SUNY Recognizes Collins, Ritcher, and Reynolds for Athletic and Academic Excellence
More than 25 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 2025 spring season.
The SUNY Spring Scholar Athlete Awards recognizes 28 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 University at Albany, Binghamton, University at 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 Fall Scholar Athletes of the Year were announced in January while the winter winners were released in April. The overall male and female Scholar Athletes of the Year in each division 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.
Below are the winners in each of the three divisions:
Baseball - Devan Bade, Binghamton
Year: Sr.
Major: Electrical Engineering
Overall GPA: 3.63
Description: First team all-conference third baseman in America East Conference ... led team to conference championship and NCAA Regional appearance ... named Most Outstanding Player at conference tournament after amassing 12 hits and 12 RBI in five games as Binghamton went 4-1 to win program's sixth title ... had .348 average with conference-high 59 RBI and 11 home runs ... ranked among the top-5 in conference in hits (73), HR and RBI ... will graduate among Binghamton's all-time top-5 in hits, runs, HR, RBI, slugging and on-base percentage ... named to America East All-Academic Team.
Men's Lacrosse - Liam Ferris, Binghamton
Year: Gr.
Major: Business Administration
Overall GPA: 3.65 UG/3.67 G
Description: First team all-conference selection in America East Conference ... Started all 14 games ... Led the team in goals (36) and points (48) ... Recorded a hat trick eight times, including three games where he scored four goals (No. 12 Harvard on March 29, Bryant on April 19 and Vermont on April 26) ... Led the America East in both shots (152) and shots per game (10.86) ... Finished second in the America East in goals per game (2.57) and points per game (3.43) ... Collected 25 ground balls and caused five turnovers ... Named to the America East All-Academic Team ... Served as one of the team captains.
Women's Lacrosse - Avery Hines, Stony Brook University
Year: Sr.
Major: Multi Disciplinary Major
Overall GPA: 3.36
Description: "CAA Defensive Player of the Year... ECAC Defensive Player of the Year... All-CAA First Team selection... Tewaaraton Watch List... two-time IWLCA Defensive Player of the Week (March 24, May 6)... seven-time CAA Defensive Player of the Week (February 24, March 10, March 24, March 31, April 7, April 14, April 28)... Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-American... Nike Lacrosse Media All-American... USA Lacrosse All-American... Caused team-high 74 turnovers and picked up 54 ground balls through 21 games in for the Seawolves... Broke single-game (8), single-season (74), and career caused turnover record with 142 over her four-year career... Third in the nation in caused turnovers per game (3.50) and led CAA in caused turnovers. "
Softball - Emma Lawson, Binghamton
Year: Jr.
Major: Human Development
Overall GPA: 3.86
Description: First-team NFCA All-Region ... First-team America East All-Conference ... America East All-Tournament Team ... ECAC All-Star ... America East All-Academic Team ... College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team ... Inducted into the National College Athlete Honor Society in April 28 ... The America East Player of the Week on Feb. 11 and April 8 ... Won the America East batting title (.379) and tied for first with 16 doubles ... At the national level, she ranked No. 11 in sacrifice flies (six) and No. 38 with 0.32 doubles per game ... Ranked second in the conference in slugging percentage (.660), hits (58), RBI (51) and OPS (1.093), was fifth in on-base percentage (.433), tied for seventh in home runs (nine) and was first in sacrifice flies (six) ... Finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and five RBI in the America East championship game against Bryant on May 11 ... Hit .400 with a team-best four RBI during the NCAA Tournament's Oregon Regional (May 16-17).
Men's Tennis - Daniils Snaiders, University at Buffalo
Year: Sr.
Major: Communications
Overall GPA: 3.61
Description: Daniils Snaiders graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in communications. He finished his decorated career as the program's all-time leader in doubles wins (70) while also ranking in the top 20 in career singles victories. Snaiders recorded 18 singles victories as a senior, including back-to-back clutch victories at the Mid-American Conference Tournament, earning him All-Tournament team honors, while adding 21 doubles victories, primarily at the first position. Off the court, Snaiders earned CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-MAC honors.
Women's Tennis - Jagmeet Kaur, University at Buffalo
Year: Gr.
