ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Taylor Pierson and Luis Rivera, sophomores on the Nazareth College track and field team, have been honored as Empire 8 Conference Field Athletes of the Week for the period that ended Dec. 15.

Pierson, of Wellsburg, N.Y. and a graduate of Elmira Southside High School, excelled for the Golden Flyers at the RIT Early Season Invitational on Dec. 12. She broke her own five-day-old school record in the 60-meter dash with a second-place clocking of 8.18 seconds. She narrowly missed breaking her own record in the long jump as she won that event with a leap of 5.50 meters (18 feet, 0 1/2 inches). She was only a half an inch shy of her school record of 18 feet, 1 inch, set last season at the ECAC Meet in New York City.

Rivera, of Rochester, N.Y. and a graduate of James Monroe High School, shattered his own school record in the 35-pound weight throw for the second week in a row. He finished second in that event at the RIT Early Season Invitational with a toss of 15.37 meters (50 feet, 5 1/4 inches). That mark was nearly four inches farther than his previous best from Dec. 7 at Brockport. He's also exceeded his school record he had entering the season by nearly 10 feet.

The Golden Flyers are off for the semester break and will resume action Jan. 18 at RIT.