01/19/2025
COLLEGE SPORTS WRAP
By John Addyman
For Jan 19 25
In the fall, we look forward to those days of outdoor sports competition when the “frost is on the pumpkins”; this week we’ll look forward to the “frost on the frost” as temps nosedive.
Our alerts this week are for Alfred University swimmer Elizabeth Share, who is torpedoing her competition…Noah Waterman, the prodigal basketball forward from Savannah who is now roaming the court at the University of Louisville…Finger Lakes Community College freshman basketball player Kellen Foster, who hit a career high in scoring last week…Brockport State sophomore gymnast Julia Klucinec, who placed fourth in the uneven bars and whose team is 2-0…St. John Fisher freshman pole vaulter Oren Welch, who was a hit in a huge event in Boston…and so many more.
BASKETBALL
Utica University women’s basketball extended its losing streak to nine games, dropping three games during the week. Sophomore forward Jaida Larsen (Clyde-Savannah) scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in her best game for the Pioneers in the 36-76 loss to Geneseo State on Tuesday.
On Friday, Jaida scored two points and had two rebounds in the 43-92 loss to Houghton. In the closest game of the week, a 59-62 decision against Alfred University on Saturday, Jaida only got a few seconds on the floor. Utica is 2-13 (0-6 Empire 8).
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Noah Waterman, a transfer from Brigham Young University, is a sixth-year forward now suited up for the University of Louisville, which won both of its games this week. A Savannah/Pathlight Academy grad, he got back in the area on Tuesday for an 85-61 smackdown of Syracuse, scoring two points and snaring two rebounds.
Saturday afternoon, the Cardinals pushed Virginia aside, 81-67, and are now 14-5 (7-1 ACC).
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Starting junior guard Mason Blankenberg (Wayne Central) scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, then added three assists and three steals to help power Penn State/Behrend to a 74-68 win over Hilbert College on Wednesday, cutting short a two-game losing streak. The Lions are 8-7 (3-3 AMCC).
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Niagara University’s men lost three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games last week – 65-68 to Rider on Sunday, 66-70 to Fairfield University on Thursday, and 65-72 to Manhattan College on Saturday.
Grad student Justice Smith (Lyons) led the Purple Eagles with 17 points and six rebounds against Rider, had two points and one rebound versus Fairfield, and finished the week with 10 points and nine rebounds against the Jaspers. Niagara is 7-11 (2-5 MAAC).
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Keuka College women’s basketball had a tough week, compiling three straight losses and now looking at the rest of the season with a 5-10 record. On Tuesday the Wolves lost to Hartwick, 44-51; Geneseo State finished off the Wolves on Friday, 40-83, and Keuka fell to Brockport on Saturday, 58-80.
Freshman guard Rylie Pratt (Wayne Central) picked off one rebound in the Geneseo loss and scored two points in the Brockport loss.
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The Gordon College men suffered two losses during the week, 77-89 against Western New England on Wednesday and 82-110 versus Roger Williams on Saturday. Sophomore Brayden Steve (Newark) got into the Roger Williams game for the Scots but did not score. Gordon is 6-9 (2-6 Conference of New England).
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Finger Lakes Community College freshman Kellen Foster (Newark) contributed a game-high and career-high 24 points Wednesday night as the Lakers subdued Broome Community College, 69-59. He also grabbed eight rebounds, made five steals and had three assists.
On Saturday, FLCC lost to North Country Community College, 60-66. Kellen scored nine points and had three rebounds, and sophomore Jace Brown (Red Creek) returned to the lineup to score 12 points off the bench, with six rebounds. The Lakers are 4-10 (2-3 conference).
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Alfred University women’s basketball won both of its games last week and now sports a 10-5 record (4-2 E-8). The Saxons blew past SUNY Polytechnic on Friday, 56-31, and tip-toed past Utica University on Saturday, 62-59. Freshman forward Madison Dohse (Gananda) got into the Polytechnic game and grabbed two rebounds.
TRACK & FIELD
St. John Fisher freshman Oren Welch (Marion) finished third in pole vault (13-7.25) at the New Balance Collegiate Showdown in Boston on Saturday.
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Track and Field teams gathered for the Brockport State home opener – known as both the Rust Buster and the Winter Welcome Back to Brockport – event on Friday night.
Golden Eagle senior Leah Lloyd (Pal-Mac) took fifth place in the 500-meter dash (1:28.75) and was seventh in the mile (5:33.95), right behind junior Vanessa Ramos (Wayne Central) who claimed a sixth-place finish in the mile (5:32.07).
