ALFRED, NY – Alfred University's Youssef amr Abdallatif (Cairo, Egypt/Raya Language School) was named the Empire 8 Men's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week on Monday afternoon.
 
In the Saxons' season and home-opener against RIT, Abdallatif was flawless with four victories as the Saxons barely fell to the Tigers at the end of the meet. Abdallatif added esteemed recognition to his performances by breaking not one, not two, but three Alfred University McLane Natatorium pool records! Two of them were even set by current Alfred University Hall of Fame members and All-Americans, Rick Stakel '94 and Matt Baker '09. Abdallatif clocked a time of 50.47 in the 100-yard backstroke to break Baker's record of 51.90 and then posted a 51.39 to break Stakel's 1991 time of 51.66 in the 100-yard butterfly. Abdallatif broke Hartwick College's Matt Plunkett's 2015 pool record time of 1:54.55 in the 200-yard backstroke by reaching the wall in a time of 1:53.85.
 
Abdallatif's first win of the evening was when he joined Carlos Gonzalez (Baja California, Mexico/Unifront), Andre Ayala (Mexico City, Mexico/Preparatoria No°5) and Calem Striker (Hornell, NY/Hornell) in the 200-yard medley relay, swimming the opening backstroke leg. The team won with a time of 1:36.26, beating RIT's 1:36.55 as Abdallatif swam an opening leg of 23.76, which is fastest in the Empire 8 as well as all of his backstroke events. His 100-fly is second in the Empire 8.
 
Abdallatif was also named a Saxon of the Week alongside of Maggie Childs (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) of the hunt seat equestrian team. He was also joined in the Empire 8 Weekly Awards listing by Juan Jose Menendez Gutierrez (Villanueva Cañada, Madrid, Spain/Woodstock Academy) as an E8 Men's Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Week.