To view the full history of UAlbany Athletes of the Week, click here.
April 25
Female - Lucia Esteban, Women's Golf
Hometown: Poseulo de Alarcon, Spain
Leading the Great Danes to their first MAAC Championship title since 2019, Lucia Esteban finished tied for second with a +1 final score through three rounds of competition. The 2022 Rookie of the Year never left the top three throughout the entire competition. Esteban led the squad with 12 birdies through the 54-hole competition.
Male - Graydon Hogg, Men's Lacrosse
Hometown: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
In a 1-1 week for the Great Danes, graduate student Graydon Hogg scored his 100th career goal against #8 Yale. With two goals at Yale on Friday (Apr. 19), the attack/midfielder added two goals in a 14-8 win over conference-foe, Merrimack, on Sunday (Apr. 21).
April 17
Female - Shelby Bigsby, Track & Field
Hometown: Montclair, N.J.
Competing at UConn's Northeast Challenge last weekend, Bigsby earned top-five finishes in three throwing events. She won the discus throw with a mark of 160-11.00, the second-best of her career. She also placed fifth in the shot put in 45-09.25. Finally, the highlight of Bigsby's afternoon was her personal-best in the hammer throw, placing fourth in 183-09.00, an improvement of more than 16'. Bigsby is now just the fifth woman in program history to exceed 180' in the event.
Male - Will Binder, Baseball
Hometown: Yardley, Pa.
Last week, Will Binder had a strong showing at the plate finishing with a .400 batting average, .591 on-base percentage, and a .667 slugging percentage across five games. In the doubleheader against Marist, Binder reached base four times with two hits while scoring three times and playing a flawless third base. In the weekend series at UMBC, the senior tallied four hits, including a home run and a double, with five walks and three RBI.
April 10
Female - Katie Pascale, Lacrosse
Hometown: Baldwinsville, N.Y.
With 3:43 remaining in the second quarter of the Great Danes' game at UMBC, Katie Pascale scored an unassisted goal to bring her career points total to 300. Already the program's career record-holder in points scored, Pascale is the first member of the women's program to score 300 points in her career, and just the third Great Danes' lacrosse player to reach the milestone following Lyle Thomson and Connor Fields from the men's program. She is the fifth woman in America East lacrosse history, and seventh overall, to score 300 points in a career, and is now one of just four active Division I women's players to do so. Pascale reached the milestone in her 67th career game as a Great Dane.
Female - Morgan Petty, Softball
Hometown: Milford, Del.
Hosting their first home series against UMBC, four-time America East champions, the Great Danes won the series, 2-1. Earning the first hit of the weekend, Petty sent the ball over the left-field fence to put UAlbany on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Walked three times throughout the rest of the contest, the Great Danes ended up with a 3-2 victory for game one. The graduate student outfielder added a second home run on Sunday on her way to batting .500 through the three games.
April 4
Female - Caitlyn Mitros, Softball
Hometown: Warminster, Pa.
In a 5-0 week for the softball team, graduate student Caitlyn Mitros led with a .526 batting average from 10 hits on 19 at bats. Making it around the bases four times, including two stolen bases, Mitros hit one double and earned two RBI in the five-win week. Assisting the Great Danes to a three-game sweep in their first conference series of the year, the fifth-year outfielder went 8-11 for a .727 batting average.
Male - Dylan Banner, Baseball
Hometown: Plainview, N.Y.
A sophomore right-handed pitcher, Dylan Banner came out of the pen in game three with the weekend series on the line. Having split the doubleheader on Saturday (3/30), the Great Danes were looking for a win to take the three-game conference series over the Black Bears. Banner allowed just one run while holding opposing batters to a .071 batting average, including four strikeouts, in the final four innings of the contest to secure his first win of the season and lead his team to their first series victory of 2024.
March 27
Female - Katie Pascale, Lacrosse
Hometown: Baldwinsville, N.Y.
In two games last week for the Great Danes, on the road at #7 Syracuse and at Vermont, Katie Pascale scored five goals and added five assists, while winning 14 draws, five ground balls, and forcing three turnovers. Pascale was the team’s leading scorer in both games, with four total points against the Orange and six against the Catamounts. Further, Pascale moved into sole possession of fifth place in America East history in career points, passing Vermont head coach Sarah Dalton Graddock’s total from when she played at Boston University from 2006-09.
