CONTACT: Adam Sopris,a.sopris@hvcc.edu, (518) 629-7898 or (518) 416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, June 25, 2024
SUNY Announces 2024 Spring Scholar Athlete Awards - Three HVCC Student-Athletes Garners SUNY Spring Scholar Athlete Awards
Twenty-seven student-athletes are being honored with the SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards for combining academic achievement with success in the arena of athletic competition during the 2024 spring season. Hudson Valley Community College was well-recognized as Joshua Carr (Golf), Mia Manera (Tennis) and Brooks Robson (Track & Field) were all named a SUNY Scholar Athlete in their respective sports.
The Spring SUNY Scholar Athlete Awards recognized student-athletes from SUNY colleges and universities sponsoring intercollegiate athletics at the four- and two-year levels who were nominated and voted upon by representatives of their respective institutions.
Nominating information includes cumulative grade point average, current and career statistics, and athletic and academic honors.
More than 14,000 student-athletes compete at SUNY institutions representing 53 different colleges and universities at the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III/USCAA and NJCAA levels and are eligible for the awards.
The four NCAA Division I member institutions that comprise the NCAA Division I Category for the SUNY Scholar Athlete Awards include Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook, while 19 institutions make up the NCAA Division III/USCAA Category and include Alfred State, Brockport, Buffalo State, Canton, Cobleskill, Cortland, Delhi, Farmingdale, Fredonia, Geneseo, Maritime, Morrisville, New Paltz, Old Westbury, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Potsdam and SUNY Poly.
ESF, the lone four-year SUNY institution sponsoring intercollegiate athletics that is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) instead of the NCAA, participates in the program with the 19 NCAA Division III members for a total of 20 colleges and universities.
The NJCAA Category features the 29 two-year community colleges spread out across the state of New York: Adirondack, Broome, Cayuga, Clinton, Columbia Greene, Corning, Dutchess, Erie, FIT, Finger Lakes, Fulton Montgomery, Genesee, Herkimer, Hudson Valley, Jamestown, Jefferson, Mohawk Valley, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, North Country, Onondaga, Orange, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tompkins and Ulster.
The SUNY Scholar Athlete Awards recognize outstanding academic and athletic success in 29 different sports and are presented three times a year to coincide with the specific sports contested in the fall, winter and spring seasons. The Scholar Athletes of the Year in each sport will then be nominated for an overall Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's sports and women's sports in each category that will be announced in mid-July.
The Winter Scholar Athletes of the Year were announced in April, and the overall Men's and Women's Scholar Athletes of the Year will be announced in July. Student-athletes will receive photo plaques commemorating their accomplishments.
Because sport sponsorship varies among institutions, a minimum sponsorship formula has been developed for award selections. At least three (3) institutions must sponsor the sport in the Division I category, while at least five (5) institutions must sponsor the sport in the SUNY Division III/USCAA and SUNY NJCAA categories.
For sports that do not meet the minimum threshold to be a viable award, an At-Large Category has been developed for each level and each season.
The following student-athletes have been selected the 2024 Spring SUNY Scholar Athlete Award winners:
Baseball – Anthony Brotz, Genesee Community College
https://geneseeathletics.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/bios/brotz_anthony_e6ha
Brotz was a two-year starter and captain for the men's baseball program carrying a 3.71 overall GPA. In 2024, he was named first team All-Conference, the conference baseball player of the year and was on the first team All-Region and All-West Division teams. He had a .548 on base percentage which is 26th in the country. He was sixth in the region with a batting average of .421 and sixth for stolen bases with 25. He was the recipient of the baseball cougar player (MVP) award both years. He is a business major that is continuing his baseball career at Division I Marist College on an athletics scholarship.
Men's Golf – Joshua Carr, Hudson Valley Community College
https://hvccathletics.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/carr_joshua_8dcg
Carr earned All-Region honors and led the Hudson Valley Community College team to its second straight conference title. The team also qualified for Nationals, following a second-place finish at Regionals. Carr's 2024 scoring average was an 83. He finished his first year as an engineering science major with a 4.0.
