McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) and John Gutt (Middletown, NJ) have been named the Pioneer Athletes of the Week for the week of January 12th, 2026. This is Gutt's first Pioneer honor of the season, while Simmons captures her second award. 

Simmons posted back-to-back double-doubles for the Pioneers this week in two out of three games. Against Houghton, Simmons managed 10 points while shooting .333 from three-point range, with a team-leading 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks to go along with it. In the team's overtime effort against Alfred, Simmons managed 18 points on .375 shooting from the field, with a team-leading 11 rebounds while adding a pair of steals. On the week, Simmons posted 13.7 points per game while connecting on .350 percent of her attempts from the field, and averaged eight rebounds per game.  

Simmons and the women's basketball team will be back in action tomorrow evening, traveling to Hartwick for a conference contest against the Hawks. 

Gutt continued his scorching hot scoring output this past Saturday in a big 5-1 UCHC victory over a tough Nazareth squad. The senior star helped the Pioneers remain unbeaten in conference play thanks to a two-goal, one-assist performance that also included the game's first goal, and eventually game-winning score. Gutt also assisted the fifth goal to cement the substantial victory. To add even more prestige to the performance, Gutt's opening goal was scored shorthanded, while his second, game-winning goal was netted on the power play. The crucial center also won 11 faceoffs on the night, completing an outstanding performance that saw him raise his point total to five over the past two matchups, including a pair of goals in each contest. 

Gutt and the men's hockey team will hit the road this Saturday for a standalone contest against Nazareth. That game will take place at 7:00 PM in Rochester and will complete the season series between the two teams.