Male - Silas Richmond, Lacrosse
Hometown: Delta, British Columbia, Canada
Facing two strong opponents last week, Richmond totaled 11 goals in a 1-1 week. Leading with seven goals against #3 Virginia, he scored the first three of the contest and two of the last four goals. A sophomore attacker, Richmond assisted the Great Danes with four goals against Vermont to lead to the Catamounts' first America East loss since 2021.
March 6
Female - Wendi Hammond, Softball
Hometown: Chemung, N.Y.
The pitcher of record in all five contests for the Great Danes, Hammond notched a 4-1 record at the Spring Games (March 1-3). Earning a 1.17 ERA in 23.0 innings pitched, she struck out 13 batters in two complete games with three starts. Adding time as a baserunner, the graduate student pitcher totaled two runs.
Male - Aaron Reddish, Basketball
Hometown: Norristown, Pa.
In back-to-back games last week, when the Great Danes hosted New Hampshire and Maine at home, Reddish scored 20 points, the second-highest output of his career. His 20 points against the Wildcats came on 7-10 shooting, and with five rebounds and two steals, while his 20 points against the Black Bears accompanied eight rebounds. Over the course of the two games, Reddish also went a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line.
February 29
Female - Skyler Smith, Track & Field
Hometown: Niskayuna, N.Y.
Smith won her first-ever America East title, claiming victory in the women’s 1,000m in 2:57.33, her second-best time in her career in the event. Her previous best finish in an individual championship race was eighth in the 1,000m in last years indoor championship. Smith also set a personal-best in the women’s mile in a personal-best 4:59.27, her first time under 5:00, and she placed second as a member of the women’s 4x800m relay. Smith scored a total of 15 points for the women’s team to win their 12th indoor title in history, and 10th in the last 11 years.
Female - Toni Galloway, Track & Field
Hometown: Jamaica, N.Y.
After finishing second in both sprint-hurdle races at last year’s indoor and outdoor America East championship meets, Galloway broke through this year to win the women’s 60m hurdles in a personal-best, school record, and America East championship meet record 8.25. Galloway surpasses the previous school record of 8.38 set in 2015 by Michelle Anthony, and the previous America east record of 8.39 set in 2011 by Maine’s Jesse Labreck. Galloway was the only Great Dane to set a meet record at the America East Indoor Championships, which the women won for the 12th time in history, and 10th time in the last 11 seasons.
Male - Travis Robinson, Track & Field
Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica
Robinson was the lone men’s competitor for the Great Danes to set a meet record at the America East Indoor Championships. He won his signature event, the shot put, with a personal-best mark of 60-09.50, improving on his own personal-best and school record of 57-11.00. The previous meet record was 58-11.50 set in 2012 by New Hampshire’s Brice Paey. Robinson is the first Great Dane to record a mark of 60’ or more, and the first America East competitor to do so at the conference championship meet. Robinson’s efforts earned Men’s Outstanding Field Performer accolades, leading the men to their 17th indoor title, and first since 2020.
Male - Shak Williams, Track & Field
Hometown: St. Andrew, Jamaica
Williams swept the individual titles in the men’s 60m and 200m dashes at the 2024 America East Indoor Championships, helping lead the Great Danes to their first indoor team title since 2020, and their 17th title overall. Williams won the 60m in 6.67 and the 200m in an indoor-best 21.35. For his efforts, Williams was named Men’s Outstanding Track Performer for the championship meet.
February 21
Female - Kayla Cooper, Basketball
Hometown: Frederick, Md.
Nearing Senior Day, four-year Great Dane Kayla Cooper keeps proving herself a team player when it comes to grinding out wins for UAlbany. Leading the team in points in both two-point wins this week, the guard notched a double-double performance against NJIT before earning the game-winning layup against UMBC. Throughout the team contests, Cooper averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game with three steals.
Male - Sebastian Thomas, Basketball
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Sebastian Thomas led the Great Danes through a 1-1 week against NJIT and at UMBC. In the first game against the Highlanders, Thomas narrowly missed out on a triple-double, finishing with 16 points (all in the second half), eight rebounds, and nine assists. He followed up his performance with a 30-point effort on the road at UMBC to lead all scorers in the game.
February 14
Female - Lilly Phillips, Basketball
Hometown: Greenwich, N.Y.
