2024-25 Fueling Excellence Athletes of the Week
Head to the ESPN Ithaca Podcenter to listen to interviews with the athletes below!
12/22 – 12/28
- Rachel Vickio – Watkins Glen Girls Basketball – Named Tournament MVP at the annual Melissa B. Wilson Basketball Tournament. She scored 12 points against Marcus Whitman and added eight more in the championship game versus Palmyra-Macedon, including the go-ahead three-pointer. Vickio accounted for all five of Watkins Glen’s points in the final :38 to seal the title. She also won the 3-point contest.
- Tyler Paige – Lansing Boys Bowling – Rolled a match-high 601 series, highlighted by a match-best 227, as Lansing swept Watkins Glen 4-0. The performance helped the Bobcats improve their overall record to 19-1.
12/15 – 12/21
- Lindsey Morse – Candor Girls Indoor Track & Field – Won two events at the Section IV Classic, taking first place in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.24 seconds and the long jump with a leap of 15 feet and 11.25 inches.
- Jude Santos – Watkins Glen Boys Basketball – Named Tournament MVP of the Watkins Glen Holiday Tournament. He first scored a game-high 21 points in a 68-37 win over South Seneca, then scored a team-high 16 points in a 62-38 win over Marcus Whitman to help the Lake Hawks win the tournament. He also won the 3-point contest.
12/8 – 12/13
- Rayna Coller – Ithaca Girls Wrestling – Won the 126 weight class title at the Union-Endicott Girls Tradesman Tournament, recording 2 pins and 3 tech falls and helped the team finish in 10th place. She also had a pin in the Little Red’s 40-25 dual meet loss to Elmira.
- Titus Callahan – Newark Valley Boys Wrestling – Won the 190 weight class title at the Dave Buck Memorial Tournament, recording 4 pins and a tech fall en route to victory and helped the team finish in 4th place. He also had a pin in the Cardinals’ 78-6 dual meet win over Trumansburg.
11/30 – 12/6
- Leah Antes – Odessa-Montour Girls Basketball – Recorded a triple-double of 33 points (career-high), 11 rebounds and 11 steals and added 5 assists in a 51-43 win over Romulus, then scored a team-high 23 points and 8 rebounds in a 52-38 loss to Elmira-Notre Dame.
- Nevin Brown – Union Springs Boys Basketball – Scored 21 points in a 79-56 win over Watkins Glen and recorded a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds and added 4 assists and 5 steals in a 86-51 win over Thomas A. Edison to help the Wolves win the Lansing Tip-Off Tournament.
11/24-11/29
- Rachel Hartman – Newark Valley Girls Bowling – Bowled a match-high 533 series in a season-opening 4-0 win over Union Springs/Port Byron.
- Nicco Binns – Lansing Boys Bowling – Bowled a match-high 559 series in a season-opening 3-1 win over Odessa-Montour.
11/17-11/22
- Zoli Nadasdy – Ithaca Boys Cross Country – Finished in 40th place at the NYS Federation Championships with a time of 16:44.0, earning All-Federation honors and also helping the Little finish in 19th place as a team.
- Makenzie Fish – Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour Girls Swimming & Diving – Competed in two events at the state championships, finishing in 22nd place in the 100 backstroke with a personal-best time of 59.71 seconds and finishing in 35th place in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:17.59.
11/10-11/15
- Trent Thibault – Lansing Boys Cross Country – Won the Class C state championship with a time of 15:28.2.
- Tsadia Bercuvitz – Ithaca Girls Cross Country – Finished in second place in the Class A Girls race at the NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championships with a time of 17:25.2 and helped the team finish in fifth place.
11/3-11/8
- Jordan Brinkley – Lansing Volleyball – Recorded a game-high 36 kills in a 3-2 win over Tioga in the Section IV Class C championship, helping the Bobcats claim their fourth sectional title in the last 5 years.
- Andy Edsall – Marathon Boys Cross Country – Won the Section IV Class D Championship with a time of 16:53.10, capturing back-to-back titles.
10/27-11/1
- Jill Zigenfus – Groton Girls Soccer – Scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Elmira-Notre Dame in the Section IV Class C championship, helping the Red Hawks win their first sectional title since 1987. She also delivered the corner kick that led to the game-winning goal in a 1-0 overtime win over Trumansburg in the Class C semifinals.
- Trent Thibault – Lansing Boys Cross Country – Won the IAC Championship with a time of 16:20.6, capturing his third IAC individual title and helping the Bobcats finish in second place.
