On January 19, 2026, Seniors Ayden Grinion and Allison Wojciechowski was named the Empire 8 Men and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week following dominant performances at the Brockport Rust Buster meet.

Grinion finished first in the 400-meter race with a time of 50.35 seconds, and tying for second in the 200-meter race with a time of 23.12 seconds.  When learning of his accomplishment, Grinion couldn’t contain his excitement.  

“I was in the gym, and I saw that I was getting a couple of mentions on my Instagram,” recalls Grinion. “I was like, what’s going on? I clicked on it, and I did a backflip, man. I did a loop around the gym, and I was like, there’s no way, bro. I was actually surprised.” 

Although not performing as strongly as he intended at the Rust Buster, Grinion anticipates running faster as the season progresses, setting big expectations for himself before the postseason begins.

“I know the times weren’t as good as I wanted it to be,” Grinion said. “I’ll take the recognition, though, but the times will be much lower towards the end of the season.” 

Since Brockport’s first meet at Houghton College in December, Grinion grinded in both the weight room and on the track in preparation for his home opener, aiming for a stronger performance. 

“Our first meet didn’t go as I wanted it to go”, Grinion said. “It didn’t go as planned at all. I was like, you know what, at the Rust Buster, we have to come out and win both events [the 400-meter & 200-meter races] and get a faster time, and we did exactly that. Even though I didn’t feel as ready, I told myself I’m ready.” 

To qualify for regional championships, an athlete running 400 meters must run the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference (AARTFC) qualifying time of 50.00 seconds. Having run 50.35 at the Rust Buster, Grinion recognizes how close he is to going to regional championships and is confident in securing his position when Brockport travels to Ithaca this coming weekend 

“I’ll break that at Ithaca,” Grinion said.  

With this being his senior season, Grinion aims to leave a l legacy at Brockport, aiming to conclude his collegiate career with All-American status.

“My season will not be over until I get All-American, first team All-America, because I got second team once, and I need a trophy,” Grinion said. “The awards and ribbons are cool and all, but I need a trophy before I finish. I have to finish the legacy.” 

Wojciechowski was named the Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week following a dominating performance at the Brockport Rust Buster Meet, taking first place in the triple jump with a mark of 10.92 meters. This performance reached the AARFTC necessary to qualify for the Niagara Regional Championships.

“I came away with a regionals mark, which is something I never expected”, Wojciechowski said. “I think I set the bar right where I needed to and still exceeded it, so I’m happy with myself with that.” 

The news of the award caught Wojciechowski sleeping, while several close friends and teammates began showering her with congratulations. 

“I was actually napping, and all of a sudden, my phone was going off”, Wojciechowski said. “It was one of my friends who was previously on the soccer team here, and she said, ‘Ok, big athlete of the week.’ That’s how the news was broken, and I was really confused.” 

Having previously competed at SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Albany, Wojciechowski was excited to begin competing for the first time in the Empire 8. Having already earned recognition from the conference in her first meet, she greatly appreciates having already received positive validation.

“The recognition from the conference meant a lot to me,” Wojciechowski said. “This is a new conference to me, so getting my name back in the competition field and familiar in front of other athletes meant a lot to me.” 

Having previously battled a potential career-ending injury during her time at UAlbany, Wojciechowski utilized her past experiences and recent tragedies to catapult herself back into competition, with inspiration coming from the best man she has ever met. 

“It’s been two and a half years since I last competed,” Wojciechowski said. “I had a near career-ending injury. I slashed a hurdle and fractured my ankle and had a lot of complications following up with it. I took two years off, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to come back. Then, unfortunately, I suffered the loss of my first-ever track coach, who is probably the biggest influence on me outside and inside of the sport. He’s the greatest man I’ve ever met. Once he passed, it was like, ‘You can do this.’ I knew that he would want me to put my best foot forward and just leave it all out on the track one last time.” 

Coming back from injury, Wojciechowski’s training has focused on improving her mental performance going into a new season; while ensuring she is physically ready to compete at the collegiate level once again. 

“Training was definitely different. It was harder coming back,” Wojciechowski said. “I didn’t compete at Houghton because I didn’t feel ready. I’ve grown so much. This is my 6th year in college athletics. I’ve grown emotionally, and I’ve physically gotten stronger. I know the college dynamics and how to go about things. A lot of my training has been mental, just getting back into the game and knowing my body is physically capable of doing this again.” 

In addition, Wojciechowski’s experience has allowed her to step into a mentor role for the younger Brockport Women’s Track athletes, helping her teammates begin their collegiate journeys on a positive note. 

“I feel like I’ve taken on kind of a leadership role with some of the younger jumpers, like the freshmen girls. A lot of them seemed uneasy at the first meet, so I went down there to support everyone and walk them through how it is, and was like ‘This is your college opener, c’mon let’s get hype.’” 

Throughout the competition, Wojciechowski was not concerned with her positioning. Her goal was simple: set a standard for the season and make every jump matter. 

“I wasn’t really thinking about [my position during competition],” Wojciechowski said. “I was trying to make every jump matter and get a mark, not so much something I’m happy with, but something I can live with. I think that’s the biggest thing I took away. Obviously, I came away with a regionals mark, which is something I never expected. I think I set the bar right where I needed to and still exceeded it, so I’m happy with myself with that.” 

Wojciechowski’s experience has proven to be crucial in her early-season success. This, in combination with her knowledge of what’s ideal for student athletes in her position, will allow her role as a leader amongst the jumpers to continue to evolve during her time here at Brockport. 

“Diet and sleep go right into this,” Wojciechowski said. “Not so much eating only healthy things, but also getting enough calories, protein, make sure I’m hydrating enough. If you’re not hydrating, if you’re not working in the weight room, if you’re not eating properly or eating at all, then you’re going to get to the track or get to the meet and just feel beat. I’ve been there. I was that athlete who wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t hydrating. Looking back on it and reflecting, I now realize that this is the crucial step you were missing in the past, so now let’s work on it.” 

Grinion, Wojciechowski and the Brockport Indoor Brockport Track and Field squad look to keep up the great performances as the Golden Eagles travel to take on Ithaca this Saturday, Feb. 7th.