In the lone contest of the week, junior Lilly Phillips led the Great Danes with a career-high 19 points. On her way to nearly 20 points in a single game, the guard went 2-2 from downtown in the first quarter alone. A local to the Capital Region, she earned a 100% success rate with nine free throws in the 60-52 win over Binghamton on Thursday (Feb. 8).
Male - Hassan Abidi, Track & Field
Hometown: Rades, Tunisia
Abidi was one of just a handful of Great Danes to compete last weekend, the final weekend before America East Indoor Championships. As a member of the men's distance medley relay team, Abidi split 47.59 for the 400m leg en-route to an 11th-place, 10:04.35 finish at Boston University's David Hemery Valentine Invitational. The following day, Abidi placed 25th in the men's 800m in a personal-best 1:49.45. Abidi's time is the second-fastest in program history indoors, and he becomes just the third Great Dane to break 1:50.00 indoors.
January 31
Female - Kiki Nosile, Track & Field
Hometown: Huntington Station, N.Y.
At the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge at The Armory in New York City last weekend, Nosile placed sixth overall in the weight throw, recording a personal-best mark of 60-03.25. Her result improved on her previous personal-best by nearly four feet, and moved Nosile into seventh place in program history. Nosile is just the seventh Great Dane to exceed 60' in the event.
Male - Shavar Staats Jr., Track & Field
Hometown: Ellicott City, Md.
In just his third meet as a Great Dane, Staats Jr. has already recorded the third-fastest time in program history in the 60m dash. Staats Jr. placed second in the event at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge, crossing the line in 6.71. It was his third result this season of 6.79 or faster. Staats Jr. trails only teammate Shak Williams, 6.66 and program record-holder Travis Williams, 6.59, on UAlbany's all-time list.
January 25
Female - Steph Green, Track & Field
Hometown: Kingston, N.Y.
Green won the weight throw at UAlbany's first competition in six weeks, recording a personal-best mark of 64-05.25. She improved upon her previous personal-best by two feet, five inches, and becomes just the fifth woman in program history to exceed 64' in the event.
Male - Antwone Messado, Track & Field
Hometown: Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Messado, in the Great Danes' first competition since December 2, qualified second in the preliminary round of the 60m hurdles in 8.08, just one-hundredth of a second off his personal-best. In the finals, Messado placed second overall in a personal-best 8.02, moving into fourth in program history in the event.
January 17
Female - Lilly Phillips, Basketball
Hometown: Greenwich, N.Y.
A constant for the Great Danes, Lilly Phillips tallied a Division I opponent career-high with 16 points against Binghamton (1/13). In what proved to be a back-and-forth contest, Phillips tallied nine points in the final four minutes of action to help UAlbany pull away for a double-digit point victory.
Male - Numeer Newton, Basketball
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Newton played a season-high 20 minutes against Binghamton, and recorded his first career double-double with career-highs 13 points and 13 rebounds, leading all players in rebounding for the game. Newton shot 6-11 from the floor, and added three assists and two steals.
January 10
Female - Deja Evans, Basketball
Hometown: Conshohocken, Pa.
A solid rookie for the Great Danes, Deja Evans led the women's basketball team in rebounds per game, steals, and blocks throughout the six games over the holiday season. A starting forward, she average 8.3 rebounds while adding 13.2 points per game with 10 blocks and eight steals. During the Great Danes' New Year's Eve Eve Bash against Navy (12.30), Evans notched her first career double-double with 26 points and 17 rebounds.
Male - Jonathan Beagle, Basketball
Hometown: Hudson Falls, N.Y.
In six games over the holiday season, during which time the Great Danes went 3-3, Jonathan averaged a double-double 16.8 points and 10.3 rebounds. Beagle started five of UAlbany's six games, and recorded a field goal percentage of .619. He recorded double-doubles in three games, including a 19-point, 16-rebound effort to open the conference season at NJIT.
December 13
Female - Kayla Cooper, Basketball
Hometown: Frederick, Md.
Leading the Great Danes in all major stats through a 2-0 week, Cooper tallied two consecutive double-doubles in victories over CCSU (12/6) and Marist (12.9). Averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, the senior guard added six assists, six blocks, and five steals.
Male - Brevin Easton, Football
Hometown: Severn, Md.
