SUNYAC Athletes of the Week - April 13, 2026
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC selects its spring Athletes of the Week honoring 12 student-athletes from seven different member institutions for their performances during the week of April 6-12.
Baseball Athlete of the Week - Danny Jackson, Cortland
Jackson batted .700 (7-for-10) with a double, walk, six RBI and three runs scored in Cortland's three-game weekend sweep of visiting Fredonia. He opened the series by going 3-for-5 with a double, four RBI and two runs in a 13-3 victory on Friday, and the following day he was 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in a 10-0 win in Game 1 and 1-for-2 with a run scored in a 10-0 win in Game 2. Jackson also handled seven fielding chances at shortstop without an error (four putouts, three assists).
Baseball Pitcher of the Week - Jake Quigley, Oneonta
Junior Quigley pitched a complete game in the 9-3 win over Canton on Friday. He went all 9.0 innings with 121 pitches and struck out a career-high 10 batters. He allowed eight hits with three runs and only one earned run. Quigley finished with a 1.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
Men's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Jamie O'Neil, Oneonta
O'Neil finished the week with 11 goals, six assists for 17 points, totaled five ground balls and one caused turnover, and he broke two Oneonta program records as Oneonta went 1-2 on the week with a SUNYAC win. In their match against Skidmore, O'Neil recorded five five goals and two assists for seven points and became Oneonta's career leader in goals. The senior attackman then totaled five goals and three assists for eight points in a 24-4 conference victory at New Paltz. In the win against the Hawks, O'Neil broke the program's career points record. He then capped off the week with a goal and an assist in Oneonta's contest versus Cortland. O'Neil is currently leading the conference with 40 assists this season, and he is only three points away from becoming the SUNYAC career points leader.
Men's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Charlie Falowski, Cortland
Falowski was excellent in between the pipes for Cortland during a 2-0 week in SUNYAC play. The junior stopped 23-of-33 shots on goal for a 69.7% save percentage, while allowing a 6.10 goals-against average and posting a 2-0 record. In a 20-7 road win at Oneonta on Saturday, Falowski made 15 saves and allowed just six goals in 53:25 in goal to earn the victory. He also made eight saves and gave up only four goals in 45:00 of action during a 23-6 home win over Oswego on Wednesday.
Women's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Mieley Baran, Fredonia
Baran delivered a dominant two-game stretch for the Devils, totaling 13 points on seven goals and six assists while posting a 70% shooting on goal. She recorded nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in a 19–11 win over Morrisville, then followed with four points (3 goals, 1 assist) on a perfect shooting day in a 9–8 double overtime victory against Potsdam, including the game-winning goal in the closing seconds of the second overtime. Across the week, Baran added three ground balls and one caused turnover while helping the Devils go 2-0 on the week.
Women's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Amy Whitman, New Paltz
Whitman continued her impressive junior campaign and once again put up career numbers to lead the Hawks defense with two wins on the week. In an 11-7 victory over Oneonta, Whitman led all players in ground balls (7) and caused turnovers (7). She tied a career-high in ground balls, while setting a career-high in caused turnovers with the former ranking tied for fourth most in the program's single game record books and the latter ranking tied for third most in single game history. She also took reps on the draw circle and picked up two draw controls. She was the main reason why SUNY New Paltz held Oneonta to one of its lowest offensive performances on the season, yielding the Red Dragons to just 11 shots on goal. Whitman backed that performance with three ground balls and a game-high six caused turnovers in a 14-7 victory over Buffalo State.
Softball Athlete of the Week - Kira Wright, Oswego
Wright continued her great season this week leading off for the Lakers. In 17 at bats she scored 9 runs, collected 10 hits, 2 doubles, 3 triples, and batted in 2 runs. She also walked 3 times and swiped 6 bags without being thrown out. She hit .588 AVG, with .667 OBP and 1.059 SLG. She leads the conference in abtting average so far with .514. She also leads the SUNYAC in triples with 4.
Softball Pitcher of the Week - Alyssa Budzinski, Oswego
Budzinski continued to have an excellent freshman season on the mount for the Lakers. She appeared in 5 games this week for 24.2 innings. She allowed only 5 runs while striking out 26. She earned 4 more wins and kept her ERA at 1.04 for the season which leads the conference. She is also tied for the lead in the conference with 8 wins and is third in strikeouts with 65.
Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Kyler Alston, Cortland
Alston finished first out of 37 competitors in the 400-meter hurdles at the Bucknell University Bison Outdoor Classic. His time of 52.40 seconds ranks third nationally in Division III and first in the SUNYAC.
Mens's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Jeremiah Smith, Plattsburgh
Smith delivered a record-setting performance for the Plattsburgh State men's track and field team at the RPI Friday Night Under the Lights & Alumni Meet, breaking the outdoor program record in the long jump with a mark of 7.24 meters. His effort earned a second-place finish on Day One of competition and established a new standard in the event for the Cardinals. The standout performance helped anchor a strong weekend showing as Plattsburgh State placed fourth overall as a team. Smith is currently ranked tied for 10th in Division III in the long jump.
Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Natalie Sweat, Oneonta
Sophomore Sweat ran a personal best of 4:33.59 in the 1,500-meter race to place 29th at the Bucknell Outdoor Classic. She was the second highest Division III finisher in the event and her time ranks 22nd in NCAA Division III and is third best in Oneonta program history.
Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Dory Gosselin, Cobleskill
Gosselin etched her name in the Fighting Tigers' record book with a throw of 40.66 meters (133'5") in the hammer, breaking the program record while finishing 10th in a competitive field. The senior also turned in a strong performance in the discus, placing seventh with a mark of 38.38 meters (119'4").
