April 20, 2015
SUNYAC honors spring athletes for the week of April 13-19
CORTLAND, N.Y. -Â Â The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) recognizes twelve spring athletes from seven member institutions for their performances during the week of April 13-19, 2015.
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Conrad Ziemendorf (JR)
Cortland (Penfield, N.Y./Webster Schroeder)
Ziemendorf batted .632 (12-for-19) with two homers, four doubles, a triple, 14 RBI, 13 runs scord, a .741 on-base percentage and 1.263 slugging percentage in a 6-0 week for the top-ranked Red Dragons. He opened the week by going 3-for-5 with a double, triple, four RBI, three runs and hit-by-pitch in a 15-2 win at Fredonia. The next day he reached base in all six plate appearances (homer, single, three walks, HBP), drove in three and scored three times in a 12-0 win at Fredonia. In a three-game sweep of Oneonta at home, Ziemendorf was a combined 7-for-11 with a homer, three doubles, seven RBI and six runs, highlighted by a 4-for-5 performance with three RBI in the final game.
BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Brandon Serio (JR)
Cortland (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane)
Serio went 2-0 in two SUNYAC starts for the nationally top-ranked Red Dragons. He allowed only one hit, struck out four and walked none in six innings in a 15-2 win at Fredonia Monday. On Saturday, he gave up two hits and no runs and fanned four in a 10-3 win over Oneonta. He was pulled from that game due to being on a pitch count and was awarded the win. Serio finished the week with nine and two thirds innings pitched, three hits, no walks or runs, and eight strikeouts. For the season he is 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA.
SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Courtney Budynas (JR)
Geneseo (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima)
During the Knights' 10-0 week which included six SUNYAC wins, Budynas hit .468 (15-for-32), with hits in nine of the 10 games, including five multi-hit games. She recorded three doubles and two home runs, while scoring seven runs and driving in 12. Budynas currently leads the Knights in home runs (4), RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.598), while hitting .378, second on the team.Â
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Corrin Spallone (SR)
Geneseo (Greece, N.Y./Greece Arcadia)
Spallone went 5-0 with one save and one shutout in seven appearances during the Knights' 10-0 week, which included six SUNYAC wins. In 33 2/3 innings, she allowed only four earned runs for a 0.83 ERA, while striking out 35 and walking only four. Spallone has a 12-4 record for the season, 8-1 in the SUNYAC, with both win totals leading the conference. She is also second in the SUNYAC in ERA and strikeouts.
MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brendan Damm (JR)
Plattsburgh, Attack (Montauk, N.Y./East Hampton HS)
A tremendous two-game stretch by junior attacker Brendan Damm yielded a 2-0 week for the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team and helped the Cardinals put the brakes on a two-game SUNYAC skid. In Plattsburgh State's non-conference home finale, Damm pumped in five goals and helped his squad erase a four-goal deficit to down Clarkson 14-10. On Saturday afternoon in Oswego, the junior was nearly unstoppable as he totaled a whopping seven goals and three assists to help the Cardinals defeat Oswego State 18-10. In the process, Damm helped Plattsburgh State head coach Ryan Cavanagh become the program's all-time wins leader, too, and upped his SUNYAC-leading goals per game and and points per game averages to 2.75 and 4.38 respectively.Â
MEN'S LACROSSE GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Pete Gropp (JR)
Potsdam (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport, N.Y.)
Gropp earned another two SUNYAC victories last week against Oswego and Brockport. In the two contests he posted a .741 save percentage and a 4.42 goals-against-average. He made 10 saves and allowed just two goals in 45 minutes against the Lakers. Gropp stopped another 10 shots, while giving up five goals in 49:49 against the Golden Eagles. The junior leads the SUNYAC in GAA (6.87) and save percentage (.646).
WOMEN'S LACROSSE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ashley Gentile (JR)
Cortland, Midfield (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker)
Gentile helped lead fourth-ranked Cortland to a pair of conference road wins last week that secured the top seed for the Red Dragons in the upcoming SUNYAC Tournament. In a 19-10 victory at Brockport on Tuesday, Gentile scored a career-high nine goals, the most by a Red Dragon player in 14 years. She also added six draw controls. In a 21-4 win at New Paltz on Saturday, Gentile recorded six goals, four ground balls and four draws. For the two games, she totaled 15 goals, four ground balls and 10 draw controls. She currently leads Cortland (14-1, 7-0 SUNYAC) in scoring with 66 points on a team-high 61 goals and five assists and is second in draws (52) and third in ground balls (26) and caused turnovers (15).Â
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WOMEN'S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nicole Burrows (FR)
Fredonia (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker)
Burrows won two more games to improve to 12-2 this season. She has played in every minute of every game for the No. 20 ranked Blue Devils. Burrows made 13 saves in her latest win, Saturday, at Oneonta. She ended the week with .500 save percentage and 8.10 goals against average.
MALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Dorian Hayden (SR)
Brockport (East Northport, NY/Northport)
Hayden's blazing speed was evident over the weekend as he displayed his top notch talent by competing in multiple events, winning two and placing second and fourth in the others. He won the 400-meter dash by a split second edging out the competition with a time of 48.06. Hayden also anchored Brockport's winning 4x400-meter relay team that defeated the closest runners up by more than two seconds. He finished second in the 200-meter dash (21.94), just tenths of a second from another victory and fourth in the 100-meter dash (11.11).
MALE FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Patrick Weinert (SR)
Oneonta (Schenevus, NY/Schenevus)
Weinert won the hammer throw this past weekend at the Cortland Classic. His distance of 61.60m (202'1") broke his own school and SUNYAC record in the event. His throw is currently #4 in Division III.
FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Jess Huber (JR)
Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown HS)
Huber broke her own school record in the 100-meter dash at Saturday's UAlbany Spring Classic with a time of 11.95 seconds. The time currently is second-fastest in the ECAC. Huber also sprinted in the 200-meter dash, clocking in at 25.27 seconds. It's currently the fastest time in the SUNYAC and eighth-fastest in the ECAC.
FEMALE FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK -  Taylor Hudson (SR)
Cortland (Victor, N.Y./Victor)
Hudson won the long jump and was the top collegiate finisher (second overall) in the high jump at the Cortland Classic. Her long jump of 5.66 meters (18' 7") was the best of 35 competitors, is an ECAC qualifier, and ranks seventh nationally in Div. III. Her high jump of 1.68 meters (5' 6") is also an ECAC qualifier. In addition, Hudson had the fastest preliminary time in the 100-meter dash (12.66) and the second-fastest prelim time in the 100-meter hurdles (ECAC-qualifying 15.68), but did not run in the finals in those events. Hudson also finished ninth in the javelin at 23.37 meters (76' 8").
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Conrad Ziemendorf (JR)
Cortland (Penfield, N.Y./Webster Schroeder)
Ziemendorf batted .632 (12-for-19) with two homers, four doubles, a triple, 14 RBI, 13 runs scord, a .741 on-base percentage and 1.263 slugging percentage in a 6-0 week for the top-ranked Red Dragons. He opened the week by going 3-for-5 with a double, triple, four RBI, three runs and hit-by-pitch in a 15-2 win at Fredonia. The next day he reached base in all six plate appearances (homer, single, three walks, HBP), drove in three and scored three times in a 12-0 win at Fredonia. In a three-game sweep of Oneonta at home, Ziemendorf was a combined 7-for-11 with a homer, three doubles, seven RBI and six runs, highlighted by a 4-for-5 performance with three RBI in the final game.
BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Brandon Serio (JR)
Cortland (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane)
Serio went 2-0 in two SUNYAC starts for the nationally top-ranked Red Dragons. He allowed only one hit, struck out four and walked none in six innings in a 15-2 win at Fredonia Monday. On Saturday, he gave up two hits and no runs and fanned four in a 10-3 win over Oneonta. He was pulled from that game due to being on a pitch count and was awarded the win. Serio finished the week with nine and two thirds innings pitched, three hits, no walks or runs, and eight strikeouts. For the season he is 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA.
SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Courtney Budynas (JR)
Geneseo (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima)
During the Knights' 10-0 week which included six SUNYAC wins, Budynas hit .468 (15-for-32), with hits in nine of the 10 games, including five multi-hit games. She recorded three doubles and two home runs, while scoring seven runs and driving in 12. Budynas currently leads the Knights in home runs (4), RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.598), while hitting .378, second on the team.Â
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Corrin Spallone (SR)
Geneseo (Greece, N.Y./Greece Arcadia)
Spallone went 5-0 with one save and one shutout in seven appearances during the Knights' 10-0 week, which included six SUNYAC wins. In 33 2/3 innings, she allowed only four earned runs for a 0.83 ERA, while striking out 35 and walking only four. Spallone has a 12-4 record for the season, 8-1 in the SUNYAC, with both win totals leading the conference. She is also second in the SUNYAC in ERA and strikeouts.
MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brendan Damm (JR)
Plattsburgh, Attack (Montauk, N.Y./East Hampton HS)
A tremendous two-game stretch by junior attacker Brendan Damm yielded a 2-0 week for the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team and helped the Cardinals put the brakes on a two-game SUNYAC skid. In Plattsburgh State's non-conference home finale, Damm pumped in five goals and helped his squad erase a four-goal deficit to down Clarkson 14-10. On Saturday afternoon in Oswego, the junior was nearly unstoppable as he totaled a whopping seven goals and three assists to help the Cardinals defeat Oswego State 18-10. In the process, Damm helped Plattsburgh State head coach Ryan Cavanagh become the program's all-time wins leader, too, and upped his SUNYAC-leading goals per game and and points per game averages to 2.75 and 4.38 respectively.Â
MEN'S LACROSSE GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Pete Gropp (JR)
Potsdam (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport, N.Y.)
Gropp earned another two SUNYAC victories last week against Oswego and Brockport. In the two contests he posted a .741 save percentage and a 4.42 goals-against-average. He made 10 saves and allowed just two goals in 45 minutes against the Lakers. Gropp stopped another 10 shots, while giving up five goals in 49:49 against the Golden Eagles. The junior leads the SUNYAC in GAA (6.87) and save percentage (.646).
WOMEN'S LACROSSE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ashley Gentile (JR)
Cortland, Midfield (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker)
Gentile helped lead fourth-ranked Cortland to a pair of conference road wins last week that secured the top seed for the Red Dragons in the upcoming SUNYAC Tournament. In a 19-10 victory at Brockport on Tuesday, Gentile scored a career-high nine goals, the most by a Red Dragon player in 14 years. She also added six draw controls. In a 21-4 win at New Paltz on Saturday, Gentile recorded six goals, four ground balls and four draws. For the two games, she totaled 15 goals, four ground balls and 10 draw controls. She currently leads Cortland (14-1, 7-0 SUNYAC) in scoring with 66 points on a team-high 61 goals and five assists and is second in draws (52) and third in ground balls (26) and caused turnovers (15).Â
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WOMEN'S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nicole Burrows (FR)
Fredonia (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker)
Burrows won two more games to improve to 12-2 this season. She has played in every minute of every game for the No. 20 ranked Blue Devils. Burrows made 13 saves in her latest win, Saturday, at Oneonta. She ended the week with .500 save percentage and 8.10 goals against average.
MALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Dorian Hayden (SR)
Brockport (East Northport, NY/Northport)
Hayden's blazing speed was evident over the weekend as he displayed his top notch talent by competing in multiple events, winning two and placing second and fourth in the others. He won the 400-meter dash by a split second edging out the competition with a time of 48.06. Hayden also anchored Brockport's winning 4x400-meter relay team that defeated the closest runners up by more than two seconds. He finished second in the 200-meter dash (21.94), just tenths of a second from another victory and fourth in the 100-meter dash (11.11).
MALE FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Patrick Weinert (SR)
Oneonta (Schenevus, NY/Schenevus)
Weinert won the hammer throw this past weekend at the Cortland Classic. His distance of 61.60m (202'1") broke his own school and SUNYAC record in the event. His throw is currently #4 in Division III.
FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Jess Huber (JR)
Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown HS)
Huber broke her own school record in the 100-meter dash at Saturday's UAlbany Spring Classic with a time of 11.95 seconds. The time currently is second-fastest in the ECAC. Huber also sprinted in the 200-meter dash, clocking in at 25.27 seconds. It's currently the fastest time in the SUNYAC and eighth-fastest in the ECAC.
FEMALE FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK -  Taylor Hudson (SR)
Cortland (Victor, N.Y./Victor)
Hudson won the long jump and was the top collegiate finisher (second overall) in the high jump at the Cortland Classic. Her long jump of 5.66 meters (18' 7") was the best of 35 competitors, is an ECAC qualifier, and ranks seventh nationally in Div. III. Her high jump of 1.68 meters (5' 6") is also an ECAC qualifier. In addition, Hudson had the fastest preliminary time in the 100-meter dash (12.66) and the second-fastest prelim time in the 100-meter hurdles (ECAC-qualifying 15.68), but did not run in the finals in those events. Hudson also finished ninth in the javelin at 23.37 meters (76' 8").
