To view the full history of UAlbany Athletes of the Week, click here.
April 30
Female – Novice 4+, Women’s Rowing
Names: Ava Kunac, Cox | Madison Bogart, 4 | Andrea Trifunovic, 3 | Skylar Dannan, 2 | Kelsey Reath, 1
Became the first team in UAlbany women’s rowing history to take home a first-place finish in competition by finishing the final in the Novak Memorial Metropolitan Championships with a time of 8:37.80, defeating Lafayette, Fordham, Fairfield and Iona.
Male – 4x100 Relay, Men’s Track and Field
Names: Shavar Staats Jr., Tooni Ogunyeye, Jose Davis-Whittaker, Rajay Morris.
A quarter of a second away from breaking the program record, the men's 4x100m relay highlighted the weekend by beating defending champion Houston in the first round with a time of 39.96 to win their heat, automatically qualifying them for the finals.
April 23
Female – Caitlyn Frederick, Women's Lacrosse
Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.
In the series against Maine, Fredrick helped the Great Danes sweep the weekend series 3-0. In three games, she recorded a .583 batting average, going 7-12 at the plate. A leadoff slap hitter, she recorded her first career home run along with a triple while driving in six runs, crossing the plate six times herself, and stealing two stolen bases.
Male – Koleton Marquis, Men’s Lacrosse
Hometown: Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, Quebec, Canada
Against Yale, Marquis recorded three goals, including the overtime game-winner in a rainy Great Danes 15-14 victory.
April 16
Female – Kate Del Gandio, Women's Track & Field
Hometown: Mount Sinai, N.Y.
In her first attempt at the heptathlon,
Kate Del Gandio finished first with a total 4,272 points which stands as the eighth best heptathlon performance in program history.
Male – Max Neeson, Men’s Lacrosse
Hometown: Pottstown, Pa.
Max Neeson had a strong showing in an important game against Vermont this past week. The junior defender scored a pole goal, adding a team-high five ground balls and four caused turnovers in UAlbany’s 15-11 road victory.
April 9
Female – Grace Cincebox, Women's Lacrosse
Hometown: Pittsford, N.Y.
Cincebox helped the Great Danes secure a 17-4 victory over UNH on Saturday, April 5, marking their second conference win of the season. Against the Wildcats, Cincebox recorded the winning goalie status as she achieved her 300th career save, making seven saves out of 11 shots on goal for a .636 save percentage. Her four goals allowed were the fewest conceded in a full 60 minutes of play.
Male – Frankie Gonzalez, Men's Track & Field
Hometown: Clifton, N.J.
Frankie Gonzalez contributed to the men’s track and field team by securing a first-place victory at the UConn Dog Fight Invite on Friday, April 4. During the meet, Gonzalez achieved an outdoor-best throw of 15.80m, placing him eighth in program history. His throw earned him a third-place finish and tied him for 11th in the Northeast Region.
April 2
Female – Jessica Brown, Women's Golf
Hometown: London, England
At the Annika ‘More than Golf’ Invitational in Aiken, S.C., over three rounds, on the 73-par course, freshman Jessica Brown finished Round One with a score of 82 (+9), Round Two at 80 (+7) before recording a 71 (-2) on the third and final day. Finishing the Invitational with a +14 allowed her to finish T-33 out of 70 golfers to lead UAlbany in a stacked field. Her low score of -2 was the best on the team throughout the entire weekend.
Male – Brady Smith, Men’s Lacrosse
Hometown: Bayport, N.Y.
In a 17-4 blowout victory over UMass Lowell, freshman Brady Smith spent all 60 minutes in the net to pick up his third win of the season. Against the River Hawks, the Bayport, N.Y. native faced 32 total shots with 15 shots on goal while recording nine saves with just six goals allowed and one ground ball.
March 26
Female – Beatriz Mora Herencia, Women's Track and Field
Hometown: Madrid, Spain,
Beatriz Mora Herencia in her first collegiate meet threw 45.36m (148-10) in javelin, breaking the freshman record. She is second in program history and finished in second place at the UCF Black & Gold Invitational.
Male – Levi McAllister, Baseball
Hometown: Concord, N.H.
