February 28, 2011
Athletes of the Week Announced
The State University of New York Athletic Conference has announced the athletes of the week for the week ending February 27. This will be the last week for men's and women's basketball and indoor track and field honors due the SUNYAC Championships concluding over the weekend.
Go to weekly winner(s) for Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Indoor Track and Field
ICE HOCKEY PLAYER – Co-Players
ICE HOCKEY PLAYER – Co-Players
Ben Waldman (Pittsford, NY/Pomfret School), sophomore forward - FREDONIA
Fredonia State sophomore Ben Waldman (Pittsford, NY) scored four goals in two SUNYAC tournament games as the sixth-seed Blue Devils have earned a trip to the championship game. It is the first time in tournament history, since going to a six team format in 1998, that the #6 seed will be in the finals. Waldman scored all three goals in a 3-2 first round win at Buffalo State, posting the sixth post-season hat trick in Blue Devil history. He then scored the game-winning goal in overtime at Oswego as the Blue Devils defeated the No. 1 seed and the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, 2-1, in the semifinal round.
Ryan Craig (Easton, MD/ Niagara University), junior forward - PLATTSBURGH
Plattsburgh junior Ryan Craig (Easton, MD) tallied eight points on four goals during two SUNYAC tournament games for the fourth-seeded Cardinals. Craig recorded a hat trick in Plattsburgh’s 4-3 quarterfinal game against Morrisville, including the game-tying goal in the third period to force the overtime. In the SUNYAC semifinal game against second-seeded Geneseo, Craig buried the game-winner with just over two minutes left in overtime to send the Cardinals to the SUNYAC Championship game for the 20th consecutive year.
ICE HOCKEY GOALIE – Fredonia
ICE HOCKEY GOALIE – Fredonia
Mark Friesen (Calgary, Alberta/Central Memorial) freshman
Mark Friesen (Calgary, Alberta) helped the sixth-seeded Blue Devils to a 2-0 week in the SUNYAC tournament, earning a trip to the championship game. He recorded 26 saves in the quarterfinal 3-2 win over No. 3 Buffalo State, including a pad save in the final minute while the Blue Devils were killing a penalty and were skating two men down due to a pulled goalie. Friesen finished with 43 saves in the semifinals upsetting the No. 1 seed Oswego Lakers, the nation’s #1 ranked team, 2-1. Friesen and the Fredonia players killed off all three Laker power play opportunities, handing Oswego it’s fourth loss of the season.
Mark Friesen (Calgary, Alberta) helped the sixth-seeded Blue Devils to a 2-0 week in the SUNYAC tournament, earning a trip to the championship game. He recorded 26 saves in the quarterfinal 3-2 win over No. 3 Buffalo State, including a pad save in the final minute while the Blue Devils were killing a penalty and were skating two men down due to a pulled goalie. Friesen finished with 43 saves in the semifinals upsetting the No. 1 seed Oswego Lakers, the nation’s #1 ranked team, 2-1. Friesen and the Fredonia players killed off all three Laker power play opportunities, handing Oswego it’s fourth loss of the season.
ICE HOCKEY ROOKIE – Plattsburgh
Nick Jensen (Helsingborg, Sweden/Bismarck Bobcats), forward
Nick Jensen (Helsingborg, Sweden) assisted on Plattsburgh’s first three goals against Morrisville in the SUNYAC quarterfinal including the game-tying goal that came at the 13:08 mark of the third to send the game to overtime, where the Cardinals prevailed 4-3. In Saturday’s semifinal game against Geneseo, Plattsburgh also needed overtime to seal the win. This time Jensen assisted on the game-winning goal with just over two minutes left in overtime for the 3-2 win as the Cardinals advance to the SUNYAC finals for the 20th straight year.
Nick Jensen (Helsingborg, Sweden/Bismarck Bobcats), forward
Nick Jensen (Helsingborg, Sweden) assisted on Plattsburgh’s first three goals against Morrisville in the SUNYAC quarterfinal including the game-tying goal that came at the 13:08 mark of the third to send the game to overtime, where the Cardinals prevailed 4-3. In Saturday’s semifinal game against Geneseo, Plattsburgh also needed overtime to seal the win. This time Jensen assisted on the game-winning goal with just over two minutes left in overtime for the 3-2 win as the Cardinals advance to the SUNYAC finals for the 20th straight year.