Major: educational psychology and quantitative methods MA
Overall GPA: 4.0
Description: Jagmeet Kaur, 4.0 student who graduated in May with a master's degree in educational psychology and quantitative methods and a certificate of applied statistical analysis, earned Mid-American Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player honors after recording back-to-back victories, including the clinching point in the semifinal win over Miami (OH). In her final collegiate season, Kaur won 14 singles matches, while adding eight doubles victories, for a two-year UB total of 25 singles and 20 doubles wins. Off the court, Kaur earned CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-MAC honors.
Women's At-Large - Lucia Esteban, Women's Golf, University at Albany
Year: Jr.
Major: Business Administration
Overall GPA: 3.93
Description: One of UAlbany's top golfers all season long... 8th place finish at MAAC Championship, helping UAlbany to second place team finish... Led UAlbany with 37th place finish at Annika More Than Golf Invitational... Team leader
Co-Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Collin Gilstrap, Stony Brook University
Year: So.
Major: Health Science
Overall GPA: 3.27
Description: 5th place at CAA XC Championship, earning All-CAA honors... Two individual first-place finishes during XC regular season... 3 first-place finishes during outdoor track season... lowered program record in 1,500m at Wake Forest, qualifying for NCAAs... Defended title in 1,500m at CAA Outdoor Track Championship... 25th place in 1,500m at NCAA First Round (Outdoor Track)... 1x CAA Runner of the Week... 1x CAA Co-Track Athlete of the Week
Co-Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Simone Menchini, University at Albany
Year: So.
Major: Business Administration
Overall GPA: 3.90
Description: ACADEMIC: 3x UAlbany Dean's List ... 2x AE Commissioner's Honor Roll ... (transferred mid-year in 2023-24 but did not compete until indoor 2024-25) ATHLETIC: In first outdoor season - competed at NCAA Regionals ... finished higher than qualifying rank (43rd qualifier, finished meet 24th) ... jumped outdoor best 7.40m (24-3.5) early in the season ... rankings: NCAA (T87th), NCAA East (T43rd), Northeast (6th), America East Conference (2nd - behind only UAlbany national qualifier Louis Gordon) ... INDOOR 2024-25: won AE Indoor Champs ... broke UAlbany record 7.66m (25-1.75)
Women's Outdoor Track and Field - Beatriz Mora Herencia, University at Albany
Year: Fr.
Major: Business Administration
Overall GPA: 4.00
Description: ACADEMIC: 2x UAlbany Dean's List ... 1x AE Commissioner's Honor Roll. ATHLETIC: Broke UAlbany Javelin freshman record in first career meet ... broke UAlbany javelin record as a freshman ... 2025 AE Champion ... will compete at NCAA National Championship in June after appearing at the NCAA East Prelims at the end of May ... season high: 49.52m (162-6) ... rankings: NCAA (49th), NCAA East (22nd), Northeast (1st), America East Conference (1st)
Division III
Baseball - Tommy Kreider, New Paltz
Year: Sr.
Major: Accounting
Overall GPA: 4.0 semester; 3.81 cumulative
Description: Description: SUNYAC Player of the Year (first ever in program history); All-SUNYAC First Team (first in program history to be named to first team three times); D3Baseball Preseason All-American; Set single season records in: runs scored (broke his own record from '24); doubles (tied first with himself from last year); stolen bases (beat the old record by 11 set back in 2018); Was the only player for the Hawks to start and appear in 42 of 42 games this past spring. He led SUNY New Paltz in 11 statistical categories: batting average (.439), OPS (1.206), games played and started, runs scored (63), hits (72), doubles (19), total bases (109), slugging percentage (.665), on-base-percentage (.541), walks (30) and stolen bases (37-for-39). He stood second in both at-bats (164) and triples (3)... had a perfect 4.0 this semester and graduates with a 3.81 GPA (likely All-Region and possible All-American pick)
Men's Golf - Mackenzie Kim, Farmingdale State College
Year: Sr.
Major: Business Management
Overall GPA: 3.68
Description: Kim led FSC with a 75.75 average in 24 rounds this year. He led the Rams to its fifth straight Skyline Conference title, earning First Team All-Conference in the process. Kim is a two-time GCAA Scholar All-American and All-Region honoree and last year's SAOTY. He was one stroke off from making the cut as an individual at the NCAA Championship after helping last year's team make the cut for the first time since 2010. Has been a part of the top-10 lowest team rounds in program history, including a 284 (-4) in October.
