WALTHAM, Mass. – First-year women’s track and field athlete
Sarai Sealy of
New York, New York, and junior men’s basketball forward
Elias Rodl of
Berlin, Germany, have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending January 19, the first full week of competition for the Judges in 2025. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake N Joes Bar and Grill.
Sealy, who also was named the University Athletic Association Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, won two events in her first collegiate meet, the Reggie Poyau ’04 Memorial Invitational, on her home track. She won the triple jump with a distance of 11.97 meters. Her leap in the triple jump was ranked second in Division III this season, and it came on her first jump of the meet. Sealy also ran the lead leg in the winning 4x200-meter relay that finished with a time of 1:45.86, just 0.05 off the school record. Sealy also finished third in the 60-meter dash in 7.98 seconds.
In their second year under head coach
Miles Ketchum, the Judges finished in second place out of 10 teams at the meet, just three points behind Division II St. Anselm. Brandeis returns to action this weekend at the Wheaton College Invitational.
Rodl helped the Brandeis men’s basketball team to a 1-1 week in their first UAA home games of the season. He averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2 assists per game while shooting 68% from the field and 64% from 3-point range. In an 84-54 win over Rochester on Jan. 17, Rodl tied for team-high honors with 20 points with three rebounds and 2 assists. He hit 8-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range against the Yellowjackets. In an 88-77 loss to #2 Emory on Jan. 19, Rodl tied for game-high honors with 27 points, matching his career-best, on 11-of-16 overall and 5-of-7 from downtown. He also led the Judges with a career-high eight rebounds.
Overall this season, Rodl is averaging 14.8 points per game, second on the team, and 4.1 rebounds per game, third on the squad. He leads the team and the UAA in field-goal percentage, hitting 60.2% from the floor (80-133), good for 24
th among all Division III players. His 33 3-pointers are second on the team and tied for sixth in the UAA, and he is shooting 58.9% from beyond the arc, which would lead Division III but is two 3-pointers shy of the minimum needed for ranking.
As a team, the Judges are 10-4, 1-2 in the UAA, in head coach
Jean Bain’s sixth season. Their two conference losses came to the teams ranked #2 and #5 in Division III this season by D3hoops.com. Brandeis leads all of Division III in 3-point field goal percentage (42.4%). They are second in 3-pointers made per game (12.5) and third in overall field goal percentage (50.0%). The Judges return to action on Friday, January 24
th, at Case Western Reserve University.
This is the ninth 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."
Sealy is a 2024 graduate of the Ursuline School. For more information on Brandeis track and field, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/wtrack.
Rodl is a 2022 graduate of Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin. For more information on Brandeis men’s basketball, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mbball.
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.