A major part in the Great Danes' quarterfinal victory over the host, Idaho, Easton played a part in three out of four touchdowns and three of five scoring plays. Totaling 228 yards, he caught three touchdown passes over 30 yards, including one 64-yard pass, to lead UAlbany to a 30-22 win for the program's first trip to the FCS Semifinals.
December 7
Female - Leann Nicholas, Track & Field
Hometown: Farmingdale, N.Y.
Picking up where she left off a season ago, Leann Nicholas claimed victory in the first indoor meet of the year, the Army West Point Carlton Crowell Open, in her signature event, the triple jump. Her mark of 41-06.00 was more than four feet further than second place. Her result held up through the first weekend of the season, ranking first among all NCAA Division I competitors.
Male - Travis Robinson, Track & Field
Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica
Competing for the first time since April 8 due to an injury, Travis Robinson announced his return to action with authority, setting a new personal best in the shot put of 57-11.00. The mark exceeded his previous best, his own indoor and overall UAlbany program record, of 55-03.00 set at the 2022 America East Indoor Championship meet. After the first weekend of the season, Robinson ranks 11th in his event among NCAA Division I competitors.
November 30
Female - Deja Evans, Basketball
Hometown: Conshohocken, Pa.
Deja Evans has had quite the start to her career as a Great Danes. Starting in each of the first six contests, she recently totaled 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals in a well-rounded performance at Cornell (Nov. 22). Assisting head coach Colleen Mullen to her first win over the Big Red as head coach, Evans averaged 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game after a road trip to Stanford (Nov. 26).
Male - Sebastian Thomas, Basketball
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
In a 2-0 week for men's basketball, Thomas scored 14 points against Army West Point and 16 in the Albany Cup against Siena while grabbing a combined 10 rebounds and recording a combined seven assists over the two-game stretch. Against the Black Knights, Thomas drained the go-ahead three-pointer with 28 seconds left in regulation to put UAlbany up by three and secure the victory.
November 22
Female - Kayla Cooper, Basketball
Hometown: Frederick, Md.
Kayla Cooper tallied her ninth career 20+-point performance in the Great Danes victory over A10 opponent, St. Bonaventure (11/16). With an average 15.0 points per game through two contests, Cooper tied a career-high five steals against Sarah Lawrence (11/13).
Male - Brian Abraham, Football
Hometown: Brockton, Mass.
A graduate transfer from Yale, Abraham was a force to be reckoned with on the Great Danes' defensive line. Totaling three sacks against Monmouth (11/18), the linebacker accounted for a loss of 23 yards in the 41-point shutout.
November 8
Female - Alison Smisdom, Field Hockey
Hometown: Antwerp, Belgium
As the Great Danes competed in the 2023 America East Championship, Smisdom, and the team, broke a couple of AE Tournament records. In an explsovie 8-1 victory over Maine in the semifinal, the junior midfielder/defender scored five goals to break the tournament record for both points and goals in a single-game. The record was previously held by former Great Dane, Paula Heuser.
Male - Aamir Hall, Football
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
A member of the Great Dane defense, Aamir Hall tallied a pick-six against the Tribe on Saturday, November 4. Intecepting the ball at the 45, Hall carried the ball for about 20 yards before picking up a defender. Picking up a second defender with just five yards to go, Hall carried the ball and two defenders with him across the touchdown line for the defensive score. A junior defensive back, he helped the Great Danes to a 17-point lead, 17-0, at halftime.
November 2
Female - Amanda Chambers, Cross Country
Hometown: Schenectady, N.Y.
Chambers earned First Team All-Conference honors last weekend at the 2023 America East XC Championships by placing third in the women’s 5K in a personal-best 17:40.13. Her finishing time is now the ninth-best 5K in program history, and was the ninth-best time by a Great Dane at the conference championship meet since 2008. Chambers’ third-place finish is the highest for a Great Dane since Hannah Reinhardt won back-to-back individual titles in 2018 and 2019.
Male - Marqeese Dietz, Football
Hometown: Easton, Pa.
A Great Dane wide receiver, Marqeese Dietz played for season-highs in total yards and receptions as well as a season-long catch in a 37-21 win over Maine (Oct. 28). The sophomore totaled 150 yards in seven catches. With a 55-yard reception, Dietz notched the fourth-longest Great Dane catch of the season.
