General | 2/16/2026 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on February 16, 2026, for games played from February 9-February 15, 2026. It is the 25th 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 lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Josh Garelle, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., F, Rockville Centre, NY/Southside
Garelle was dominant for the Knights, averaging 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while shooting 67 percent from the floor in two crucial Empire 8 wins this weekend to secure a home playoff game. In the Knights 75-57 win over Utica Friday, he posted a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds to go along with six assists and three steals. He shot 11-of-18 from the field while adding six assists and three steals. Garelle followed it up the next day against SUNY Poly by dropping 22 points on 9-12 shooting with eight rebounds. It is his second E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Tyson Clark, Houghton, Fr., G, New Hampton, NY/West Nottingham Academy
Clark set a new career high against Sage on Saturday, dropping 30 points on 11-15 shooting while also notching five rebounds and four assists. Combined with his 17 points versus Hartwick the night before, Clark averaged 23.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on the week while shooting a scorching 71 percent from the floor, 57 percent from 3-point range, and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line. The Highlander newcomer has reached double figures in 19 out of his team's 24 contests and is eighth in the Empire 8 for field goal percentage while sitting tenth in scoring in his inaugural season. It is lark’s fifth E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jaidyn Chest, Alfred, Jr., G, Mayfield, NY/Mayfield
Chest led the Saxons with back-to-back 20-plus point performances in two home games over the weekend. She tallied 24 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in AU’s upset over Russell Sage on Friday. Chest shot 3-of-6 at the 3-point line and 5-of-6 at the free throw line. She later followed with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal against Hartwick on Saturday. Chest went 8-of-21 overall along with 4-of-11 from behind the arc and 5-of-6 at the charity stripe. Overall, she averaged 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. It is Chest’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Stephanie Jean-Baptiste, SUNY Brockport, Sr., G, Jersey City, NJ/John Jay
Jean-Baptiste was excellent in a 2-0 week for Brockport, averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals per game. Jean-Baptiste was excellent in a win over Utica on Senior Day, providing a double-double performance of 26 points and 15 rebounds, while adding five steals. Jean-Baptiste would set a new career high in rebounding against Utica in the 73-64 win. It is her fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Natalie Mai, St. John Fisher, Fr., G, Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon
Mai had a starring role for the Cardinals off the bench in both of the St. John Fisher wins over the weekend. Mai scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting over 29 minutes of action on Friday against Keuka. She accounted for all three of the Cardinals made 3-pointers in the contest. Against Elmira on Saturday, Mai had 10 points while shooting 4-of-9 overall, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range. It is her third E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Blake Frost, Nazareth, Sr., F, Stouffville, Ontario
Frost led the Golden Flyers with three goals and an assist, as Nazareth swept a home-and-home series against UCHC rival Brockport. On Friday, Frost scored the game-winning goal with three seconds in overtime and added an assist in a dramatic 4-3 win. He followed that up with two goals in a 10-1 win over the Golden Eagles the following evening. It is Frost’s second E8 weekly honor.
CO-GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Jacob Torgner, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., G, Mjolby, Sweden
Torgner helped lead Geneseo to two wins and five massive points against No. 6 Utica, making 66 saves on 72 shots against one of the highest scoring offenses in the country. He stopped 32 shots in Friday’s 5-3 win at Utica which snapped the Pioneers’ 11-game winning streak and made 34 more saves in a 4-3 overtime win Saturday. It is Torgner’s fifth E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
CO-GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Sebastian Woods, St. John Fisher, Sr., G, Limehouse, Ontario
Woods was incredible in net for the Cardinals, as they wrapped up UCHC league play in its inaugural season with a pair of wins at Manhattanville University by scores of 3-0 and 4-1. Woods, who played three seasons at Manhattanville before transferring to St. John Fisher, stopped 86-of-87 shots on the weekend, including a 50-save shutout Friday evening. He stopped 36 shots the next day, finishing the weekend with a 0.50 goals against average and a .989 save percentage. It is his second E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Amy Laskowski, Nazareth, So., F, Clarendon Hills, IL/Hinsdale Central
Laskowski led the Golden Flyers with two goals and three assists in two wins over Hilbert that clinched the UCHC Regular Season title and No. 1 seed in the upcoming UCHC Championship Tournament. In addition, she scored her 24th goal of the season, which set a Nazareth single-season program record. On Friday, Laskowski scored a goal and added an assist and tallied three points on a goal and two assists in Saturday’s victory. It is her fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alayna Toole, Elmira, Sr., F, Perth, Rocky River, OH/Gilmour Academy
Toole paved the way offensively for the Soaring Eagles in their first game against Chatham on Friday evening. Toole recorded four of Elmira's six goals on her own, including a UCHC and NCAA Division III single-game record three shorthanded goals. Toole was also 28-of-40 in face-offs in Elmira's three wins this past week as the Soaring Eagles clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming UCHC Tournament.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Katherine Sheahan, Utica, Fr., G, Oak Lawn, IL/Cambridge Academy