Women's Golf - Sophie Oristian, Cortland
Year: Sr.
Major: Exercise Science
Overall GPA: 3.63
Description: Tied for third at the Northeast Women's Golf Conference (NWGC) Championship to earn first team all-conference honors...Helped Cortland win the league title and earn an NCAA automatic berth...Cortland's top performer at nationals with a two-day score of 165 (84-81)...Tied for fourth at NWGC Fall Classic (81)...Finished seventh at Catholic (DC) Cardinal Spring Classic (86-75-161)...2024 second team All-NWGC (tied for sixth)...2023 first team All-NWGC (tied for third)...Cortland's best performer at 2023 NCAAs (91-84-175).
Men's Lacrosse - Sean Kavanagh, Cortland
Year: So.
Major: Physical Education
Overall GPA: 3.54
Description: Midfielder...Second team USILA All-American...First team All-SUNYAC...SUNYAC All-Tournament Team...22 games played...48 goals, 31 assists, 79 points...First on team in assists and second in goals and points...Team won SUNYAC title and advanced to NCAA quarterfinals.
Softball - Julia Serena, Oneonta
Year: Sr.
Major: Exercise Science / Pre-Nursing
Overall GPA: 3.56
Description: Senior Julia Serena became Oneonta's first softball All-American in program history in the 2025 season after being named to the third team. She was NFCA All-Region First Team, All-SUNYAC First Team, and the SUNYAC Julie Lenhart Player of the Year. Serena led the league with a .542 batting average, a .597 on base percentage and a 1.051 slugging percentage in conference competition. She was No. 1 with 32 hits, 26 RBI, 25 runs, nine doubles and seven homeruns in 16 conference games. Serena was also top in the SUNYAC in those categories over 39 total games - 60 hits, 43 RBI, 39 runs, 16 doubles and 10 home runs. She had season highs of seven RBI, six runs scored, five hits, two doubles and two home runs in her senior year. Serena was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after the Red Dragons advanced to the championship round as the No. 5 seed and finished the tournament 3-2. Additionally, she was part of Chi Alpha Sigma and CSC Academic All-District.
Men's Tennis - Alan Sabovic, Farmingdale State College
Year: Sr.
Major: Science, Technology & Society
Overall GPA: 3.77
Description: Sabovic helped FSC to its third straight Skyline Conference Championship and NCAA appearance. He was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year and CSC Academic All-District for the second straight season, as well as First Team All-Conference for the fourth consecutive season. Last year's SAOTY went 10-3 in singles play and 8-3 in doubles competition in 2025 and ends his career as the program leader with 50 singles wins and 49 doubles wins.
Women's Tennis - Isabel van der Veen, New Paltz
Year: Sr.
Major: Business Analytics & Digital Media Management
Overall GPA: 4.0 semester; 3.85 overall
Description: SUNYAC Doubles Team of the Year; SUNYAC First-Team Singles; SUNYAC First-Team Doubles; SUNY New Paltz President's Award Winner; Chi Alpha Sigma Inductee; SUNY Women's Tennis Scholar Athlete; SUNYAC All-Tournament Team; competed at first doubles & went undefeated in SUNYAC play; competed at third singles with a 5-0 SUNYAC singles record, she allowed only four points
Men's Outdoor Track and Field - Isaiah Brunache, Cortland
Year: Jr.
Major: Exercise Science
Overall GPA: 3.97
Description: 2025 Outdoor Highlights: National runner-up in the shot put (school-record 18.21 meters/59' 9")...All-Niagara Region in shot put and discus...AARTFC champion in shot put and fourth place in discus...SUNYAC Outdoor Championship Most Valuable Performer of the Meet (first in shot put, second in discus, fourth in hammer throw)...Indoor All-American in weight throw (seventh) and shot put (eighth)...2023 outdoor national runner-up in shot put.
Women's Outdoor Track and Field - Ann Brennan, Geneseo
Year: Jr.