October 26
Female - Floor de Ruiter, Field Hockey
Hometown: Noordwick, Netherlands
In a 2-0 weekend, Floor de Ruiter was one of three student-athletes who totaled a team-high four points with two goals. Scoring the second goal in each contest, the junior midfielder tallied the go-ahead goal in a 3-1 victory over New Hampshire (Oct. 20) before adding a second unassisted goal against Lehigh (Oct. 22).
Male - Tyler Pastula, Football
Hometown: Easton, Pa.
The Great Danes' starting punter, Tyler Pastula combined for 171 yards in four punts. In his second year as a Great Dane, the senior landed three of his four punts inside the 20 to put his team in a great place on the way to their 35-10 victory over Rhode Island (Oct. 21).
October 18
Female - Malene Clausen, Women's Golf
Hometown: Lille Skensved, Denmark
Leading the Great Danes with a -4 on day one, Malene Clausen helped secure a first-place team finish at the Hawk Invitational (Oct. 14-15). Continuing to lead the tournament field throguh the second round, Clausen finished with a +4 for both the individual and team victory.
Male - Julian Hicks, Football
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Totaling a team-high 162 yards against the Wildcats, Julian Hicks led the Great Danes on Saturday (Oct. 14). With four receptions, the graduate student wide receiver totaled two touchdowns including a game-high 75-yard reception for a touchdown in one play.
October 12
Female - Campbell Robinson, Volleyball
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Assisting the Great Danes to a five-set victory over a league-leading UMBC on Sunday (Oct. 8), Campbell Robinson led the team with nine blocks against the Retrievers. A freshman middle blocker, Robinson added eight kills for a total of 13 points against UMBC.
Male - Ori Jean-Charles, Football
Hometown: Spring Valley, N.Y.
Amassing a total 17 tackles against Towson, Ori Jean-Charles was a member of a defense that held the Tigers off in a 24-17 win. A graduate student linebacker, Jean-Charles added the lone UAlbany interception among his seven solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles.
October 4
Female - Selma Elverum, Soccer
Hometown: Oslo, Norway
With her team trailing 2-0 to defending regular-season champion and America East Tournament runner-up Binghamton, Selma Elverum netted goals in the 86th and 90th minutes in Vestal to force a tie with the Bearcats and steal a point in the conference standings. Elverum's second goal came with just three seconds remaining on the clock.
Male - AJ Simon, Football
Hometown: Glens Falls, N.Y.
A senior on the football team, Simon was essential in the Great Danes' win over #16 Villanova on Saturday (Sept. 30). Totaling six tackles, including four for a loss of 24 yards with three sacks (for 18 yards), Simon added one forced fumble, one broken up pass, and two QB hurries as part of a defense that held the Wildcats to just 10 points.
September 28
Female - Gabriella Karman, Volleyball
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
Gabriella Karman helped the Great Danes to a three-set sweep over crosstown rival, Siena, on September 20. Totaling eight blocks, including three solo blocks, she currently leads the conference in blocks in a three-set match as well as ranking second in in blocks in a single match. Karman added three kills and four digs in the match.
Male - Griffin Woodell, Football
Hometown: Glens Falls, N.Y.
Appearing in each of the Great Danes' games on the season, Woodell was essential in UAlbany's overtime win over Morgan State. The freshman running back scored both of the OT touchdowns - one with a 14-yard pass & one with a 7-yard run - against the Bears to lead to a 23-17 victory.
September 20
Female - Shynelle Woroniuk, Volleyball
Hometown: Red Deer, Alberta, Cananda
Shynelle Woroniuk led the Great Danes at the Patriot Invite, hosted by George Mason (Sept. 15-16). A redshirt-sophomore on the team, Woroniuk tallied a career-high 21 kills against Seattle (9.16). She added her first collegiate double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs in UAlbany's 3-1 win over GMU before notching her second just two matches later (against Seattle - 21 kills, 11 digs).
Male - Ivar Orri Gissurarson, Men's Soccer
Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland
In his seventh appearance of the season, and his seventh as a Great Dane, freshman midfielder Ivar Orri Gissurarson scored his first career goal in a UAlbany uniform. The goal came in the 20th minute of the Great Danes' match at Penn, 2022 Ivy League champions. The Quakers, who had won 13 games in 2022, scored first, in the 11th minute, but Gissurarson's goal tied the game.
