TROY, N.Y. - Union College first-year
Brody Richardson collected his third weekly recognition from the Liberty League this season and five more student-athletes were named to the honor roll for the week ending Sunday, October 18.
Men's Cross Country Rookie of the Week: Brody Richardson
Richardson represented Union in the blue championship race at the annual Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday, taking 33rd out of 241 runners by crossing the line in 24:47.1. Richardson was the fourth first-year to finish the 8K course and his time ranks fifth on the school's all-time 8K record book. The award is Richardson's third Rookie of the Week honor over the season's first five weeks.
Honor Roll Mentions:
Women's Soccer: Julia Bancheri and
Maya Koster
Bancheri and Koster led Union to a 1-0-1 week from both ends of the field, keeping the Garnet Chargers unbeaten in Liberty League play. Bancheri played a role in all three Union goals, scoring from the penalty spot to give Union a lead in an eventual 1-1 tie with #19 Hamilton on Tuesday and then adding a goal and an assist in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Ithaca, scoring the game-winning goal in the 76th minute and then assisting on an insurance goal with less than six minutes remaining. Koster allowed only one goal and made five saves in 153:50 of action over two matches last week, saving two shots over the first 63:50 of action against #19 Hamilton on Tuesday before stopping all three Ithaca shots she faced on Saturday to preserve her conference-leading seventh shutout of the year.
Men's Swimming & Diving: Troy Luley
Luley won all three of his individual events and had Union in position for a win in the 200 medley relay on Saturday as Union defeated Roberts Wesleyan 181-101 at home. Luley dove into the water for the first time with Union trailing in the 200 medley relay, but his 27.26 split in the breaststroke leg momentarily put Union ahead by .17 seconds. While Union would eventually place second in that event, Luley's trio of first-place finishes in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.68), 200 breast (2:15.87), and 200 IM (2:06.24) secured Union's second head-to-head win this season. Luley posted a season-best in the 100 breast, and his time is also the fifth-fastest in the Liberty League this year so far.
Women's Swimming & Diving: Chloe Matthews
Matthews won the 100 butterfly and earned spots on the podium in her three other events on Saturday as Union defeated Westfield State and Roberts Wesleyan and lost to Smith in a quad-meet at Alumni Gym Pool. Matthews posted a season-best 26.47 while finishing second in the 50 freestyle and went 2:07.39 during a third-place 200 free performance. Along with her victory in the 100 fly (1:03.63), Matthews also helped propel Union's 200 medley relay to a second-place finish after going 22.29 in the fly leg of the race.
Women's Volleyball: Georgia Pinciaro
Pinciaro helped keep Union on track during its strong stretch this October, recording 21 kills (3.50 k/s) in a pair of 3-0 wins against RIT and Widener on Saturday. She hit .381 across the two victories on 42 attempts, boosted by a .667 performance against the Pride. Half of her 14 kills that match came in the third set against Widener as Union dominated its way to a seventh straight win and 11th consecutive set victory. Pinciaro's 21 kills led her team and her .381 attack percentage was second on the team. At .667 against Widener, Pinciaro posted the highest qualified attack percentage across the conference last weekend and tied for the third-best mark in the Liberty League this season.