Men's Lacrosse - Tyler Kuprianchik, Nassau Community College
https://nassaulions.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/roster/tyler-kuprianchik/4080
Kuprianchik holds a cumulative 3.94 GPA after a completing a year in the liberal arts program at Nassau Community College. During the season this spring, he earned a 4.0 GPA. He helped lead his team to a third-place finish in the country this season. He earned NJCAA All-America First-Team honors and was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team. Kuprianchik is top tier in several national stats including second in ground balls, third in face-offs and 15th in man-down goals.
Softball - Shelbi Hagues, Herkimer College
https://www.herkimergenerals.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/hagues_shelbi_61gb
Shelbi was a two-way star on the Herkimer softball team this season. She was named First Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference. At the plate, she hit .449 with 24 RBI and 34 runs scored. On the mound she went 7-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 49 strikeouts. In the classroom, Shelbi recorded a 3.72 overall GPA as a health professions major.
Men's Outdoor Track and Field - Brooks Robson, Hudson Valley Community College
https://hvccathletics.com/sports/mtrack/2023-24/bios/robson_brooks_sfd7
Robson was dominant in the long jump and the triple jump all season long. He won the NJCAA National Championship and was an All-American in the long jump (7.01m) and the triple jump (14.23m). He faced NCAA programs all season and placed first or second in both events at every meet this year. He was the Region 3 champion in the triple jump (13.90m). Robson holds a 3.84 GPA in individual studies after four semesters.
Women's Outdoor Track and Field - Aja Jackson, SUNY Broome Community College
https://broomehornets.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/jackson_aja_m503?view=news
In 2024 Jackson was a NJCAA All-American and the national champion in the women's 10,000 meter run at Outdoor Track & Field National Championships with a school-record time of 40:37.64. She was also the National runner-up in women's 5,000 meter run at the Outdoor Track & Field National Championships with a school-record time of 19:15.53. She finished third in the women's 1,500 meter run and 200 meter run at the NJCAA Region 3 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Over her career she was a five-time NJCAA All-American and a two-time NJCAA National Champion in women's 10,000-meter run. Jackson had six top-3 finishes across six events in her career at NJCAA Region 3 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Jackson holds the school records for the 400-meter, 800-meter, 5,000-meter, and 10,000-meter runs. She finished with a 3.78 cumulative GPA in business administration.
Men's At-Large – James Cangco, Men's Volleyball, Nassau Community College
https://nassaulions.com/sports/mens-volleyball/roster
Cangco was the region's Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Region First-Team honors. He is third in the country in receptions (506), seventh in digs (238) and 15th in digs per set. In his first year at Nassau Community College, he maintained a 4.0 overall GPA.
Women's At-Large – Mia Manera, Women's Tennis, Hudson Valley Community College
https://hvccathletics.com/sports/wten/2023-24/bios/manera_mia_5yle
Manera played at No. 2 singles all year for the Vikings team who won the Region 3 championship for the first time since 1998. She played a huge role, posting a 4-0 conference record at No. 2 singles. She won the Region 3 title at No. 2 singles and at No. 1 doubles. She advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament, where she won in the backdraw, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. At the completion of her first year at Hudson Valley Community College, Manera holds a 3.45 overall GPA in individual studies.
NCAA Division I
Baseball – Mike Gunning, Binghamton
https://bubearcats.com/sports/baseball/roster/mike-gunning/16293
Gunning was a 2024 First team All-Conference outfielder. He led the team and tied the school record with 16 home runs. Gunning finished in the conference top-5 in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage. He was named to the America East Baseball All-Academic Team, he is a member of the Binghamton AD Honor Roll and the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll. Gunning graduated with a 3.81 overall GPA in the human development program at Binghamton.