Levi McAllister helped the Great Danes pick up a 2-1 series victory over the America East preseason poll favorite Bryant Bulldogs throughout March 21-23. In the three-game series, the redshirt sophomore catcher went 5-14 at the plate for a .357 batting average while hitting two homers, including one in the 14
th inning, in Saturday’s game tallying seven RBIs, four runs, and three walks in three games.
March 19
Female – Paisley Cook, Women's Lacrosse
Hometown: Akwesasne, N.Y.
Paisley Cook sparked the Great Danes to a 16-15 win over Vermont on Saturday, March 15, to put the Great Danes at 1-0 to start America East play. Against the Catamounts the sophomore recorded a career-high 14 draw control wins to help the offense be put in position to score 16 goals vs Vermont while scoring one goal herself on her only shot of the game while also recording one caused turnover in the game.
Male – Dylan Banner, Baseball
Hometown: Plainview, N.Y.
Dylan Banner (2-0) helped the Great Danes pick up a 6-2 win on the road this past Friday, March 14, against Lehigh. The junior right-handed out of Plainview, N.Y., recorded a season-high eight innings pitched with no walks allowed, two earned runs, and seven hits, allowing just 23-of-30 batters faced to reach base, finishing the game with a 2.25 ERA.
February 26
Female - Shenequa Vassell, Women's Indoor Track and Field
Hometown: Montego Bay, Jamaica
Shenequa Vassell medaled twice and was part of the 2024-25 America East Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship Team as she earned first place in the 60m dash by running a personal best of 7.57s in the finals. In the 200m dash, the Montego Bay native earned third, setting a new personal best with a time of 24.46s in the event.
Male - Qualiar Newton, Men's Indoor Track and Field
Hometown: Hyde Park, N.Y.
Qualiar Newton set a new school record at the 2025 America East Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships, when he recorded a throw of 20.67m (67" - 9.75') in the Weight Throw, beating the previous school by 3.75 inches. Newtons throw would allow him to medal at the championships in the event for a second place finish.
February 19
Female - Dylana Williams, Women's Lacrosse
Hometown: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Dylana Williams started in two games for the Great Danes in which she recorded a total of four goals and two assists. In shot accuracy, she recorded a total of six shots with five being on goal for a .667 shot percentage and .833 shots on goal percentage. She went 1-1 on free-position goals to free-position shots with one ground ball and one draw control win.
Male -DeMarr Langford Jr., Men's Basketball
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
Langford Jr. helped the Great Danes defeat UMass Lowell in a thrilling 90-88 overtime road victory on Thursday, February 13. In the game Langford Jr. tallied 39 total minutes and went on to go 6-11 (.545%) from the field and 1-3 (.333%) from the free throw line for 13 total points while grabbing eight rebounds and five assists with three steals.
February 12
Female - Kayla Cooper, Women's Basketball
Hometown: Frederick, Md.
Cooper notched her eighth 20+-point game this season with 24 points in a 48-43 win over Bryant. Continuing the week at Vermont, the graduate student earned a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. With just enough points scored, she is now ranked second in program history with 1,763 points.
Male - Byron Joshua, Men's Basketball
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
Byron Joshua helped the Great Danes defeat Bryant on the road on Thursday, Feb. 6, scoring 68-63, handing the Bulldogs their first America East loss of the season. In the win over Bryant, Joshua recorded a season-best 22 points while shooting 8-13 (.615%), from the field, 2-5 (.400%) from beyond the arc, and 4-6 (.667%) at the free throw line with three steals, two rebounds, and one assist while playing the entire 40 minutes of the game.
January 29
Female - Rebeca Valerie Barrientos Alpha, Women's Track & Field
Hometown: San Salvador, El Salvador
Competed at the Dr. Sander Scorcher at The Track and Field Center at the Armory in New York, New York. Placed fourth in the Triple Jump with a distance of 12.17m (29'-11.25") to sit fourth in the America East and fourth in the Northeast Region this season. Recorded a 12th place finish in the Long Jump with a distance of 5.34m (17'-6.25") and for a Top-20 spot in the America East.
Male - Amir Lindsey, Men's Basketball
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.
