WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior
Alex Cohen of
West Palm Beach, Florida, from the softball team and senior
Dylan Walters of
Baltimore, Maryland, and the men's tennis team have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending April 30.
Cohen finished her career in style. She started the Judges’ last six games (including one this past Tuesday), going 4-1 with a save in that span. After suffering the loss in a mid-week non-conference game against #14 Tufts, she helped Brandeis sweep University Athletic Association foe New York University.
In that series, she had three complete games victories and one contest in which she started and won, was relieved, and reentered to claim the save. In each of those four contests, she gave up no more than five hits. Cohen also had seven RBI at the plate during the NYU series, including a game-winning two-run triple in the seventh inning in a 3-2 win in the opener.
Cohen finished her week – and career – with a three-hit shutout of non-conference opponent Endicott, striking out a season-high nine batters. With the win, she finished the season with a 9-11 record and 33 career victories, sixth on Brandeis’s career list. Her 292 strikeouts ranked fifth all-time for the Judges.
The Judges finished their 2024 season with an 18-19 record, winning their last five contests. They will return all their starters except for Cohen for the 2025 season.
Walters helped the Brandeis men’s tennis team end their season on a positive note at the University Athletic Association tournament. For the eighth-seeded Judges, Walters and #1 doubles partner
Pierce Garbett, dropped an 8-5 match to #2-ranked Chicago in the quarterfinals, as the Maroons won, 5-0. Walters’ match at #1 singles was not finished, though he trailed by a set.
In a 5-2 loss to #27-ranked Carnegie Mellon, Walters and Garbett earned one of the Judges’ two points with an 8-6 win, and Walters was on the verge of victory in singles, leading 6-3, 5-3, when the match completed. Finally, in the seventh-place match, the Judges defeated seventh-seeded Rochester, 5-4. Walters and Garbett won, 8-6, and Walters took a singles match, 6-3, 6-1.
The Judges played the entire second half of the season with just five active players on the roster, essentially starting every match in a 2-0 hole.
Walters finished his regular season with a 13-10 record in doubles, 9-9 in dual matches, and a 16-8 mark in singles, 10-6 in dual matches. He was ranked #5 in the Northeast Region #15 in Division III by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and #5 in Region 1 by the NCAA. With those rankings, Walters is hopeful to be selected to participate in the NCAA Division III Singles Championships, held in St. Louis, May 26 through 28. The selections will be announced on May 8.
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."
Cohen is a 2020 graduate of The Benjamin School. For more information on Brandeis softball, visit their web page at
https:/brandeisjudges.com/sports/softball
Walters is a 2020 graduate of The Gilman School. For more information on Brandeis men’s tennis 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 Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
