General | 1/19/2026 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on January 19, 2026, for games played from January 12-18, 2026. It is the 21st 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
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Tyler Cardello, Elmira, Sr., G, Scottsdale, AZ/Desert Mountain
Cardello was an offensive force to be reckoned with for the Soaring Eagles this past week, averaging 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game and shot 57 percent from the floor (24-for-42) in three hotly contested E8 contests. He recorded 36 points against SUNY Geneseo, tying his career high, a double-double against Nazareth with 18 points and 14 rebounds, followed by 24 points at St. John Fisher.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Trevor Hofer, SUNY Geneseo, So., G, Penfield, NY/Penfield
Hofer was stellar this week for the Knights as he led them to wins over Elmira and Utica. On Tuesday, Hofer dropped 23 points at Elmira on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. In a tough loss at SUNY Poly, he scored 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He capped off his impressive week by leading the Knights to an overtime win at Utica, scoring 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting. On the week, Hofer was incredible from 3-point range, shooting 10-for-12, while averaging 19.3 points.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Tyson Clark, Houghton, Fr., G, New Hampton, NY/West Nottingham Academy
Clark averaged 18.7 points, three rebounds, and three assists over three E8 games last week while hitting 16-of-17 free throw attempts. Clark scored 22 points on Saturday, 18 of them in the second half, including two game-winning free throws with four seconds remaining, which handed his Highlanders a 75-73 road victory at Hartwick. He has only missed three of his 36 charity stripe tosses since Thanksgiving, and his 85.7 free throw percentage is sixth in the Empire 8. Clark is currently tied for 10th in the E8 in scoring in his inaugural campaign. It is his fourth E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brianna Carey, SUNY Brockport, Jr., G, Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville
In a 3-0 week for the Golden Eagles, Carey provided a trio of excellent all-around outings. On the week, Carey averaged 16.0 points, 2.6 steals. 2.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Carey's best outing came in a 97-78 win over Utica, dropping a career-high 24 points on lights out shooting from beyond the arc (6-of-8), while adding three steals. She finished the week shooting 47.6 percent from 3-point range (10-of-21), and 47.2 percent from the field (17-for-36) to command the SUNY Brockport offense
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hanah Ferguson, St. John Fisher, Sr., G, Owego, NY/Newark Valley
Ferguson scored at least 14 points in each of the St. John Fisher women's basketball team's three E8 victories last week. Ferguson swished a game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Cardinals to a 63-62 victory over Houghton on Tuesday. She finished with 14 points while shooting 50 percent from the field, scoring 10 of those in the second half. Ferguson scored 15 points with six rebounds on Friday against Keuka and 13 points with two rebounds, two assists and two steals on Saturday against Elmira. Ferguson has scored at least 13 points in each of the Cardinals' last seven games.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Isabella Clute, Russell Sage, Fr., F, Schenectady, NY/Mohonasesn
Clute averaged 8.0 points per game on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting performance and 4.0 rebounds per contest to help the Gators go 3-0 this week. She had nine points in just 11 minutes off the bench in a win over Houghton Friday and added seven points in six rebounds in a win over Alfred Saturday.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gabriel Lundberg, Utica, Jr., F, Gothenburg, Sweden
Lundberg put together a complete performance in the Pioneers' 9-1 win of Nazareth on Saturday, playing a starring role as the orange and blue stayed undefeated in UCHC play. He found success in multiple facets of the game, scoring two goals and grabbing one assist while dominating in the faceoff circle to help push the team to victory. Lundberg was the lone Pioneer to record multiple goals in the win and saw his only assist contribute to the game's opening goal. In addition to his scoring output, Lundberg captured seven of his nine faceoff opportunities, winning nearly every draw as he set up numerous scores for his linemates. Lundberg was also plus-3 on the evening.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Jacob Torgner, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., G, Mjolby, Sweden
Torgner stopped all 32 shots he faced in a 7-0 shutout win for SUNY Geneseo against Manhattanville on Saturday for his second shutout of the season. Torgner now has a .935 save percentage this season and a 1.90 goals against average. It is his third E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sophie Grant, St. John Fisher, Fr., F, Media, PA/Penncrest
Grant helped lead her team to a 1-1 weekend against SUNY Canton, highlighted by a standout effort on Saturday. The forward scored two goals in a 3-0 victory, providing the offense the team needed to close the series strong.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Olivia Last, Elmira, So., G, Sydney, Australia
Last was excellent between the pipes for the Soaring Eagles in their weekend sweep over William Smith. Last only conceded one goal while recording 46 saves on the weekend, 22 on Friday and 24 on Saturday. Overall, Last stopped 46-of-47 shots on the week for a 0.50 goals against average and a .979 save percentage.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Yousef amr Abdallatif, Alfred, Fr., Butterfly/Backstroke, Cairo, Egypt/Raya Language School