Major:
Overall GPA: 3.78
Description: Brendan earned first team All American status in the steeplechase by placing sixth overall, helping the Knights finish 7th in the country
NJCAA
Baseball - Jeremy Recio, Cayuga Community College
Year: Fr.
Major: LAS: Humanities & Soc Science
Overall GPA: 3.756
Description: MSAC Player of the Year as a Freshman. 1st Team All-Region with a 3.935 GPA in the spring. Best player on the Conference Championship team. Batted .458 with 65 hits, 16 doubles, 8 triples and 3 homeruns. Scored 40 runs and had 51 rbi. 15 stolen bases
Men's Golf - Jonathan Reynolds, Hudson Valley Community College
Year: So.
Major: Exercise Science
Overall GPA: 3.56
Description: Jonathan Reynolds completed the spring semester with a 3.80 GPA while leading the men's golf team to its second straight NJCAA National Championship appearance later this month. Reynolds was the team's top scoring player, averaging a 76.4 per 18-holes over the course of 9 tournaments. He won the Herkimer Tournament with a 70. Named All-Region for his performance at the Region 3 championships.
Men's Lacrosse - Brady Dolan, Nassau Community College
Year: So.
Major: Business Administration
Overall GPA: 3.40
Description: Brady Dolan, Nassau Attack, led the 2025 NJCAA National Offensive leaderboard in 2 major categories: points and assists, with 91 points and 58 assists, in only 13 games played. He was named to the 2025 All-American First Team, and led Nassau to a 2nd in the country, NJCAA National Runner Up finish & was named to the 2025 NJCAA National Championship All-Tournament Team. Dolan led Nassau to notch back-to-back NJCAA North Atlantic District Championships in 2025 & 2024. As a freshman, Dolan was named to the NJCAA All-American Second Team and led the team to NJCAA Final Four, finishing 3rd in the country.
Softball - Moira Collins, Hudson Valley Community College
Year: So.
Major: Radiologic Technology
Overall GPA: 3.57
Description: Moira Collins just completed the spring semester with a 4.0 semester GPA while dominated her opponents in the pitching circle. Collins collected several year end awards including the NJCAA Region 3 Player of the Year, All-Region First Team, Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team. She finished the year with the NJCAA-best 1.38 ERA, a 13-3 record, and tallied 123 strikeouts over 91.1 innings pitched. She now ranks second on the programs all-time strikeout list. She will most likely be named to the NJCAA All-American list for Division 3 in a couple of week. She guided the Vikings to its first Region 3 title and NJCAA national championship appearance since 2015.
Women's Tennis – Jocelyn Ritcher, Hudson Valley Community College
Year: So.
Major: Health Information Management & Technology
Overall GPA: 3.47
Description: Jocelyn had a tremendous season, posting an undefeated regular season record at No. 1 Singles. She advanced to the NJCAA National Championship match, after surviving a 3 hour semifinal round. She was defeated in the championship match to earn All-American Second Team honors.
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Kimiko Quayle, Fashion Institute of Technology
Year: So.
Major: Fashion Business Management
Overall GPA: 3.92
Description: 2025 NJCAA DIII National Champion (1500m); 2024 NJCAA DIII National Champion (1500m); 2025 NJCAA Northeast District Female Track Athlete of the Year; 2024 NJCAA Northeast District Female Track Athlete of the Year; Two-time First Team All-American (2025, 2024); 2024 Second Team All-American (2024); 2024-25 FIT Student-Athlete of the Year
Men's At-Large - Hunter Dunn, Men's Volleyball, Nassau Community College
Year: So.
Major: Culinary Arts, Hospitality Business
Overall GPA: 3.77
Description: Hunter Dunn had a terrific 2025 season and was a major contributor toward the Nassau Men's Volleyball Team finishing 2nd in the country as NJCAA National Champion Runner-Up. Hunter led the team to the 2025 Region 15 Championship and an impressive 26-4 record. Dunn was named Region 15 Co-Setter of the Year, notching 272 assists, ranked 8th in the country, and averaging 6.48 assists per set, ranked 10th in the country. Dunn also earned NJCAA Academic All-Academic Third Team honors in 2024 and will repeat that honor when the 2025 NJCAA All-Academic honors are released in July.