ROCHESTER, N.Y. (nazathletics.com) - The Empire 8 released its All-Conference selections for the 2025-26 season on Thursday, with several Golden Flyers earning recognition. Senior Jaylen Savage and sophomore Merritt Holly headlined Nazareth's honorees, both earning First Team honors. Graduate student Luke Insley was named to the Second Team while Tyler Putney was selected to the Empire 8 Tomorrow's Leaders Team.

Savage's First Team selection marks the fourth consecutive season of earning Empire 8 All-Conference Honors. The 2024-25 Player of the Year and 2022-23 Rookie of the Year previously received Second Team honors in each of his first two seasons before elevating to First Team honors as both a junior and senior. This season, Savage averaged 17.5 points per game, ranking fifth in the Empire 8. He also posted a career‑high 48 percent field-goal percentage, shot 85 percent from the free‑throw line and added a career‑best 2.7 assists per game. Additionally, Savage led the Empire 8 in minutes played, averaging 34.3 per game. He reached double figures in every contest this season, highlighted by a season‑high 27 points against Keuka.

Holly put together another impressive season after earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2024-25. His First Team selection marks the first of his young career. This season, Holly averaged 10.8 rebounds per game, topping the conference, while contributing 14.8 points per game for 10th overall. He recorded a career-high 32 points against SUNY Poly and shot an efficient 59 percent from the field. Holly also averaged 29.7 minutes per game, starting in all 26 games for the Golden Flyers. 

Insley, a consistent presence for the Golden Flyers, earned his second straight All-Conference selection after securing First Team honors in 2024-25. He led the conference for the third straight season in both assists per game (6.8) and assist to turnover ratio (5.1). He also recorded a career‑high 15 assists against Elmira. In addition, Insley produced the best scoring season of his career, averaging 11.5 points per game on 50 percent shooting, which ranked 10th in the conference.

Putney is Nazareth's representative on the Empire 8 Tomorrow's Leaders Team. One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025-26 Men's Basketball Tomorrow's Leaders Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding player.