ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Classmates Audrey Clarke '18 of the women's golf team and Atu Machika '18 of the field hockey team have been crowned Elmira College Athletes of the Week for their outstanding efforts throughout the week ending October 2nd.

Clarke capped off the fall tournament schedule with a pair of top-three finishes at the Elmira College Invitational and the 2016 Empire 8 Conference Women's Golf Championships.

At EC's home invitational on September 27th, the third-year standout from Churchville, New York, produced a runner-up finish after carding an 86 (+15). That score left Clarke just one stroke off the pace of individual medalist, Holly Reynolds of Keuka College. Additionally, the Soaring Eagles picked up their second consecutive victory in the EC Fall Invitational, as the Elmira women finished with a 43-stroke lead over second-place Keuka.

Clarke concluded her strong fall season with her second consecutive third-place outing at the E8 Championships, which were held at the Country Club of Ithaca over the weekend. After a rocky start in Saturday's opening round, she recovered on the back nine with birdies on the par-four 14th and 17th holes. As a result, Clarke ended day one in a two-way tie for first place with eventual medalist Kimberly Wong of Ithaca College. In the second round on Sunday, EC's top golfer carded matching 42s on both nines, giving her a two-day total of 166 (+22). She finished four strokes behind Wong and just one stroke behind Ithaca's runner-up, Indiana Jones.

As a result of her third-place finish at the conference tournament, Clarke was once again named to the Empire 8 All-Conference First Team. Now a three-time recipient of an All-Conference nod from the E8, she became the first Elmira women's golfer to accomplish that feat since the league began sponsoring the sport in 2010.

The Soaring Eagles will return to the links for their spring tournament schedule following the winter recess. Stay tuned for further details on the spring golf schedule, which will be released when finalized.

Machika posted a fantastic week for the Elmira field hockey team, which went 1-1, with a dominate performance in a 4-0 shutout victory over Keuka on September 28th. In two the games, she combined to score two goals and two assists, equaling six points on the week.

The third-year midfielder generated her highest-scoring game of the season with four points in the win over the Wolves. She opened the day by scoring EC's first goal, the eventual game-winner, by redirecting a shot from Alison Mariano '18 off of a Sarah McCaffrey '18 penalty corner. Machika then earned assists on the next two goals, scored by Megan Brain '18 and McCaffrey.

In Saturday's loss to non-conference foe, SUNY Geneseo, Machika scored a goal similar to her initial tally against the Wolves. After planting herself just outside of the cage following McCaffrey's corner entry, she deflected an outside shot from Mariano into the lower left corner past goalie Nicole Gregg.

On the season, the Machinga, Malawi, native has scored thrice with a pair of assists. She has already equaled her single-season career goal record, and is just one helper shy of tying her career point record, which she set with nine points during her sophomore campaign.  A workhorse on both ends of the field for the Soaring Eagles, Machika has played nearly every minute of EC's nine games, having only subbed out briefly in the double-overtime contest with Oswego State on September 14th.

The Elmira field hockey team will conclude a four-game homestand with a weekend back-to-back at the Murray Athletic Center, beginning on Saturday, October 8th, against Hartwick College. The Empire 8 tilt is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start.