West NY News

ALFRED, NY - Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell) of the Alfred University women's basketball team has earned All-Empire 8 Second Team recognition, as announced by associate commissioner Joe Venniro.

 Harkenrider enjoyed a successful junior season with the Saxons, leading the Empire 8 conference with 2.3 made 3-point field goals per game. Harkenrider led AU with 340 total points to go with 102 rebounds and 36 assists. On the defensive end, Harkenrider was second on the team with 41 steals. Earlier this season, Harkenrider set the program record for single game 3-point field goals made with eight successful shots against Utica University on February 10.
 

"I'm so happy for Leah because she so greatly deserves this," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "No one has improved more than she has on both ends of the floor over her time with us. She puts in a ton of work on the court and in the weight room on her own in the offseason and it really shows each year. She has some big performances offensively that won us some games, but what I'm most proud of is her on-ball defense. She has become our best perimeter defender and is a key part of our defense improving by 10 point per game since she's gotten here. We're so excited for her to be recognized for all her hard work!" 

Additionally, Alfred University has selected Alyssa DiMillo (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool) as their 2022-23 Women's Basketball Sportswoman of the Year. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission.
 
"Alyssa is such a great story," Moskowitz said. "She has gone through two ACL tears and countless other injuries throughout the past few years. Her determination and pride in making it as a college basketball player is admirable. More so, she is just the consummate teammate who endlessly supports and helps us all get better every day. We're so thankful to have her as part of our program and we're excited to see her continued impact on a day-to-day basis!" 

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