10/20-10/25
- Jillian Teribury – Candor Volleyball – Recorded a team-high 20 service points, 5 aces, and 12 digs in a 3-0 win over Newfield in the IAC Small School Championship to help the Coyotes capture back-to-back IAC titles.
- Malcolm Jenkins – Newfield Football – Rushed for 3 touchdowns (44 yards, 38 yards, and 31 yards) in a 88-0 win over Hoosic Valley.
10/13-10/18
- Ava Kelly – Watkins Glen Girls Soccer – Recorded 1 goal and 1 assist in a 2-1 win over Elmira-Notre Dame in the IAC South Large Division tiebreaker game, then scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Trumansburg in the IAC Large School Championship.
- Alex Decker – Marathon Boys Soccer – Scored a goal (heading in a corner kick) and helped keep a shutout in a defense in a 3-0 win over Odessa-Montour in the IAC Small School Championship.
10/6-10/11
- Janne Anderson – Odessa-Montour Girls Cross Country – Won the IAC Small School Division meet at Stonehedges Golf Course with a time of 21:01.3 and helped the Grizzlies win the division title.
- Braxton Young – Southern Cayuga Boys Soccer – Recorded 5 goals and 5 assists across a trio of wins. He first scored the game-winning penalty kick in a 2-1 win against Manlius Pebble Hill, then scored a hat trick and added 2 assists in a 6-0 win over Groton, then scored 1 goal and tallied 3 assists in a 8-0 win over Moravia.
9/29-10/4
- Devyn Blasz – Groton Girls Soccer – Drew the game-winning free kick in a 1-0 win over Tioga in a rematch of last year’s IAC Championship, then recorded 1 goal and 1 assist in a 4-0 win over Moravia, then tallied 1 goal and 2 assists in a 3-0 win over Marathon.
- Drew Sanford – Lansing Boys Soccer – Scored both goals in a 2-1 overtime win over Trumansburg, then scored the final goal in a 3-0 win over Watkins Glen.
9/22-9/27
- Abby Turco – Dryden Girls Swimming & Diving – Won 4 events (100 fly, 200 free, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay) in a 93-76 win over Lansing and won 3 events (100 fly, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay) in a 100-30 win over Whitney Point.
- Vinny King – Trumansburg Football – Threw for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns (including a 70-yard TD pass) in a 54-26 over Groton.
9/15-9/20
- Nicola Soper – Candor Volleyball – Led the team in kills and aces across a pair of sweeps. She first recorded 11 service points, 6 aces, 11 kills, 1 assist block, and 1 dig in a 3-0 win over Spencer-Van Etten, then recorded 6 service points, 4 aces, 11 kills, and 3 digs in a 3-0 win over Groton.
- Eli Landis – Moravia Football – Recorded 324 total yards and 5 touchdowns (throwing for 214 yards & 3 TDs on 16 completions, rushing for 110 yards & 2 TD on 10 carries) and tacked on an interception on defense in a 45-14 win at Sauquoit Valley.
9/8-9/13
- Cennedi McCarthy – Southern Cayuga Girls Soccer – Helped keep a shutout in goal in a 1-0 overtime win over Marathon, then scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win over Newark Valley.
- Ethan Nolan – Odessa-Montour Boys Soccer – Scored 10 goals across a trio of wins. He first netted 2 goals in a 6-0 win over Newfield, then scored a hat trick in a 8-2 victory over Newark Valley, and tallied 5 goals in a 8-0 win over Tioga.
9/1-9/6
- Kiara Thurmond – Ithaca Volleyball – Recorded 14 kills and 6 solo blocks in a 3-set season-opening win over Vestal and helped the Little Red win the Corning Volleyball Tournament, going undefeated and sweeping Lansing in the final.
- Logan Aman – Spencer-Van Etten/Candor Football – Rushed for 226 yards on 13 carries and recorded 5 total touchdowns (including an 85-yard kickoff return TD) in a 54-13 win over Harpursville/Afton.
8/25-8/31
- Paityn Contri – Marathon Girls Soccer – Scored 2 goals in a 3-2 win over the defending IAC South Small Division champions Tioga.
- Duncan Gattine – Trumansburg Boys Soccer – Scored 5 goals across a pair of season -opening wins. He first tallied a team-high 4 goals in a 12-0 win over Thomas A. Edison, then netted the lone goal in a 1-0 win over rivals Lansing.