Fredonia State sophomore Quillan Shimp (Clyde-Savannah) ran to a fifth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.99), and was 26th in the pole vault (2.80 meters) and the long jump (5.59 meters). Sophomore teammate Aidan VanAmburg (Clyde-Savannah) tied for 10th place in the high jump (1.76 meters) and another sophomore teammate, Evan Thayer (Clyde-Savannah) was 11th in the long jump (6.08 meters) and 16th in the 200-meter dash (23.80).
Rochester Institute of Technology sophomore Jack DeFeo (North Rose-Wolcott) won the400-meter dash in an All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference-qualifying time of 49.85.
Kaylea Wagner (Lyons), a freshman at Roberts Wesleyan, took fourth place in the hammer (13.78 meters) and was 10th in the shot put (10.32 meters).
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Potsdam State took its teams to the Utica University Winter Opener on Saturday. Sophomore Sean Henley (Pal-Mac) ended up 28th in the 400-meter dash (59.13), and ran the first lap of the 18th-place 4-by-400 relay (4:01.86) and that time was the seventh-best for the Potsdam program.
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Colorado State junior runner Trinity Wells (Newark) finished 10th in the 3000 meters (10:36.64) at the Colorado Classic 2025 track and field meet on Saturday in Boulder. She was seeded 15th in the event.
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Alfred State College sophomore Charis Evans (Red Creek) placed 29th in the 200-meter dash (32.50) at the Susquehanna University River Hawk Invitational on Saturday in Selinsgrove, PA.
SWIMMING
Oswego State women’s swimming triumphed in two dual meets last week, beating Monroe Community College on Wednesday, 156-49, then swamping Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday, 171-122.
Senior McKenna Briggs (Newark) swam the second leg of the winning 200 medley relay (2:04.55) in the Monroe CC meet, with sophomore Anna Baker (Ontario/Webster Schroeder) taking the third leg. McKenna finished her perfect meet by also winning the 50 free (26.27) and the 100 free (57.00). Anna got her second win by swimming the third leg of the first-place 400 free relay (4:06.43).
At that meet, the MCC men also lost to Oswego, 89-177. In the pool for the Tribunes was sophomore Max Curtis (Gananda), who swam the third leg for the second-place 400 free relay (3:32.01) and the third-place 200 medley relay (1:48.88). He also finished fifth in the 50 free (24.40) and the 100 butterfly (1:07.16). Sophomore George Plucinik (North Rose-Wolcott) finished fourth in the 500 free (6:41.91) and came in sixth in the 200 free (2:14.87).
McKenna started the Wesleyan meet by anchoring the winning 200 medley relay (1:57.90). She then finished second in the 50 free (25.69) and 100 free (56.41), and swam the second leg of the winning 200 free relay (:45.64). Anna took the third leg of the third-place 200 medley relay (2:07.68) and finished fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:08.71), the 500 free (5:56.81) and the 100 individual medley (1:09.88).
The Oswego men also beat Wesleyan, 178-113. For the Redhawks, junior Andon Fedor (Pal-Mac) anchored the winning 200 medley relay (1:39.11), finished third in the 50 free (22.98) and came in fourth in the 50 butterfly (26.03). Sophomore Avery Fedor (Pal-Mac) swam the opening leg of the fourth-place 200 medley relay (1:48.67), and was fourth in the 100 (1:00.79) and 200 backstroke (2:18.48) races.
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Alfred University women’s swimmers lost two dual meets this week, 76-200 to Geneseo State on Wednesday, and 107-180 to Hartwick College on Saturday. Freshman Elizabeth Share (Pal-Mac) swam the opening leg of the third-place 200 medley relay (1:57.49), then won her next three events – the 100 backstroke (1:00.52), 200 back (2:11.08) and 100 butterfly (1:01.71).
ICE HOCKEY
The Neumann University women’s hockey team lost a weekend series to Wilkes University, 0-3 Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Senior forward Lian Sydorowicz (Wayne Central) took one shot Friday night, was 6-for-11 in face-offs, and blocked one shot. On Saturday, she blocked two shots, was 1-for-2 on face-offs and launched one shot. The Knights are 4-9-2 (3-7-2 MAC).
GYMNASTICS
Brockport State’s women gymnasts edged Cortland State on Saturday, 189.00-187.925, as part of First Responders Day. Sophomore Julia Klucinec (Pal-Mac) posted a 9.425 score on the uneven bars and finished in a tie for fourth place. The Golden Eagles are 2-0 in dual meets.