Men's Lacrosse – Graydon Hogg, University at Albany
https://ualbanysports.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/roster/graydon-hogg/9897
In 2024, Hogg was named to the First Team All-America East, the America East All-Academic Team and was named to the America East All-Tournament Team. He was second on the team in assists (15) and third in goals (27) and points (42). Hogg scored his 100th career goal in 2024 helping his team to a 10-8 record and winning the program's 10th America East championship title. The Great Danes went 1-1 in the NCAA tournament, falling to the eventual champions, Notre Dame. Hogg maintained a 3.41 undergraduate cumulative GPA and held a 3.43 GPA while earning his master's degree.
Women's Lacrosse – Katie Pascale, University at Albany
https://ualbanysports.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/katie-pascale/9866
Pascale graduated with a 3.66 overall GPA as an accounting major. In 2024, she was an Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-America Honorable Mention, repeated as the America East Midfielder of the Year and earned her third straight America East All-Conference First Team honors. Pascale holds University at Albany's program records for career points, career assists, career draw controls, single-season draw controls and single-game points. In 2024, she reached a career milestone of 250 and 300 points, 300 draw controls, 50 caused turnovers, 150 goals, and 100 ground balls.
Prior to suffering a major knee injury that caused her to miss most of the final five games of the 2024 season, she was ranked in the top 5 in the conference in 10 different categories. Prior to her injury, she also ranked ninth among Division I players in points per game, 17th in assists per game, and 18th in assists and points. She finished her career ranked third in America East history in assists, fifth in points, and fifth in draw controls. She is the first woman in University at Albany lacrosse history, and third overall and fifth woman in America East lacrosse history, and seventh overall, to score 300 points in a career.
Softball – Morgan Petty, University at Albany
https://ualbanysports.com/sports/softball/roster/morgan-petty/10069
Petty was a four-time America East Academic Honor Roll member including three times on the Commissioner's Honor Roll. She was named to the 2024 First Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference after she led the league in stolen bases (25), was second in batting average (.371), runs (40), triples (2) and slugging percentage (.664). She also finished ranked third in RBI (39), home runs (9) and on base percentage (.465). Petty was 27th in the nation in stolen bases per game. She maintained a 3.36 undergraduate overall GPA in communication and had a 3.85 GPA in graduate school.
Men's Outdoor Track and Field - Jonathan Surdej, University at Buffalo
https://ubbulls.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/jonathan-surdej/7230
In 2024, Surdej won eight consecutive MAC shot put titles, he was named the conference's Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer and was also named to the All-MAC First Team. Surdej is the only track and field athlete in the history of the conference to win eight straight individual MAC titles, the second athlete in conference history to win eight individual MAC titles and is an eight-time All-MAC First Team honoree. Surdej is also a two-time NCAA outdoor regional qualifier. He graduated with a major in electrical engineering and maintained a 3.13 overall GPA.
Women's Outdoor Track and Field - Leann Nicholas, University at Albany
https://ualbanysports.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/leann-nicholas/10019
Nicholas won the triple jump at the 2024 America East Outdoor Championships which was her fifth-straight indoor/outdoor title. She is a six-time America East All-Conference selection and finished the 2024 season with four first place finishes in the triple jump. She was the runner-up in the triple jump at the 2024 Penn Relays in the championship division. Nicholas is a junior dual major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Spanish and hold a 3.91 overall GPA.
Baseball – Tommy Kreider, New Paltz
https://nphawks.com/sports/baseball/roster/tommy-kreider/17448
Kreider was an ABCA All-American (second team), ABCA All-Region III (first team), All-SUNYAC (first team) and the SUNYAC Tournament MVP in 2024. He led the team in every offensive category except RBI batting in the two-spot in the lineup. The Hawks won their first-ever SUNYAC championship title this season and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament. Kreider is a junior accounting major maintaining a 3.77 overall GPA. He is on high honor roll and a Chi Alpha Sigma inductee.
