open on Saturday. His vault is currently third best in all of Division III to date this season.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Caitlin Voloshen, St. John Fisher, Sr., Middle Distance, Bethlehem, PA/Nazareth Area
Voloshen won the 800-meters on Saturday at the Cornell Southern Tier Open on Saturday by just over two seconds in a time of 2:22.89. Her performance is the 24th best in Division III to date this season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Makenna Keough, St. John Fisher, Fr., Jumps/Hurdles, Elmira, NY/Elmira
Keough placed fourth and recorded the third-best mark (10.66 meters) in program history in the triple jump, at the Southern Tier Invitational, hosted by Cornell University on Saturday. She also recorded a time of 9.77 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Aaron Hennessy, SUNY Poly, Jr., RS, Geneva, NY/Finger Lakes Christian
Hennessy exploded for a match-high 15 kills, while hitting .737 in a three-set sweep over E8 foe Nazareth University on Sunday. He had the 15 kills on just 19 attempts. In addition, Hennessy had seven kills against nationally-ranked Juniata College and eight digs, seven kills and two blocks against Rivier.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Quincey Staten, SUNY Poly, Fr., OH, Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley
Stayton hit .303 with 41 kills, six digs and four blocks, as SUNY Poly competed in four matches over the weekend at its home invitational. He hit .435 with 12 kills and four digs in his debut against Lasell on Saturday and added 11 kills, two service aces and two blocks in a three-set sweep over E8 foe Nazareth Sunday. Staten finished the weekend by hitting .375 with 14 kills in a five-set thriller against Rivier.
MEN’S WRESTLING
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Paul Lichter, St. John Fisher, So., 157 lbs., Wantagh, NY/General Douglas MacArthur
Lichter defeated Elmira's Kaiden Ellis by fall in 39 seconds in St. John Fisher's dominant 57-0 dual victory on Saturday. It was one of four Fisher falls in the dual match.