ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College Athletics celebrated its numerous 2024-2025 successes at its annual Athletic Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 4 in the Armory. 

In addition to several honors bestowed for athletic and academic excellence, the 21 winners of the Gator of the Year Award, one for each our 21 varsity sports, were unveiled. In addition, the department also announced the 2024-2025 Female and Male Rookies of the Year as well as the 2024-2025 Female and Male Athletes of the Year. 

RSC handed out the Dean Sharon Robinson Senior Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year, which is given to the senior student-athlete with the highest overall grade point average. The department presented the Aggie Stillman Perseverance Award and the Rosaire Murphy Service Award, as well as bestowed recognition to our Fan of the Year at the gathering. 

Men's Lacrosse long-stick midfielder/defender Joe Johnson (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) was tabbed the Male Athlete of the Year, while Softball pitcher Leah Madore (Williamsville, VT/Battleboro Union) was named Female Athlete of the Year. 

Honored as Male Rookie of the Year was Men's Lacrosse freshman goalkeeper Jordon Hankel (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane). The Female Rookie of the Year honors were presented to Field Hockey freshman goalkeeper Olivia Brand (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls). 

The 2024-2025 Dean Sharon Robinson Scholar-Athlete Awards were presented to women's soccer defender Courtney Bush (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen), and men's track and field thrower Kaiden Simpson (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony Union).  Bush majors in criminal justice, law, and behavioral science, while Simpson is a nursing major. 

For the second-straight year, the Rosaire Murphy Service Award was awarded to Aly Murphy (Gill, MA/Turners Falls) for her efforts as the graduate assistant for the Office of Athletic Communications. 

A pair of historic wins occurred as the recipient of the Aggie Stillman Perseverance Award, usually given to an individual, was the Men's Volleyball program for how the student-athletes overcame numerous challenges this year, while there were two Fans of the Year, bestowed to Greg Morris and Tina Milgo of Sodexo.

Baseball: Joe Degroot, Graduate Student, Pitcher (Clay, N.Y.)

Men's Basketball: Todd Williamson, Senior, Forward (Schenectady, N.Y.)

Women's Basketball: Olivia Huneau, Senior, Guard (Cohoes, N.Y.)

Men's Cross Country: Christopher Pelligrini, Junior (Loudonville, N.Y.)

Women's Cross Country: Charisma Losee, Junior (Troy, N.Y.)

Esports: Shaquan Ross, Junior (Bronx, N.Y.)

Field Hockey: Alexa Wentz, Graduate Student, Midfielder (Whitney Point, N.Y.)

Men's Golf: Elijah Waterhouse, Senior (Lake Luzerne, N.Y.)

Women's Golf: Grace Kinkaid, Junior, (Ballston Lake, N.Y.)

Men's Lacrosse: Joe Johnson, Senior Midfielder/Defender (Gansevoort, N.Y.)

Women's Lacrosse: Maddison Walter, Senior, Attacker (South Glens Falls, N.Y.)

Men's Soccer: Alejandro Aleo, Junior, Midfielder (Alicante, Spain)

Women's Soccer: Amelia Geesler, Senior, Defender (Glenmont, N.Y.)

Softball: Emma Anderson, Senior, Infielder (Tolland, Conn.)

Women's Tennis: Jessica Korbieh, Freshman (Albany, N.Y.)

Men's Indoor Track and Field: David Adadjo, Senior, Sprinter (Nassau, N.Y.)

Women's Indoor Track and Field: Sarah Armenia, Senior, Thrower (Clifton Park, N.Y.)

Men's Outdoor Track and Field: Kaiden Simpson, Senior, Thrower (Bennington, Vt.)

Women's Outdoor Track and Field: Alexis Olen, Sophomore, Hurdler (Woodstock, N.Y.)

Men's Volleyball: Eli Tortorici, Graduate Student (Clifton Park, N.Y.)

Women's Volleyball: Shea Bryant, Junior (Cohoes, N.Y.)

Joe Johnson, Senior Midfielder/Defender, Men's Lacrosse (Gansevoort, N.Y.)

Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year

Leah Madore, Junior Pitcher, Softball (Williamsville, Vt.)

Male Rookie of the Year

Jordon Hankel, Freshman Goalkeeper, Men's Lacrosse (Cold Spring, N.Y.)

Female Rookie of the Year

Olivia Brand, Freshman, Goalkeeper, Field Hockey (Little Falls, N.Y.)

Dean Sharon Robinson Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Kaiden Simpson, Men's Track and Field (Bennington, Vt.)

Dean Sharon Robinson Female Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Courtney Bush, Women's Soccer (Schenectady, N.Y.)

Rosaire Murphy Service Award

Aly Murphy, Graduate Assistant, Athletic Communications (Gill, Mass.)

Fans of the Year

Greg Morris and Tina Milgo, Sodexo

Aggie Stillman Perseverance Award

The Men's Volleyball Program

Russell Sage College's Intercollegiate Athletic Honor Society recognizes junior, senior, or graduate level student-athletes, who have maintained a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.3 or better and have participated as a member of a varsity team for at least two seasons. A total of 72 individuals were named to the Honor Society for their success in 2024-25, including 26 repeat honorees.

Madison Albanese

Taiwo Alfolabi

Emma Anderson *

Jack Armann *

Tristan Balc

Kylie Behan

Courtney Bush

Madison Byrnes

Anna Church *

Emily Cumo

Robert Cusato

Joseph DeGroot

Brian Dengler

Matthew DeSocio

Brady Dubay

Geri'Lynn Felicier-Norton

Zachary Figueras *

Stephen Fleury

Emma Friedel

Amelia Geesler *

Malena Gereau *

Ashleigh Gerkman

Devin Gilbert

Noah Girard *

Leandro Guzman

Caitlin Hammecker *

Julia Hanlon

Tayler Haslob

Jacob Haynes

Emma Heartquist

Madison Huneau *

Olivia Huneau *

Joseph Johnson

Michael Karpinski *

Marissa Key *

Mason Kievit *

Shauna Lanoue *

Kaitlin Liu

Joseph Long

Charisma Losee

James Lubanski *

Leah Madore *

Bailey Martin *

Justin Mayo *

Mike McLaughlin

Peggy Monti

Brenden Nihill *

Emma Nuzzi *

Katelyn Odorizzi

Jorge Oropeza

Molly Orvasky

Chris Pellegrini

Joseph Piperata *

Ty Plumley

Ashley Rabbitt

Mason Remington

Madalyn Ring *

Skylar Rowe *

Angelina Schaefer *

Kaiden Simpson *

Jeffrey Stearns

Maria Stewart

Eli Tortorici

Tristyn Valenze

Emma Vander Baan

Maddison Walter *

Alexa Wentz

Adam Willig

Todd Williamson

Camden Woodbeck

Emily Zeh

Chase Zobel

*Indicates repeat honoree