Hilton, NY — The Russell Sage College women's and men's indoor track and field teams wrapped their first season as a varsity program and garnered considerable acclaim with the release of the 2021 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field All-Conference Awards.
Rookie Dominic Nova (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) was named the 2021 Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Rookie of the Meet. Nova earned runner-up honors to Stokoe in both the 800-meters and mile and was eighth in the 3,000-meter run. The impressive first-year student-athlete led late in both the 800- and mile. He recorded a time of 2:02.77 in the 800-meters and 4:28.52 in the mile. Nova was also the Empire 8 Track Athlete of the Week on March 8.his week's Empire 8 Men's Indoor Track Performer of the week had a strong showing for the Gators on Friday. Nova won the 800 meter run in 1:58.83. He also picked up first place in the 3,000 meter run as well in 9:38.93.
RSC's sophomore Michael Cichy (Selkirk, NY/Broadalbin-Perth) was named to the Sportsman Team as well.
Leading the way for the RSC women's team, sophomore Shakura Murray (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) was named to the All-Conference Second Team in the 200 meter dash with her second place showing in 28.15.
Sage's distance medley relay finished in second place with an impressive time of 13:59.16 behind the efforts of rookies Emma Cronin (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich Central) and Sarah Masse (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), sophomore Molly Kane (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia), and rookie Mackenzie Feeney (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) and was named to the league's Second Team.
Rookie Monalisa Carius (Hudson, NY/Hudson) was honored as a member of the Sportswoman Team for her performance at the meet.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2021 Women's and Men's Indoor Track & Field Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen and sportsmen.
To be named an E8 All-Conference selection, a student athlete must have finished in the top two of an event at the Conference's Championship Meet. Winners of the event are named to the First Team, while the Second Team is comprised of the runner-up from each event.
2021 Empire 8 Men's Indoor Track & Field Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Meet: Grant Stokoe, Jr., St. John Fisher
Field Athlete of the Meet: Kyle Rollins, Sr., St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Meet: Dominic Nova, Fr., Russell Sage
Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John Fisher, led by head coach Mike Henchen
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
George Mecca, So., Alfred
Dylan Beckhorn, Jr., Houghton
Jake Suddaby, Jr., Nazareth
Michael Cichy, So., Russell Sage
Anthony DiRubbo, Fr., St. John Fisher
Arthur Bittel, So., Utica
2021 Empire 8 Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship All-Conference Selections
800-Meter Run
First Team: Grant Stokoe, Jr., St. John Fisher – 2:02.02
Second Team: Dominic Nova, Fr., Russell Sage – 2:02.77
Mile
First Team: Grant Stokoe, Jr., St. John Fisher – 4:28.39
Second Team: Dominic Nova, Fr., Russell Sage – 4:28.52
2021 Empire 8 Women's Indoor Track & Field Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Year: Brenna Johnson, Jr., Nazareth
Field Athlete of the Year: Jordan Lehman, Sr., St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Year: Hannah Ragule, Fr., Nazareth
Co-Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John Fisher, led by head coach Mike Henchen
Co-Coaching Staff of the Year: Nazareth, led by head coach James Goss
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Madison Palmer, Jr., Alfred
Hayden Williamson, So., Houghton
Elizabeth Decker, Sr., Nazareth
Monalissa Carius, Fr., Russell Sage
Maria Covelli, So., St. John Fisher
Cora Maxwell, Sr., Utica
2021 Empire 8 Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship All-Conference Selections
200-Meter Dash
First Team: Brenna Johnson, Jr., Nazareth – :27.35
Second Team: Shakura Murray, Fr., Russell Sage – :28.15
Distance Medley Relay
First Team: Chelsea Lamphere, Fr., Breanna Lambert, Jr., Marinna Raqueno, So., Alivia Collins, Jr., St. John Fisher – 13:48.40
Second Team: Emma Cronin, Fr., Sarah Masse, Fr., Molly Kane, Fr., Mackenzie Feeney, Fr., Russell Sage – 13:59.16
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.
