CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Thursday, June 29, 2023
The Hudson Valley Community College department of athletics has announced its annual end of year major awards for the 2022-23 academic year.
2022-23 Major Awards
President's Award - Presented to the student whose hard work, determination, hustle and attitude have enabled them to make valuable contributions to their team, the athletic department and the college.
Female President's Award: Hannah Taylor (Softball): Taylor was recognized as a recipient of the State University of New York's Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, one of the highest student honors awarded by the SUNY system, which acknowledges students for outstanding academic and community service achievements. Taylor had been a two-year starter and an integral piece to the recent success and growth of the softball program. She helped the program to a 17-game win streak in 2022 and reached back-to-back Region 3 Championship games in 2022 & 2023. She is a career .378 hitter and has accumulated 54 hits in 45 games. She is dedicated in giving back to her local community by volunteering at the local food pantry in Ghent and as an assistant coach for the Chatham high school's girls' basketball team. Hannah graduated with a degree in Architectural Technology with a 3.77 GPA.
Male President's Award: Joshua Foglia (Baseball): Foglia was a two-year starter for the baseball program and has consistently been one of the best hitters in the region. He was named NJCAA Region 3 First Team and Mountain Valley Conference First Team in 2023. He finished the year hitting .423 with 58 hits in 44 games played. He added 10 doubles and a team-high 41 RBIs. Foglia also gave back to the local community as he was an integral part of the baseball program volunteering over 1,200 hours to community events and businesses in the Capital Region. He is majoring in cybersecurity with a 3.71 overall GPA.
Otto Guenther Memorial Award – Presented to a male and female student-athlete who demonstrates the best combination of academic and athletic success.
Female Otto Guenther Memorial Award: Payton Graber (Women's Basketball): Graber had a historic freshman year for the women's basketball program. She was named Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year, NJCAA Region 3 Player of the Year and NJCAA First Team All-American as well as a women's basketball SUNY Scholar-Athlete. She was second in the nation with 24.8 points per game and third with 4.9 steals per game. Graber's 24.8 points per game is a new single season record and she is the first women's basketball player to be named a NJCAA first team All-American since Lindsey Bradt (program's all-time leading scorer) in 2000-02. Graber scored a career-high 41 points at Massasoit on Jan. 10.
Male Otto Guenther Memorial Award: Lane Jenkins (Men's Golf): Jenkins had a tremendous season as he earned NJCAA All-American honors with a 15th place finish at the NJCAA Division III Golf National Championships. He also placed second overall at the NJCAA Region 3 Championships and was named the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year following his win at the conference championship at Herkimer. Jenkins guided the golf program to its first conference championships since 1985.
Lester Higbee Award – Presented to the most outstanding female athlete.
Lester Higbee Award: Alyssa Bruno (Women's Volleyball, Basketball & Track and Field): Bruno has grown into a great three-sport student-athlete over her two years at Hudson Valley. She has played two seasons for the women's volleyball, women's basketball and women's track and field programs. While completing her final semester, she achieved All-Academic honors from the NJCAA and the USTFCCCA. She finished her volleyball career with 184 kills and 80 blocks. She also grew into the starting center for the women's basketball program where she averaged 25 minutes per game and grabbed nearly six rebounds per game in 38 career games. Bruno excelled in track and field, earning the Region 3 championship in the women's heptathlon and was named the USTFCCCA All-American in the women's heptathlon and the women's 4x100 relay events.
Thomas Cahill Award – Presented to the most outstanding male athlete.
Thomas Cahill Award: Trevor Green (Men's Basketball): Green completed his second season with the men's basketball program and accomplished a feat that only four other student-athletes have accomplished, reaching the 1,000-career points milestone, as he averaged 21.7 points per game (sixth in the NJCAA). Green was recognized as a NJCAA All-American and garnered First Team All-Region and All-Conference accolades for his outstanding season. Green finished his career with 1,004 career points, which placed him fourth on the all-time scoring list, behind HVCC Athletics Hall of Famers Ducey Hughes and Justin Gallo. He has etched his name in the men's basketball record books as more than just a prolific scorer. He was a major defensive presence, finishing his career with 112 steals (5th all-time) and added 410 rebounds (8th all-time) and 195 assists (8th all-time).