Sheahan turned away all 19 Manhattanville shots she faced to split the series and complete her second shutout of the season in a 1-0 win on Saturday that clinched a UCHC postseason berth. Of the 19 saves, 11 of them came in the final 20 minutes to fend off the Valiants’ attempts to even the 1-0 score line. It is her second E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S LACROSSE
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Scott Bovard, St. John Fisher, Jr., A, Denver, CO/Denver East
Bovard recorded five total points on three goals and two assists in a 23-7 season-opening victory over SUNY Oneonta on Saturday at the Pinnacle Athletic Campus and Events Center. His three goals and five points both marked career highs.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jared Kulik, SUNY Brockport, Jr., GK, Amherst, NY/Amherst
Kulik anchored the Brockport defense by recording 15 saves and maintaining a .600 save percentage across all 60 minutes of play. Under a heavy barrage, he kept the Golden Eagles competitive despite the team being outshot 48-24 by Western Connecticut State. Kulik's performance was defined by his consistency, as he recorded at least three saves in every quarter and made a critical stop in the final minute of a tied game.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hailey Lewkovich, SUNY Brockport, Jr., A, Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River
In their season opener against Ithaca, Hailey Lewkovich led the Brockport offense, with five goals, as the Golden Eagles rallied late in an eventual 13-10 defeat. Three of her five goals came in the fourth quarter, as she fired seven shots on goal in the season-opening contest.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Arianna Reed, SUNY Brockport, Jr., GK, LaFayette, NY/East Syracuse Minoa
In their matchup against Ithaca on Saturday, Reed made a total of 11 stops, while allowing 10 goals for the Golden Eagles in a close 13-10 defeat. She finished the afternoon with a .524 save percentage.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Ryan Hagan, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Distance, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Hagan set a new program record in the mile at the Boston University Valentine’s Invite, posting a time of 4:02.39, which also marks the fourth fastest time in Division III this season, the 13th fastest in DIII history, and a new Empire 8 record. Additionally, he competed in the Distance Medley Relay where the Knights set an Empire 8 record with a time of 9:53.37, which is also the fifth fastest in program history. It is Hagan’s third E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Spencer Borghardt, Utica, Sr., Throws, Smithtown, NY/St. Anthony’s
Borghardt and the Utica track and field teams hosted the Pioneer Fast Trax Invitational. He competed in the weight throw event for the Pioneers, placing second with a 17.79-meter throw. The senior thrower was one of just three athletes at the event to cross the 16.00-meter threshold. His throw was good enough for the second-best in program history. It is Borghardt’s second E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
CO-IELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Graeden Heichberger, Nazareth, So., Throws, Springville, NY/Springville Griffith
Heichberger claimed a first-place finish in the shot put with a throw of 15.32 meters (50-3 ¼ ft) at the Division III Elite Meet at the Golisano Training Center over the weekend
. He also finished second in the weight throw with a personal best mark of 17.13 meters (56-2 ½ ft), good for third best in school history.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Sierra Doody, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Middle Distance, Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder
Doody competed in the 800-meter run at Boston University and placed 14th at 2:08.82, which marked a new program and conference record, as well as 16th fastest time in DIII history. She also ran in the 4x400-meter relay and finished in 12th place at 3:49.8, marking the fourth fastest time in program history. It is Doody’s second E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Lauren Jaklitsch, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Throws, Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai
Jaklitsch set a program record in the weight throw with a distance of 18.71 meters at the Nazareth DIII Elite Meet over the weekend, which also marks an Empire 8 Conference Record and the fourth best in DIII this season. She also competed in the shotput and finished third with a toss of 12.02 meters. It is her second straight E8 weekly honor.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – AJ Burda, Nazareth, Sr., S, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Burda averaged 8.2 assists, 2.3 kills and 1.9 digs per set, while hitting .398 in three matches for the Golden Flyers. He registered his first career triple-double with 41 assists, 10 kills at .563 and 10 digs in five sets against No. 18 Buffalo State, while also contributing four service aces and three blocks for a team-best 15.5 points. Burda also notched his third double-double of the year with 19 assists and 10 kills in three sets against Trine. He added five service aces and six blocks on the week. It is Burda’s second E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Jordan Prusky, Poly, Fr., MB, Cohoes, NY/Shaker
Prusky had 12 kills, five blocks and five digs over two matches on Saturday, while hitting .440 on the day. He had seven kills on 12 attempts, hitting .583 against Rutgers-Newark. He added five kills and hit .308 against nationally-ranked SUNY New Paltz. It is Prusky’s third E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.
MEN’S WRESTLING
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Paul Lichter, St. John Fisher, Jr., 157 lbs., Wantagh, NY/General Douglas McArthur
Lichter recorded a late three-point takedown for a resilient 8-6 win by decision over Tyler Rossini, ranked second in the region at 157 pounds, in the St. John Fisher wrestling team's 35-7 dual victory over Brockport on Friday night at the Manning & Napier Varsity Gym. It is Lichter’s second E8 weekly honor of 2025-26.