The Empire 8 Athletic Conference announced its President’s List for the Fall 2014 semester, and more than 650 student-athletes from the league’s nine full-time members and eight affiliate institutions were recognized for their contributions on the field and their excellence in the classroom.
Recipients of this honor must earn a 3.75 grade point average or higher while participating in a conference-sponsored sport. In addition, the student-athlete must display positive contact on and off campus and be enrolled full-time at the member institution. The conference states, “Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the Empire 8.”
Utica College has 62 student-athletes from 21 different sports rank as representatives on the list. Five Pioneer teams had a collective GPA of 3.2 or better: the women’s basketball team (3.49), men’s ice hockey team (3.35), women’s tennis team (3.26), and women’s ice hockey and field hockey teams (3.2, each).
The football and men’s hockey teams tied for the most representatives with eight each. The football team’s representatives are seniors Matt Dibble (Webster/Webster Thomas) and Joseph Gerbino (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah), juniors Jacob Nigolian (Syracuse, NY/Westhill), Matt Rogers (East Syracuse, NY/Bishop Ludden) and Anthony Sokolowski (Utica, NY/Whitesboro), sophomore David Korogoda (Utica, NY/Whitesboro), and freshmen Derrick Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) and Patrick Shea (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park).
For the men’s hockey team, junior Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)), sophomores Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) and Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)), and freshmen Alex Brissette (Atlanta, GA/Hampton Roads (USPHL)), Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)), Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)), Kollin Schultz (Buffalo, NY/Bay State (USPHL)) and Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) made the cut.
The field hockey team has six representatives on the list: seniors Olivia Cunningham (Bethlehem, NH/Profile), Chasity Eckert (Afton, NY/Afton Central) and Amanda Vitro (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central), sophomore Jessica Smith (Vernon, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill), and freshmen Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) and Jordan Noga (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro).
The women’s basketball team also has six representatives, with graduate student Bridget Greenwald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills), seniors Samantha Stayer (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) and Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk), sophomore Calypso Carty (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West), and freshmen Ashley Mayo (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) and Maggie Tabone (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) making the list.
Juniors Krystine Alvear (Ossining, NY/Ossining), Taylor Giglio (Utica, NY/Whitesboro), Cassandra McNitt (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) and Maddison Vitale (Ilion, NY/Ilion), and sophomore Sara Kubera (Utica, NY/Notre Dame) are the five representatives for the women’s soccer team.
Senior Rose Zaloom (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor), sophomore Anastasia Fitzpatrick (Parksville, NY/Liberty), and freshmen Monica Johnson (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) and Willermine Taloute (Westbury, NY/Westbury) of the women’s tennis team also made the list.
The women’s track and field team has four representatives: senior Julie Bowler (Saranac Lake, NY/Saranac Lake), sophomore Mackenzie Hoven (Clifton Springs, NY/Mid Lakes), and freshmen Ann Ciancia (Glassboro, NJ/Paul VI) and Meagan Stanton (Chemung, NY/Waverly ).
The baseball team made the list with three representatives: senior Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton), sophomore Paul Joyce (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk), and freshman Josh Luczak (Ava, NY/RFA).
The softball team has three representatives: Taglia, who also plays for the women’s basketball team, and juniors Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene) and Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown).
Juniors Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) and Alexis Lyon (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent), and freshman Nichole Sears (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) are the representatives for the volleyball team.
Seniors Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) and Patricia Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville), and junior Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy) of the women’s lacrosse team made the list as well.
The men’s soccer list includes junior Zack Doyle (West Hurley, NY/Onteora) and sophomore Owen Gillam (Bristol, CT/Bristol).
The women’s cross country team is represented by Bowler, who also plays for the women’s track and field team, and sophomore Alexis Holmer (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor).
The two representatives for the women’s hockey team are junior Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) and sophomore Victoria Pelton (Sterling Heights, MI/Belle Tire).
The players that are the one representative for their respective sports are sophomore Alex Malta (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) of the golf team, senior Rich Smith (Albany, NY/La Salle Institute) of the men’s basketball team, freshman Anthony Thomas (Clinton, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) of the men’s lacrosse team, senior Anthony Farber (Delaware Water Gap, PA/Stroudsburg) of the men’s swimming team, Rogers of the men’s tennis team, who also plays for the football team, sophomore Sam Kaczmarek (South Windsor, CT/South Windsor ) of the men’s track and field team, and Stanton of the women’s swimming team, who also plays for the women’s track and field team.