Dr. Andrew J. Matonak Character Award – Presented to a student for their commitment and contributions to their team, embracing the character and spirit of the College and the athletic department.
Dr. Andrew J. Matonak Character Award: Skylar Burns (Softball): Burns concluded her sophomore season with the softball program in 2023. She has played an important role on the team as a primary pinch-runner and a quality outfielder for a program that reached the Region 3 championship game in consecutive seasons. Burns' team-first mentality has been contagious for the softball program and she has grown into a well-respected team-leader. Skylar helped build a strong culture for the program and she is the first person to pick up her struggling teammates throughout games and practices. She hit .364 this season with eight hits in 22 at-bats and added 10 stolen bases with 12 runs scored. Burns graduated with a degree in Physical Education.
Paul F. Bishop Coach of the Year Award – Presented to the coach who exhibits the highest level of sportsmanship, leadership, professionalism and ethics, and who demonstrates the highest level of commitment to his/her sport, the athletic department and, most importantly, to the student - athletes.
Paul F. Bishop Coach of the Year Award: Jeoffrey York (Track and Field): Coach York has been a champion and record-holder in the indoor and outdoor track and field realm for decades and he brought that mentality to HVCC when he arrived in 2016 to develop the men's and women's outdoor track and field program, which he has succeeded beyond expectations. In 2023, the men's track and field program won the Region 3 (3rd in 6 years) and Mountain Valley Conference (4th in 6 years) Championships and placed seventh at Nationals. The women's program placed third and fourth in the MVC and Region 3 championships, respectively. Coach York also placed an integral role in planning and running the 2023 NJCAA Region 3 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which were hosted by Hudson Valley Community College. The programs had three NJCAA All-Americans, 14 USTFCCCA All-Americans and 13 All-Region performers.
Phil Brown Assistant Coach of the Year Award – Presented to an athletic department support staff member or assistant coach who has contributed to the success of the department and the student-athletes, with a commitment to promoting the ideals set forth by their head coach or administrator.
Phil Brown Assistant Coach of the Year: Greg Polis (Football): Coach Polis continued to take on a leading role within the football program this year. Throughout the season, he worked as the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator, lead recruiter and handled a supporting academic services role for the team, which helped minimize the number of SSARP participants and improved individuals academic standing and transferability to four-year programs. Coach Polis has made himself available to assist the department at volunteer events as well as home events, such as the Region 3 Track and Field Championships and the Annual Athletics Enrollment Day.
Willie A. Hammett Award for Excellence in Student Service – Presented annually to a member of the campus community in recognition of dedicated and tireless service to our student-athletes.
Willie A. Hammett Award for Excellence in Student Service: Amy Looby (FSA – Business Services): Amy Looby has assisted the department of athletics over the last couple of years as the Business Services Coordinator within the FSA Business Office. She has contributed to the success of the programs from behind the scenes, assisting with team travel, meal money, fundraising and purchasing for all 20 NJCAA programs.
John L. Buono Award for Citizenship - Presented to a member of the Vikings community who has demonstrated a commitment to the College and student-athletes.
John L. Buono Award: Loni Hetman (Technical Assistant – Testing & Photography): Loni has become a staple at Hudson Valley home games over the last couple of seasons as she volunteers her time to assist the department of athletics in taking photos at our home games. The student-athletes, coaches and their families have come to know Loni as she snaps action photos on the sidelines and shares them with the department, the student-athletes and families. Loni has taken time to help a few student-athletes learn more about photography and share her unique ways of photographing live sporting events. Loni also helps incoming student-athletes as they pass through placement testing at HVCC, providing first-hand knowledge of how life as a student-athlete at HVCC can be challenging and continues to promote all of the student services HVCC has available on campus.