WALTHAM, Mass. -- Graduate student Kayla DiBenedetto of Andover, Massachusetts, from the women’s cross country team, and sophomore Aidan Wang-Fan of Richmond Hill, Ontario, and the men’s tennis team have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending October 5. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake n JOES Sports Grille.
DiBenedetto made her season debut for the women’s cross country team, helping the Judges place 15th out of 45 teams at the Paul Shore Invitational at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She finished in 76th place. DiBenedetto was the Judges’ top runner for the first mile, sitting in 53rd place and staying steady there after the second mile. She dropped back 23 places at the final split, turning in a time of 22:33.0 over the six-kilometer race. It was a personal best for DeBenedetto by nearly 50 seconds.
Brandeis returns to action on Saturday, October 18th, at the Connecticut College Invitational.
Wang-Fan and the men’s tennis team competed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association New England Regionals over the weekend. Wang-Fan made the semifinals of the ‘B’ draw singles. Seeded fifth, he earned a bye into the second round. He knocked off Trinity's Maxim Kauffman, 8-6, to reach Day 2 of the competition. In the Round of 16, he defeated Carter Fayard of Williams, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). The quarterfinals provided a marathon victory over Ronald Gulano of Amherst, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (9-7), 10-8 to advance to the final day of competition. In the semis, Wang-Fan lost to the eventual champion and co-host, Jackson Rich of Tufts, 7-5, 6-0. He also reached the second round of the doubles competition.
The Judges will conclude their fall season with the Wallach Invitational at Bates College, Oct. 11 and 12.
This is the tenth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights top Brandeis student-athletes who have had an outstanding athletic achievement in the week prior. Each selected student-athlete will be featured on the Brandeis athletics homepage and inside the Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES
Owned and operated by the Nocera Family, the Chateau Restaurant of Waltham opened in 1933 and set the standard for providing the tradition of Italian family dining, friendly service, and quality food at reasonable prices for its customers. Located on 195 School Street, with 900 seats, the Chateau is always ready to accommodate large parties.
The Nocera Family consists of 6 brothers who have always had a passion for playing sports. In 2010, the Nocera Family launched a new concept, Jake n JOES Sports Grille. Jake n JOES Waltham opened in 2014 and is the best place to watch a game and enjoy quality food.
"Brandeis student-athletes are fantastic role models in our community,” says Chateau President Joe Nocera, “They exemplify the ideals of excellence and commitment both on and off the playing field. The Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES Waltham are proud to partner with Brandeis Athletics to continue to enhance a positive focus within the Waltham Community."
DiBenedetto is a 2021 graduate of Andover High School. For more information on Brandeis women’s cross country visit their web page at https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/womens-cross-country.
Wang-Fan is a 2024 graduate of Bill Crothers Secondary School. For more information on Brandeis men’s soccer, visit their web page at https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mens-tennis.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