The true freshman Helped the Great Danes come out with a 68-62 victory over NJIT on Saturday, January 25. Against NJIT he led the team with 15 points shooting 5-7 (.714%) from the field and 3-5 (600%) beyond the arch with each three hit allowing the Great Danes to regain the lead. Against both UMBC (Jan. 23) and NJIT (Jan 25) he totaled 26 points averaging 13.0 points per game, shot 9-13 (.692%) from the field, 6-9 (.667%) from the three point line ang 2-2 (1.000%) from the free throw li ne with two rebounds for the point guard.
January 1
Female - Kaci Donovan, Women's Basketball
Hometown: Owego, N.Y.
Against the No.6 Ranked LSU Tigers on Sunday, December 29, Kaci Donovan led the Great Danes with 17 points shooting 5-12 (.417%) from the field, 3-6 (.500%) beyond the arch and shot 4-5 (.800%) at the free throw line. In addition to her scoring, defensively she recorded a team high five rebounds, while handing out three assists in 22 minutes of play.
Male - Amar'e Marshall, Men's Basketball
Hometown: Montclair, N.J.
Marshall helped the Great Danes record a 77-70 win over rivals Stony Brook on Sunday, December 29. In the contest the redshirt-junior guard recorded 15 points shooting 6-9 (.667%) from the field, 3-6 (.500%) from the three point line while making four assists. In addition to his offensive success, Marshall grabbed a total of three rebounds.
December 12
Female - Toni Galloway, Women's Track and Field
Hometown: Jamaica, N.Y.
Toni Galloway recorded a first place finish in the women's 60m hurdles at the Crowell Open at the Army-Gillis Field House on the campus of Army West Point. Galloway also finished the event by breaking a new meet record (8.55).
Male - Antwone Messado, Men's Track and Field
Hometown: Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Antwone Messado was the second Great Dane to set a new meet record on Saturday, December 7 at the Crowell Open at the Army-Gillis Field House on the campus of Army West Point when he completed the 60m hurdles in a time of 7.92 for a first place finish to go with his meet record.
December 4
Female - Lilly Phillips, Women's Basketball
Hometown: Greenwich, N.Y.
Lilly Phillips scored 24 points against Stonehill while shooting 9-12, including scoring six of seven attempts from downtown. Throughout the two-win week, Phillips averaged 19.0 points per game while shooting .625 from the field and .615 from outside the arc. The graduate student added three rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks.
Male - Amar'e Marshall, Men's Basketball
Hometown: Montclair, N.J.
During the Great Danes' one game on the week, Amar'e Marshall totaled 17 points to lead the team against Georgetown. A redshirt-junior guard, he shot nearly 50% from the field, with two three-pointers, while adding two assists and four steals in the game.
November 20
Female - Tori Wilson, Volleyball
Hometown: Allen, Texas
Tori Wilson led the Great Danes to a four-set victory over Bryant to secure their spot in the America East Tournament this past weekend. Totaling 10 kills on a team-high .450 hitting percentage and five blocks, Wilson helped UAlbany gain their last regular season win before heading into playoffs.
Male - Kheni Briggs, Men's Basketball
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Making one start in two appearances during a two-win week, Briggs went 8-15 (53.3%) from the field and 6-11 (54.5%) from beyond the three. Defensively, he totaled eight rebounds, all defensive, with four steals while adding one assist and 22 points. Briggs' best performance of the week came on the road vs Dartmouth where he led the team with seven rebounds. In the one road game, he went 7-12 (58.3%) from the field and 5-8 (62.5%) at the three-point line with four threes coming in the first half alone.
November 6
Female - Skyler Smith, Women's Cross Country
Hometown: Niskayuna, N.Y.
At the 2024 America East Championship Smith recorded a 15-place finish in a time of 18:03.52 out of a total of 84 racers for UAlbany's fastest women's runner. With this time, Smith set a new personal best from her previous time of 18:23.3, which was set at the RPI Harvest Classic on September 27, 2024.
