ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Audrey Clarke '18 of the women's golf team and
Tiara John '19 of the women's volleyball team have been selected as recipients of this week's Elmira College Athlete of the Week Awards.
Clarke played three rounds of 18 holes last week, with her first coming at Tuesday's annual EC Fall Invitational at the Elmira Country Club. It was a historic afternoon for the Churchville, New York, native, as she tied the lowest round of her career with a 5-over-par 77 to claim medalist honors at the event for the third time in her four years donning the Purple and Gold. Her 77 also ranks as the fourth-best single-round score and is two shots off the pace of the EC record.
In addition, Clarke's victory moved her into sole possession of the program's all-time career wins record with seven, breaking a two-way tie with former Elmira great Briana MacDonald '14. It marked her second tournament title of the fall, leaving her just one win shy of tying the program record in that category, too.
Clarke also carded a pair of solid rounds over the weekend at the Cortland Country Club, as part of the annual Martin-Wallace Invitational. She finished in 14th place out of a field of 51 with a two-day total of 168 (+24). She climbed four spots up the leaderboard with a 10-over 82 on Sunday, and was one of only two players in either round to birdie the par-3 ninth.
Heading into the 2017 Empire 8 Conference Championships, Clarke is on pace to establish a new single-season record for average score versus par, as her 9.86 average versus par through the first seven rounds of the 2017-18 campaign is .24 less than the all-time record, held by Tory MacNeil '08 (10.10). The 2017 E8 Championships are slated to begin on Saturday, October 14, at the Ballston Spa Country Club in Ballston Spa, New York.
John, a junior transfer, appears to be settling into a groove with the EC women's volleyball team. She helped the Soaring Eagles produce a trio of victories at the Canton Classic over the weekend by finishing second on the team in kills (39), kills per set (3.25) and blocks (5), tied for second in aces (5), and third in digs per set (3.33).
The 5-foot-9-inch outside hitter registered two double-doubles at the tournament, with her first coming in one of her most dominant performances of the season. John accumulated season highs with 18 kills and 17 digs to guide Elmira to a 3-1 win over SUNY Plattsburgh on Saturday. In the weekend finale, she amassed 12 kills and 14 digs in a four-set loss against St. Lawrence. To her totals the Kayenta, Arizona, native added three kills in one set in a 3-0 sweep of Cazenovia, and in a sweep of SUNY Canton she picked up six kills, seven digs and a season-high four block assists.
In her first season with the Soaring Eagles, who have already bested last season's win total with 10 victories in 2017, John has provided a healthy dose of offense. She's second on the team in kills (124) and kills per set (2.38), and as a result, EC's team attack percentage has risen to .154. The junior is also fifth on the team in aces (18), digs (108) and digs per set (2.08).
John and the rest of the Elmira women will look to capture their first Empire 8 win of the season on Tuesday, October 3, when the Soaring Eagles visit Alfred University for a 6:00 p.m. match.
