SUNYAC Athletes of the Week - April 20, 2026
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC selects its spring Athletes of the Week recognizing performances of 12 student-athletes from seven different member institutions.
Baseball Athlete of the Week - Talon Elkins, Cortland
Elkins batting .611 (11-for-18) with three doubles, a walk, five RBI, nine runs scored and a .667 on-base percentage in a 3-1 week for Cortland. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, three RBI and two runs scored in a 9-6 win at RPI. His two-run double in the top of the eighth gave Cortland a 7-6 lead. Elkins also went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs in a 12-3 win over the Engineers to help the Red Dragons complete the sweep. Earlier in the week, Elkins was 3-for-4 with a double, two hit by pitches and four runs scored in a 12-6 win over Oswego.
Baseball Pitcher of the Week - Connor Durkin, Cortland
Durkin earned a rare six-inning save in Cortland's 12-3 non-league win at RPI on Saturday. He entered the game in the fourth inning having pitched just an inning and two thirds all season, and in his six innings he allowed no runs on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Men's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Jamie O'Neil, Oneonta
O'Neil made SUNYAC history and became the conference's all-time career points leader this past week, recording eight points on three goals and five assists, while he collected three ground balls and caused two turnovers to help Oneonta go 1-0 with a SUNYAC win. His eight-point performance led Oneonta to a commanding 20-10 victory against Oswego. In the first quarter against the Lakers, O'Neil assisted the Red Dragons on a man-up goal to break the previous SUNYAC record of 286 career points set by Cortland's Zach Hopps in 2016. O'Neil currently leads the league with 45 assists this season and is tied for second with 74 points.
Men's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Ethan Francey, Plattsburgh
Francey played a key role in Plattsburgh's defensive effort in a 13-8 win over Canton, consistently pressuring opposing offenses and creating extra possession opportunities throughout the game. The sophomore midfielder recorded four caused turnovers and added four ground balls, finishing with a team-high in caused turnovers. His disruptive presence helped slow opposing attacks and generate momentum shifts for the Cardinals. Francey also made a strong impact offensively, recording a career-high five points on a career-high four goals and an assist, a total that tied for the game high and led the team. His all-around performance was instrumental in Plattsburgh's success.
Women's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Emma Dempsey, Cortland
Dempsey finished with 10 goals on a 58.5 shooting percentage, and added four caused turnovers and three ground balls, in a 2-0 week for Cortland. The senior scored a career-high seven goals and added one caused turnover while playing only three quarters in a 20-5 home win over Buffalo State on Saturday, including registering her 100th career point on her first goal of the game. Dempsey also contributed three goals, three caused turnovers, and three ground balls in a weather-shortened 13-4 road win at Fredonia on Wednesday.
Women's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Sadie Zemanick, Oswego
Zemanick leads the Lakers on defense and continued to do so this week. In two games she caused 6 turnovers while scooping 5 ground balls. She was intergral down the stretch when the Lakers held on to defeat New Paltz 8-7 and remain undefeated in conference.
Softball Athlete of the Week - Ella Sharrock, New Paltz
Sharrock had a historic week. She became the first player in program history to hit for the cycle, doing so in a7-2 win over Plattsburgh, going 4-for-4 with a home run, double, triple and single to lead her team with her second home run of the week tying the single season program record for home runs with seven. She started the week with a three run home run in a 12-0 rout of John Jay. She helped in a 6-0 win over Plattsburgh, batting in what was the game-winning run in the fourth. Against Potsdam, she combined for three more hits, three runs and a triple. She is currently on a 17-game hitting streak and through six games this week, Sharrock went 11-for-21 with nine runs, nine RBI, six extra base hits, a walk, a stolen base with just one strikeout while hitting .524 with an on-base-percentage of .545 and slugging percentage of 1.095. She also had a perfect fielding percentage manning first base with 24 catches, 22 putouts and two assists.
Softball Pitcher of the Week - Alex Frenza, New Paltz
Frenza went 3-0 on the week, threw her second no-hitter of the season and tossed two shutout complete game performances in three starts. Frenza started the week with a five-inning 12-0 complete game shutout over John Jay, allowing just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts. She also helped her own caused with an RBI double with three RBI and a run in the victory. She then recorded her second no-hitter of the season, tossing a 6-0 shutout over Plattsburgh, leaving them hitless and allowed just two walks in a near-perfect seven innings of work, as she also set a career-high with 14 strikeouts. She closed out the week on the mound with a 13-3 win over Potsdam, throwing another five-inning complete game performance, as she totaled eight strikeouts. In her three starts in the circle, Frenza allowed just nine hits, two earned runs, six walks with 28 strikeouts in 17 innings of work and averaged a K/7 of 11.53 with an ERA of .82 and WHIP of .88.
Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Kyler Alston, Cortland
Alston won the 400-meter hurdles at the Cortland Classic with a time of 54.82 seconds. He also anchored Cortland's winning 4x400-meter relay team that finished in 3:15.02, which ranks 14th nationally in Division III. Both times are AARTFC qualifiers, and the relay time is currently ranked first in the SUNYAC by more than four seconds.
Mens's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Isaiah Brunache, Cortland
Brunache finished first out of 44 competitors in the shot put at the Cortland Classic. His distance of 17.50 meters (57' 5") is tied for seventh nationally in Division III and is first in the SUNYAC. Brunache also placed fourth in the invitational portion of the hammer throw with a distance of 52.92 meters (173' 7"). Both of his performances met AARTFC qualifying standards.
Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Miranda Cole, Delhi
Cole set the Broncos' program record in the 200 meter at the Cortland Classic on Saturday, placing first with a time of 23.85 and beating her previous record, set at last year's NCAA Championships, by .08. This time is the fastest in NCAA Division III as of Apr. 19th, 2026. She also took over the program record in the 400 meter with her first-place time of 56.48, an improvement of nearly a second over the previous mark of 57.40 set by Zoë Rodi at the 2025 SUNYAC Outdoor Championships and the 29th fastest time nationally.
Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Nyla Wilson-Epps, Buffalo State
Wilson-Eps continued her breakout freshman campaign with another school record in the shot put at the UB Invite on Friday. Her mark of 12.49 meters gives her a third school record this outdoor season and the top mark in the SUNYAC.
