WALTHAM, Mass. – Women’s track and field first-year
Peterly Leroy of
Malden, Massachusetts, and men’s fencing sophomore
Matthew Chaves of
Durham, North Carolina, have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending March 9. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake N Joes Bar and Grill.
Leroy was honored for her performance at the Tufts Last Chance Qualifier on March 8, when she broke two school records. Leroy lowered her own school record in the 400-meter dash. In just her fifth collegiate meet, Leroy ran 56.87 seconds to win the event by approximately a second-and-a-half.
Leroy lowered her own school record by 0.43 seconds as she became the first Judge to break 57 seconds. She has now shaved 0.81 seconds off the previous school record that had been held by Jessica Curlew '03 since 2002. Leroy qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships this weekend in the 400-meters, where she will be the 13
th seed.
Leroy also helped the women’s 4x400-meter relay erase the program's oldest record on the track. She ran the lead leg as the Judges ran 3:53.97 and took down a record that had stood since 1997. They beat the old mark by 2.6 seconds.
Chaves had a fantastic performance in his final meet of the season, the NCAA Fencing Regional Championships at Tufts on March 9. Seeded 27
th headed into the meet, he reached the finals of the event to finish in eighth place. Chaves went 4-2 in the first round 3-3 in the second to claim the 12
th and final berth in the final pool. There, he went 5-6 with two wins over Columbia, one each against St. John’s and Yale, and one against teammate
Tony Escueta, who was third in the region last year. Chaves improved by 18 spots from his regional placement as a first-year.
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."
Leroy is a 2028 graduate of the Ursuline School. For more information on Brandeis women’s track and field, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/wtrack.
Chaves is a 2027 graduate of Durham Academy Upper School. For more information on Brandeis men’s fencing, please visit our homepage at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mfencing.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at
www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