Equestrian – Maggie Herbert, Morrisville
https://morrisvillemustangs.com/sports/western-equestrian/roster/maggie-herbert/4910
Herbert topped all riders in the high point rider competition across the year, finishing as the Regional High Point Rider Champion. At the Regional Championships, the senior was a double Regional Crown winner, taking home the title in the reining class alongside the open western horsemanship class. She followed with a third-place ride in open reining at the IHSA National Semifinals, earning a slot in the national championships in May, where she placed third overall in the NRHA/AQHA individual reining class. Herbert is a constant on the college's Dean's List with a 3.44 overall GPA and was a 2023 Chi Alpha Sigma inductee.
Men's Golf Co-SAOTY– Mackenzie Kim, Farmingdale State
https://farmingdalesports.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/mackenzie-kim/7537
In 2024, Kim was an All-Region selection for the second season in a row. He was also a Scholar All-American and three-time First Team All-Skyline Conference recipient in as many seasons. Kim's average score this season was 75.4 for the Rams team that placed 18th at the NCAA Championships. He holds a 3.74 overall GPA as a business management major.
Men's Golf Co-SAOTY – Adam Szlamczynski, SUNY Canton
https://rooathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/adam-szlamczynski/6659
Szlamczynski led the Roos in eight of the team's 11 events during the fall semester before graduating in December. He earned medalist honors at the Utica Fall Invitational, the Elmira College Fall Invitational and the SUNY Poly Invitational. Szlamczynski finished second at the VTSU Johnson Invitational, the Clarkson Invitational and the Oswego State Fall Invitational while placing third at the Nazareth Fall Invitational. Szlamczynski's round of 3-under par, 69, at the Clarkson Invitational will go down in the record books as it was the lowest in relation to par in school history. Szlamczynski was named the NAC Men's Golf Senior Scholar Athlete and Second Team All-Conference. He was also recognized as NAC Golfer of the Week on September 11th and 25th. He finished his academic career with a 3.93 cumulative GPA in the Homeland Security major and was named the 2023 SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's golf last spring.
Women's Golf – Claudia Winterberg, Cortland
https://www.cortlandreddragons.com/sports/womens-golf/roster/claudia-winterberg/13404
Winterberg was First Team All-Northeast Women's Golf Conference (NWGC) with a third-place finish at the conference championship. During the combined fall/spring season, 14 of her 15 rounds were 85 or better, including four rounds below an 80. Winterberg tied for third at the Catholic (DC) Cardinal Spring Classic and tied for fourth at the St. Lawrence Invitational. She is a junior business economics major with a 3.81 overall GPA.
Men's Lacrosse – Trevor Bollinger, Geneseo
https://geneseoknights.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/roster/trevor-bollinger/6530
Recently, Bollinger was honored with the 2024 SUNYAC Dr. Sam Molnar award and was named the SUNYAC Men's Lacrosse Scholar Athlete of the Year. This award is nominated and voted on by the member institutions and is presented annually to a senior athlete with the best combination of academic and athletic ability with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.30. Bollinger was the 2024 SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year and a USILA Honorable Mention All-American. He helped lead a solid defensive unit for the Knights that held opponents to less than 10 goals per game. The Ithaca, N.Y. native led the team in caused turnovers with 30, and posted 50 ground balls. Bollinger helped lead Geneseo to back-to-back conference titles with a 20-10 win over Potsdam in the SUNYAC championship game, and was named to the All-Tournament team for his efforts. Bollinger graduated with a dual major in chemistry and sociology. He maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his academic career at Geneseo.