Justin Mitchell (Buffalo, NY/Bishop-Timon), sophomore forward
Buffalo State sophomore forward Justin Mitchell (Buffalo, NY/Bishop-Timon) was named the SUNYAC Men's Basketball Championship Most Valuable Player after helping guide the Bengals to their 18th conference title on Saturday and first since 2003. Mitchell started the tournament with 15 points and seven rebounds in the 75-56 win over Cortland. He scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting and grabbed eight boards in Friday's semifinal 87-79 win over Plattsburgh. He also dished out four assists and recorded two blocks. In the 67-50 championship win over Brockport, Mitchell posted his ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while also tallying one assist and three blocks. He averaged nearly a double-double for the tournament with 15.7 points and nine boards per game shooting 56.7 percent from the field.
Brittany Finkle (Windsor, NY/Windsor), senior forward
Geneseo senior Brittany Finkle (Windsor, NY/Windsor) was named the SUNYAC Women’s Basketball Championship Most Valuable Player after nearly posting a double-double in three games as the top-seeded Knights won their fourth SUNYAC Championship title in program history and first since 1996 with a 55-48 win over #2 Oneonta. Finkle has 14 points on 5-6 from the field, 1-1 from the arc and 3-4 from the line with six boards and four assists in the championship game. She added 10 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals in the 69-55 semifinal win over #4 Cortland and in the quarterfinals she finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the dominating 73-33 over #8 Brockport. On the week, she averaged 12.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, four assists and 3.3 steals.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE –Buffalo State
Justin Allen (Mt. Vernon, NY/Mt. Vernon), sophomore
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE –Buffalo State
Justin Allen (Mt. Vernon, NY/Mt. Vernon), sophomore
Sprinter Justin Allen (Mt. Vernon, NY/Mt. Vernon)was named the Outstanding Male Track Athlete of the SUNYAC Championship Meet after leading Buffalo State to its first-ever men's SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field Championship on Saturday. The sophomore won two individual championships, was part of a winning relay and set three new championship meet records. Allen captured the 400-meter dash with an NCAA automatic qualifying and meet record time of 48.55 seconds, and crossed first in the 200-meter dash in a meet record 21.76 seconds. He was also third in the 55-meter dash (6.50), and ran the anchor leg on the meet-clinching 4x400-meter relay that placed first with a new meet record time of 3:21.67.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE – Buffalo State
Jazmin Dunham (Rochester, NY/Olympia), freshman
Jazmin Dunham (Rochester, NY/Olympia), freshman
Sprinter Jazmin Dunham (Rochester, NY/Olympia) was voted the Outstanding Female Track Athlete of the SUNYAC Championship Meet, as paced Buffalo State to its third consecutive team title. Dunham was a double winner on the day as she captured the title in the 55-meter hurdles with an NCAA provisional time of 8.51 seconds, setting a school record in the prelims in 8.46. She also won the 200 meter dash in 26.11 seconds.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE – Brockport
Ray Lund (Thiells, NY/North Rockland), senior
The College at Brockport senior Ray Lund (Thiells, NY/North Rockland) won a pair of SUNYAC indoor track and field titles and posted two NCAA Division III National Championship provisional qualifying performances to earn the Outstanding Male Field Athlete of the Meet honors. Lund recorded a throw of 17.82 meters (58 feet, 5 3/4 inches) to win the weight throw, and won the shot put with an effort of 15.66 meters (51 feet, 4 1/2 inches).
Ray Lund (Thiells, NY/North Rockland), senior
The College at Brockport senior Ray Lund (Thiells, NY/North Rockland) won a pair of SUNYAC indoor track and field titles and posted two NCAA Division III National Championship provisional qualifying performances to earn the Outstanding Male Field Athlete of the Meet honors. Lund recorded a throw of 17.82 meters (58 feet, 5 3/4 inches) to win the weight throw, and won the shot put with an effort of 15.66 meters (51 feet, 4 1/2 inches).
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE – Oneonta
Kacy Boburka (Binghamton, NY/ Chenango Valley) sophomore
Oneonta sophomore Kacy Boburka (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) finished in the top eight in three different events including an individual championship in the high jump to earn Outstanding Female Field Athlete of the Meet honors. Boburka cleared a height of 1.61 meters in the high jump, defeating two time champion Kristen Seriksted of Cortland by the tie-break attempts. She then finished third in the shot put with a throw of 11.48 meters and completed the day with a seventh place leap of 5.01 meters in the triple jump.
