Albany, NY— The Sage Colleges' Department of Athletics recently honored a number of Sage student-athletes in conjunction with the annual Athletic Award Banquet.  New this year, Sage created a Female and a Male Rookie of the Year, while also handing out Gator of the Year awards in all 17 sports as well as a Male and Female Athlete of the Year.

Sage awarded sophomore Ellis Richardson (Hudson, NY/Hudson) as the Gator of the Year for the second straight season in men's track and field.

Sage's head track and field coach, David Taranto said of Richardson, "Ellis has been an invaluable member of the track team this spring." Taranto noted, "As one of the leaders of the sprints group, he was part of four school record teams this spring, while also breaking two individual records in the 400 meter run and the 800 meter run and competing as a member of the 4 x 100 meter relay and the 4 x 400 meter relays. He was a leader as a member of the relays and as a role model for his teammates."

Only a sophomore, Richardson holds the school record now in the 800 meter run, which he set as a rookie in 2018. He broke it three times this year and holds the mark with his current time of 2:04.74, which he posted while competing at the UAlbany Invitational. In the 400 meter run, he holds the record with a time of 51.53. He was the anchor on the 4 x 100 relay team which posted the record time at the UAlbany Invitational in 45.00 this spring and was the lead off runner on the school's 4 x 400 relay team (3:36.82), also set at the UAlbany Invitational. The Gators just missed the 4 x 100 mark while competing at this year's Empire 8 Spring Outdoor Championships after taking sixth in the race in 45.51.