Albany, NY—The Sage Colleges' department of athletics gathered to recognize and honor the outstanding performances of the 2017-2018 year with the naming of the athletic award winners for the 15 varsity athletic teams. In addition to awarding the Gator Award, for the Most Outstanding Player, the department also named the 2017-2018 Female and Male Athletes of the Year as well as 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, as well as the Aggie Stillman Perseverance Award.

Sage also awarded the Gator of the Year to members of the varsity teams, often awarded to the team's most valuable player. Named the Gator of the Year in women's basketball was junior Macie Holmes (Amsterdam, NY/Mekeel Christian).

Head Women's Basketball Coach Allison Coleman commented on Macie, "What Macie lacks in size she made up for with hustle and heart." Coleman added, "She is a pleasure to coach and to play with. Her defense is what stands out the most. She always puts the teams need ahead of her individual stats or accolades. Macie was named our Gator of the Year because she is the epitome of what a teammate should stand for. She never complains or takes a play off.  We are looking forward to seeing what great things her senior year will bring."

Holmes was a 26-game starter this past season, while chipping in with 173 points and a 6.7 ppg average. She also handed out 57 assists with 22 steals and averaged 34.5 minutes per game. She also surpassed her 500^th career point plateau on the year and now has 546 career points. An accurate shooter from three-point range, she added 36 three-point baskets in 2017-2018 and that performance ranks 18^th best for single-season efforts. On her career, Holmes now has 119 career three-point baskets and is fourth all-time. She is also tied for 13^th with her 170 career assists and 13^th in career games played with 82.

A first-year member of the Empire 8 Conference, Sage's women's basketball team secured the program's first bid to the Women's Basketball Championship after earning the No. 2 seed. Sage finished the season with an 18-8 record overall after producing a 12-4 record in the Empire 8, good enough to earn the No. 2 seed and a spot in the league's semifinals. The 18 wins this  past season is tied for the third most in school history with the 2014-2015 team which went 18-8 under the guidance of Coleman in her first season at Sage.