WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore
Katherine Vaughan of the women’s basketball team and senior
Sam Dienstag of the men’s swimming and diving team have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending February 18, 2024. The award is presented weekly by the Chateau Restaurant Group.
Vaughan, a native of
Bedford, Massachusetts, scored eight points and had two blocked shots for Brandeis women's basketball vs Washington University this past Sunday, which added to her two blocks against Chicago on Friday night set the Judges' single-season record for blocked shots. Against WashU, Vaughan hit 6-of-8 from the free throw line and converted one from the field to finish with eight points. She blocked one shot in the second quarter, then erased the Bears' first shot attempt of the second half to register her 39
th blocked shot of the season. With that block, she surpassed
Natalia Zubko '00 for the single-season record and a mark that has stood since the 1998-99 season.
The Judges return to action and close out the season at home this Saturday for Senior Day, facing undefeated University Athletic Association foe New York University on Saturday at 1:00 PM at Auerbach Arena.
Dienstag, of
Wilmette, Illinois, became the Judges' first UAA champion in nearly 20 years, taking the crown in the men's 500-yard freestyle on the second day of the 2024 University Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships. Dienstag earned the first seed during the morning's preliminaries, when he swam a time of 4:27.36. During the finals, Dienstag's time of 4:25.83 won by a margin of more than two seconds. He lowered his own school record, set at last year's NCAA Division III Championships, by 0.4 seconds. With the win, he becomes Brandeis first UAA Champion since 2005, and just the sixth in Brandeis men's swimming and diving history.
Deinstag wasn't finished with the win in the 500-free, as he earned his third career All-University Athletic Association honor on day three of the meet, finishing as the runner-up in the 1,650-yard freestyle. He will look to continue his recent success at NCAA Championships March 20-23 in Greensboro, NC.
This is the eighth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights a top Brandeis student-athlete who has had an outstanding athletic achievement from 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."
Dienstag is a 2020 graduate of New Trier High School. For more information on Brandeis men’s swimming and diving team, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mens-swimming-and-diving.
Vaughan is a 2022 graduate of Bedford High School. For more information on Brandeis women’s basketball, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/womens-basketball.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at
www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