Male - Jed Elmbarki, Men's Cross Country
Hometown: Gafsa, Tunisia
Elmbarki set a new personal best when he finished with a time of 24:53.5 in the 8k of the 2024 America East Cross with a 17-place finish out of 84 total racers. Elmbarki's previous personal best was set at 25:56.3 on September 27, 2024 at the RPI Harvest Classic XC Invite.
October 31
Female - Blanca Orsola, Field Hockey
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain
Throughout a two-win weekend for the Great Danes, Blanca Orsola totaled three goals. The senior midfielder/forward scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Maine to help the Great Danes secure hosting rights for the AE Tournament a week before the regular season was over. She added two goals against Colgate during the Senior Day 8-0 shutout victory.
Male - Timo Jansen, Men's Soccer
Hometown: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Timo Jansen scored one goal off a penalty kick in the '85 against Colgate. The junior midfielder added a point with an assist on Ander Castillo's goal in the '29 during the team's 3-1 victory. Overall, Jansen leads the conference in total points (18) while ranking second in points per game, goals per game, and total goals.
October 10
Female - Sophia DeMura, Women's Soccer
Hometown: Rexford, N.Y.
A senior on the team, Sophia DeMura scored her first collegiate goal against UMass Lowell. In what finished as a 3-2 victory for the women's soccer team, DeMura scored what proved to be the game-winning goal. Throughout the game, the defender saw 21 total minutes on the field with just one shot - her game-winning goal.
Male - Faysal Aden, Football
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Faysal Aden, the eldest statesman in the Great Danes' running backs room, had a career day on the road against Cornell. The graduate student had 12 carries for 133 yards, including a career-long 84-yard TD to secure the game late for UAlbany in the fourth quarter.
October 2
Female - Floor de Ruiter, Field Hockey
Hometown: Noordwijk, The Netherlands
In the Great Danes' second league game of the season, Floor de Ruiter scored one goal and added one assist. In what proved to be a 2-1 victory, the senior contributed to each goal scored against UMass Lowell - UAlbany's fellow America East Co-Regular Season Champion from 2023.
Male - Dontae Lunan, Football
Hometown: Miami Gardens, Fla.
A senior linebacker, Dontae Lunan collected 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss against Maine. He finished the contest against the Black Bears with 11 total tackles, eight of which were on his own. A transfer from Bryant, Lunan currently paces the entire CAA in both total tackles (45) and tackles per game (11.3). He is the only Great Dane to have earned multiple sacks so far this season.
September 26
Female - Anna Myhal, Volleyball
Hometown: Poltava, Ukraine
Anna Myhal led the Great Danes to a three-set victory over Coppin State. Totaling 17 kills against the Eagles, Myhal helped to gain a sweep for UAlbany's final regular-season tournament match of the season.
Female - Lara Behn, Field Hockey
Hometown: Hamburg, Germany
On a six-game win streak with the Great Danes, Lara Behn played all 60 minutes in goal in the first conference game of the year. Working as the last line of defense, the goaltender tallied her second solo, third overall, shutout of the season with the 2-0 win over UC Davis.
September 19
Female - Brooke Malek, Volleyball
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Named All-Tournament after missing a year of action due to injuries, Brooke Malek was the key to the Great Danes defense this weekend at the Dog Pound Challenge. Through 14 sets, Malek tallied 75 digs with 5.36 digs per set.
Male - Daniel Shannon, Men's Soccer
Hometown: New York City, New York
Daniel Shannon (2-2-0) picked up his first shutout of the season in men's soccer's 2-0 victory against Marist on Monday, September 9. He finished the match with four saves, against 14 shots.
September 12
Female - Kendall Harris, Volleyball
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Named All-Tournament for her efforts, Kendall Harris shined for the Great Danes in their first weekend in the newly renovated PE Gym. Throughout the UAlbany Invitational, Harris tallied 32 kills for a team-high .338 hitting percentage. The redshirt-junior added three blocks during her 33.5-point weekend.
Male - Myles Burkett, Football
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis.
Continuing the season as the Great Danes' starting quarterback, Myles Burkett is proving himself to both the fans and his teammates. In UAlbany's contest against FBS opponent, West Virginia, Burkett threw for 306 yards without any turnovers. The sophomore had nearly a 50% completion rate with 18 completed passes, including one 49-yard completion.
