General | 3/30/2026 1:30:00 PM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Eight St. John Fisher University student-athletes have earned weekly honors for their performances last week.
Ryan Vanderlip (Sophomore, Baseball) – Empire 8 Player of the Week
Vanderlip went 8-for-9 with three walks and drove in eight runs as St. John Fisher outscored Keuka 41-4 in a doubleheader sweep on Sunday at Dugan Yard. He had five hits, including a home run and a double, drove in six runs and scored three times in a 22-2, 7-inning win to start the day. In the second game, a 19-2 win in seven innings, he had three hits, two walks, two RBI and scored four runs.
Nick Years (Sophomore, Men's Golf) – Empire 8 Player of the Week
Years shot 12-over 156 to finish in a tie for eighth place in the McDaniel College Spring Invite at the Bridges Golf Club over the weekend. He carded a 79 on Saturday and a 77 on Sunday, recording four birdies (two in each round) along the way. The Cardinals placed fifth as a team at +85 (661 strokes).
This marks Years' first E8 weekly honor of the 2025-26 season.
Jonah Vormwald (Freshman, Men's Lacrosse) – Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week
Vormwald, now a two-time E8 Defensive Player of the Week honoree, won a season-best 17 of 18 faceoffs in St. John Fisher's 29-2 victory over Russell Sage on Saturday at Growney Stadium. He matched his season high with 15 ground ball pickups.
Vormwald has been one of the most efficient faceoff specialists in Division III this season, as he ranks 19th nationally in winning percentage (.706). He's also 32nd in DIII in ground balls per game (8.0).
Maddie Lowney (Senior, Women's Lacrosse) – Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week
Lowney played hounding defense while leading St. John Fisher to wins over Cortland, Skidmore and Russell Sage last week, causing nine turnovers and recovering eight ground balls. The two-time E8 Defensive Player of the Year also controlled 11 draws.
Lowney caused four turnovers and scooped up four ground balls in an 11-4 win over Cortland on Tuesday. On Friday, in an 11-6 win over Skidmore, she produced another superb stat line with seven draw controls, five caused turnovers, four ground all recoveries and a goal, her first since a 17-8 win over Endicott in the 2024 NCAA Division III Tournament. She needs just six more caused turnovers to pass Laurie Quackenbush (135 from 2005-08) for the most in program history.
This marks Lowney's second E8 Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.
Junior Tyler Hernandez/Senior Will Chubb (Men's Tennis) – Empire 8 Doubles Team of the Week
Hernandez and Chubb improved to 3-2 on the season in singles action with a 6-2 win over Rune Camps and Jonas Likens of Houghton. The Cardinals won the dual match 7-0 to snap a stretch of 13 consecutive losses to the Highlanders.
Hayden Penna (Junior, Men's Track and Field) – Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Week
Penna had the top performance for St. John Fisher on Saturday in the Cardinals' Outdoor Tri-Meet, recording a mark of 4.91 meters in the pole vault to break the school record he set last outdoor season. Penna placed first in the event and qualified for the regional meet.
Avery Kielbasinski (Freshman, Men's Volleyball) – Empire 8 and UVC Rookie of the Week
Kielbasinski slammed 15 kills while hitting .481 and had a season-best three service aces to lead St. John Fisher to a four-set victory (25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 26-24) over No. 14 MIT on Friday night inside Manning & Napier Varsity Gym. The match marked his fourth this season with 15-plus points and third with 15-plus kills.
Kielbasinski added 10 points on nine kills and a service ace on Saturday in a three-set loss to Vassar.
He has been named UVC Rookie of the Week four times and Empire 8 Rookie of the Week three times this season.