Women's Lacrosse – Amanda Squillini, Cortland
https://www.cortlandreddragons.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/amanda-squillini/14075
Squillini was a 2024 USA Lacrosse Third Team All-America Defender and an IWLCA Second Team All-Empire Region. This season she started all 20 games and was tied for first on the team with 26 caused turnovers and was second with 43 ground balls. Squillini helped lead a defense that allowed less than nine goals per game. In 95 career games, 94 as a starter, she ranks sixth in school history with 95 caused turnovers and also has 153 ground balls and 44 draw controls. Squillini maintained a 3.44 undergraduate GPA majoring in teaching students with disabilities and a 4.0 graduate GPA in physical education. She was recently named the 2024 SUNYAC Women's Lacrosse Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Men's Tennis – Alan Sabovic, Farmingdale State
https://farmingdalesports.com/sports/mens-tennis/roster/alan-sabovic/7599
Sabovic was the 2024 Skyline Conference Player of the Year, has been a four-time All-Skyline Conference selection (three first-team nods) and was an Academic All-District selection by College Sports Communicators this season. He went undefeated at No. 1 singles flight with a school-record 16 victories for a Rams team that was the only NCAA Championship entrant to commence tournament play with an unblemished record. Sabovic had the second-best marks in school history with 40 career singles victories, an .851 winning percentage and 41 doubles wins while .794 doubles winning percentage ranks third. He graduated with a 3.74 overall GPA earning a degree in bioscience.
Women's Tennis – Isabel van der Veen, New Paltz
https://nphawks.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/isabel-van-der-veen/17265
Van der Veen earned SUNYAC First-Team Singles and Doubles honors and was named to the All-Tournament Team in 2024. She was 4-0 in conference singles play playing at third singles and went 6-0 in doubles play at second doubles. She earned high honor roll and is a Chi Alpha Sigma National Society inductee. She is a junior business analytics major with a cumulative GPA of 3.81.
Softball – Jenna Giliberti, Farmingdale State
https://farmingdalesports.com/sports/softball/roster/jenna-giliberti/7937
Giliberti was the 2024 Skyline Player of the Year, was named to the NFCA First-Team All-Region and was selected as an Academic All-America Third-Team honoree by College Sports Communicators. She was also named to the All-Skyline first team after totaling 61 hits and averaging .439 at bat with 48 runs, 24 extra-base hits and 26 stolen bases. She had an error-free year in the field as the right fielder. Giliberti ranks third all-time at Farmingdale State with a career .424 average, .630 slugging percentage and is second with 55 stolen bases. She has a 3.87 overall GPA in applied psychology.
Men's Outdoor Track and Field – Isiah Brunache, Cortland
https://www.cortlandreddragons.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/isaiah-brunache/13820
In 2024, Brunache qualified for the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championship in the discus (18th place) and shot put (20th place). He was All-Niagara Region in the discus, shot put and hammer throw and All-AARTFC in the discus (4th place) and shot put (5th place). Brunache was the 2024 SUNYAC Championship Meet Most Valuable Performer after he scored 22 points at the meet with second place in shot put and hammer throw and third place in discus. He was also recently named the SUNYAC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Brunache is a sophom*ore exercise science major maintaining a 3.98 overall GPA at Cortland.
Women's Outdoor Track and Field – Isabella Fabrizio, Oneonta
https://oneontaathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/isabella-fabrizio/14055
In 2024, senior Fabrizio was an outdoor NCAA Division III All-American Second Team athlete in the shot put. She placed 13th at the NCAA Division III championship meet with a program record of 13.76 meters. Fabrizio was the SUNYAC outdoor shot put champion at 13.67 meters. She was All-AARTFC and USTFCCCA All-Region in the shot put. Fabrizio placed in the top five in eight meets and won the shot put at the Cortland Red Dragon Open. Fabrizio graduated with a 3.76 overall GPA in exercise science and was named the SUNYAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the year and was a Chi Alpha Sigma National Honors Society inductee.
Women's At-Large – Lucy Ingro, Acrobatics & Tumbling, Buffalo State
https://buffalostateathletics.com/sports/acrobatics-tumbling/roster/lucy-ingro/7648
Ingro was one of the best performers for Buffalo State as a top and as a tumbler in the inaugural season of competition for the Bengals. The sophom*ore was a First Team All-Tournament selection at the 2024 NCATA Division III Tournament. Ingro was also a crucial member of the first heat victory in program history in the duo tumbling pass, and holds multiple school records. In the classroom, the speech & language pathology major has a 3.93 cumulative GPA through four semesters, and was named to the NCATA Academic Honor Roll as well.