Abdallatif broke four opposing schools’ pool records on the week as he was undefeated in individual events, posted the fastest backstroke splits in the 200-yard medley relays and won one of three relay races. He began the week by swimming a 23.82 backstroke split in the 200-yard medley relay at SUNY Geneseo. Abdallatif went on to defeat the entire pool by almost two whole seconds as he broke his first of four pool records with a time of 50.61 in the 100-yard backstroke on Wednesday, just before earning his second pool record win, swimming a 1:52.26 in the 200-back to win by almost three seconds. Abdallatif ended the mid-week meet with the second-fastest split in the 200-yard freestyle relay to help the Saxons finish second in the event and become just the third team this season to score over 100 points against Geneseo in dual meets. He went undefeated at Hartwick while earning another two pool records Abdallatif won three individual events, breaking Stevens Institute of Technology’s, six-time All-American Ravi Sun’s pool records in the backstroke events. He first broke Sun’s 100-back record time of 51.55 with a new time of 49.87. Abdallatif then swam a 1:51.80 to break Sun’s 200-back Hartwick pool record time of 1:52.11. Abdallatif ended his week with almost another pool record, swimming a 50.74 in the 100-yard butterfly to nearly break Hartwick’s own, Mikey Schultz and his 2024 time of 50.50. Abdallatif now has 11 pool records between Alfred University, SUNY Brockport, Hobart College, Nazareth University, SUNY Geneseo and Hartwick College as well as three Alfred University program records. He is 16th in the nation for the 100-back and 37th in the nation in the 200-back and 50-back. It is his fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Greg Meder, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Diver, Plainview, NY/Plainview
Meder helped lead the No. 15 ranked SUNY Geneseo swimming and diving team to an upset over No. 11 Case Western on Saturday afternoon, winning both diving events. In the one-meter dive, Meder scored a 357.85, then followed it up in the three-meter dive with a 361.15. He also swept the dive events on Wednesday against Alfred St., scoring 515.05 in the one-meter dive and 392.45 in the three-meter dive. It is his fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Alex Sotek, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Butterfly/Freestyle, New Lebanon, NY/New Lebanon
Sotek led the No. 21 Knights to a top-25 upset over No. 17 Case Western on Saturday afternoon. Sotek broke one minute in the 100-yard backstroke, placing first at 59.30, she then went on to win the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 54.00. The New Lebanon, N.Y. native also helped the 200-yard medley relay team take first place with a time of 1:46.45, while capping off her meet in second place in the 100-yard butterfly at 58.17. It is her fourth E8 weekly honor of the season.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Morgan Davey, SUNY Geneseo, Fr., Diver, Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa
Davey led Geneseo to wins over Alfred and No. 17 Case Western this week, winning three diving events between the two meets. In the top-25 upset over the Spartans, Davey won the one-meter dive with a score of 274.65, then took second in the three-meter at 270.85. Against Alfred, Davey swept the both events with scores of 447.10 and 281.15 in the one and three-meter dives, respectively.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Ayden Grinion, SUNY Brockport, Sr., Sprints, Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili
At the Brockport Saturday Night Rust Buster, Grinion won the 400-meters in a time of 50.35 seconds and finished tied for second in the 200-meters with a time of 23.12 seconds.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Spencer Borghardt, Utica, Sr., Throws, Smithtown, NY/St. Anthony’s
Borghardt won the weight throw at Utica’s Winter Opener meet on Friday with a toss of 17.10 meters (56’1.25”).
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Shiann Williams, Utica, So., Sprints, Bronx, NY/Hydel
Williams registered top three finishes in a pair of events over the weekend. In the 500-meters on Friday at the Utica Winter Opener, Williams posted a time of 1:21.85, a mark good enough for sixth on the all-time leaderboard. On Sunday, Williams took home first place in the 200-meter open at the Suffolk Ice Breaker Challenge, posting a time of 25.78, beating out several Division I competitors.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Allison Wojciechowski, SUNY Brockport, Sr., Jumps, Lancaster, NY/Lancaster
Wojciechowski took first with a leap of 10.92 meters (35’10”) at Brockport’s Saturday Night Rust Buster meet. She currently sits 39th in Division III in the event.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – AJ Burda, Nazareth, Sr., S, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Burda totaled 91 assists in two wins for the Golden Flyers. He had 51 assists and 7 digs in a five-set win over Eastern and 41 assists and two digs in a three-set win over Wilkes. Overall, Burda averaged 11.5 assists, 1.1 digs and 0.8 kills per set.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Sean Frawley, Nazareth, Fr., RS, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Frawley registered 25 points, including 23 kills, while hitting at a .365 clip, 15 digs and two service aces in a 2-0 week for the Golden Flyers. He Tallied 12 points, 10 kills at .320, eight digs and two aces in five-set win over Eastern. Frawley led Nazareth with 13 kills at .409, seven digs and 13 points in a three-set victory over Wilkes.
MEN’S WRESTLING
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Seth Richardson, Utica, Sr., 174 lbs., Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain
Richardson and the Pioneers returned to action in the 2026 year by traveling to the Floy Lewis Bakes Center to compete in the Will Abele Invitational, hosted by Ursinus College. He opened the tournament with a commanding 15-3 major decision in the Round of 16, then rebounded from a quarterfinal setback by ripping off three straight wins in the consolation rounds. Richardson capped his run with two pins and a decisive win in the fifth-place bout. In his first fall victory, he overcame a 17-6 deficit to win the match at the 6:34 mark. The following bout, he closed out a 7-0 win by fall after 2:45. In the fifth-place match against SVU's Tanner Giatras, Richardson won in an 11-4 decision. It is his second E8 weekly honor of the season.