Albany, NY – The Sage Colleges has announced the addition of Sydney Sericolo (Old Chatham, NY/Ichabod Crane) to serve as an assistant cross country coach for the men's and women's programs for the coming season. She joins head coach Zachary Williams (Cobleskill, NY) this coming year as the Gators will compete this fall as the newest member of the Empire 8 Conference.
A 2017 graduate of Siena College, she competed for the Saints in cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field, earning MAAC All-Academic Honors for four straight years, while also serving as the head coach for all three sports during her time at Siena. Sericolo also excelled in the classroom and was tapped as the 2017 recipient as the Outstanding Academic Athlete Award, while also earning the Saints Cup Team Award for her contributions to the community with her community service and community outreach work.
Williams said of the selection, "As one of my former athletes, I have fortunately had to opportunity to work with Sydney for four years." Williams added, "She has always impressed me with her maturity, and her eagerness to develop as an athlete. I know that she will now turn to coaching with that same eagerness. I think she will be a real asset to the teams, as she can act as a mentor to our student-athletes; she will be able to impart upon our student-athletes the knowledge, experiences, and skills that she garnered over the years as a successful Division student-athlete."
The 2017 season will find the Gators competing seven times this fall with hopes of garnering a spot in the 2017 NCAA Division III Championship in mid-November. Sage opens the season with the Siena Short Course Twighlight Meet on September 1. The Gators will compete on September 23 at Bard College, while wrapping the month of September competing at the Saratoga Invitational at Saratoga State Park on Saturday, September 30.
On October 7, the men's and women's teams will visit Massachusetts competing at Westfield State University's James Earley Cross Country Invitational. The next week will find the Gator harriers in Vermont competing at the Green Mountain Invitational on October 14. October wraps as the teams will compete in the programs' first Empire 8 Championship at Nazareth College in Victor, NY on October 28. The final scheduled meet on the 2017 slate of competitions is the 2017 NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championship hosted by Houghton College, Houghton, NY on November 11 with the top finishing squads garnering invitations to the NCAA Division III Championship on November 18.