ALFRED, NY – Paul Tuttle (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) was named the Empire 8 Men's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week on Monday, in an official announcement by Associate Commissioner, Joe Venniro, making him the fourth Saxon to earn the award this season.
 
Tuttle joins teammates, Phillip Volaski (Poughquag, NY/Arlington), William LaMastus (Maumee, OH/Anthony Wayne) and Emiliano Terrazas (La Paz, Bolivia/Saint Andrew's) as recipients of the honor for the 2022-23 season so far.
 
Tuttle was instrumental in helping the Saxons go 2-1 on the week and 2-0 in Empire 8 action, ending the conference dual-meet slate with a perfect, 3-0 record. The one loss on the week was to Division II Le Moyne, in which the Saxons nearly fell in a Tuesday home meet. Tuttle competed in three events on a road trip to Utica University and posted top times in all three. His 200-yard medley relay team was exhibitioned after posting a top time of 1:46.00 before he won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:09.72 and the 200-free relay with a time of 1:38.11.
 
Tuttle tacked on another two wins, a second place and a fifth place finish, scoring in all four events to help AU beat Hartwick for the first time since 2015 and the first time sweeping E8 opponents since the 2008-09 season. He won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 55.95, helping the Saxons take all three top spots. Tuttle was part of the same trio that went 1-2-3 in the 200-yard backstroke as he finished second with a time of 2:07.46. He took one point when he clocked 23.74 in the 50-free for fifth place. Tuttle closed his week when he teamed up in the 200-yard freestyle relay, needing a win to secure the Empire 8 sweep. He was joined by LaMastus, Nathan Sponenberg (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia) and Colby Watkins (New Orleans, LA/St. Martin's Episcopal), swimming a third leg time of 22.37 to set Watkins up for the come-from-behind win with a total time of 1:29.51.
 
Tuttle was joined by Ivy Vallely (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) as the Saxons of the Week on Monday as well.
 
The Saxons will next close out their dual-meet schedule when they travel to Ithaca College on Saturday, January 21 at 1:00pm. After that, they turn towards their taper season before the Empire 8 Championships at Webster Aquatics Center, starting February 15.