Canisius’ Belfatto and Fairfield’s Nicolini Named Pepsi Zero MAAC Student-Athletes of the Week
Anthony Belfatto
Canisius College
Cross Country
Anthony Belfatto has been the Golden Griffins top-runner during the 2019 cross country campaign. The senior’s season has been highlighted by a top-25 finish at National Catholics, and a personal-record 8K outing at the annual Paul Short Invitational when he crossed the line in 25:20.6. The Buffalo, New York, native also posted a career-best 16
th place finish at the MAAC Championship earlier this month. Belfatto will look to close out his stellar season this Friday at the NCAA Northeast Regional.
Manuela Nicolini
Fairfield University
Volleyball
Manuela Nicolini led Fairfield University Volleyball to three wins this past week to lock up the MAAC Regular Season Championship. Nicolini averaged 11.82 assists per set in the victories, guiding the Stags to a .245 team hitting percentage. She also posted a double-double in each contest, averaging 3.55 digs per frame. Nicolini’s effort this past week boosted her career total to 2,845 assists. She is only the fifth Stag to eclipse 2,800 assists and sits just 16 helpers shy of tying Kelly Sorenson (2000-03) for fourth place all-time. On the season, Nicolini has dished out 971 assists. With 29 more dimes this fall, she would record the 19th 1,000-assist campaign in Fairfield history and become the seventh Stag to reach 1,000 assists in multiple campaigns.
In the classroom, Nicolini is a Dean’s List and MAAC All-Academic Team student as a Psychology major.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.