WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore
TJ Carleo of the men’s track and field team and graduate student
Francesca Marchese of the women’s basketball team have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending February 25, 2024. The award is presented weekly by the Chateau Restaurant Group.
Carleo, a native of
Newburyport, Massachusetts, was honored for the second time this season with the Brandeis Athlete of the Week award. He earned the Judges’ lone All-University Athletic Association performance at the 2024 UAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the Armory in New York City and hosted by NYU on Feb. 24 and 25.
Carleo turned in a second-place finish in the 800-meter run. The 2023 Outdoor champion in the event, Carleo qualified for the finals in the sixth position with a prelim time of 1:52.52 after finishing fourth in his heat. In the finals, Carleo ran third for the first 600 meters then moved up on the last lap to finish with a time of 1:52.37. While he did not improve on his previous season-best, Carleo is still ranked 18th in Division III and a hopeful selection for the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
Carleo will have one last chance to improve his placement in the 800-meters this weekend at the Tufts University Last Chance Meet.
Marchese, of
Staten Island, New York, earns Brandeis Athlete of the Week honors for the first time this season a record-setting performance in her season finale. Despite an 81-54 loss at the hands of top-ranked NYU on Feb. 24, Marchese hit four 3-pointers and tied for the Judges’ lead with 12 points. Her third trifecta of the game, 50 seconds into the fourth quarter, set a new school record with 170 career 3-pointers. She hit one more later in the period to finish with 171 long-distance buckets, two ahead of former teammate
Camila Casanueva ’22.
Marchese concluded her career with 598 points and became the only woman in school history with four seasons of 40 or more 3-pointers.
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."
Marchese is a 2019 graduate of Staten Island Academy. For more information on Brandeis women’s basketball, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/womens-basketball.
Carleo is a 2022 graduate of Newburyport High School. For more information on Brandeis men’s track and field team, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mens-track-and-field.
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.
