Albany, NY—The Sage College's 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 track and field was rookie performer Heather Dilcher (Colonie, NY/Colonie Central).  

Head women's cross country and track and field coach Zachary Williams noted of Heather, "Heather was a freshman captain, which is a rare thing." Williams continued, "It's unusual for a freshman to have the sense of responsibility, authority, and duty to command the respect of her fellow athletes, who are all the same age or older. Heather has these qualities."

Competing as a newcomer on the Sage Women's Cross Country Team in the fall and the Women's Track and Field Team this spring, Dilcher had a number of top performances. At the E8 Championship, she helped the Gators to a seventh place showing in the 4 x 400 meter relay race with a time of 4:44.37. Competing at the Capital District Championship, she finished in eighth in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:20.09.

She closed the track and field season competing at the 2018 Empire 8 Championship and helped the Gators to seventh place finish at the team's first Empire 8 Track Championship. In the fall, she helped Sage to a strong sixth place finish at the 2017 Empire 8 Women's Cross Country Championships. At the championship, she took 48^th place with her time of 31:18.7.