Albany, NY—Russell Sage College's department of athletics announced their award winners for the 2021-2022 academic year at the annual awards banquet.  In addition to several honors bestowed for athletic and academic excellence, Sage also selected the Gator of the Year Award for the department's 21 varsity sports for the 2021-2022 year.

Sophomore runner Emma Cronin (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich Central) was honored as the Gator of the Year in women's cross country.

Head Women's Cross Country Coach Nick Jones remarked "Emma was one of our team captains this past cross country season and led the team by growing the culture, expectations, and following all that up with great performances on the course." He continued, "Even while dealing with an injury off and on throughout the season, she maintained her commitment to her teammates and rallied to make sure she was the best she could be. She's hard working, committed, and relatable, proving she's a great person to emulate for other athletes."

Cronin had a very strong season as a member of the cross country team this past fall. The sophomore finished in 10th place at the 2021 Empire 8 Championship with a time of 23:35.0 and was named to the Empire 8 Second Team All-Star squad. She served as the Gator team captain and also finished third at the SUNY-Poly Short Course Invitational with a 4k time of 17:39.0. She also placed second at the Oneonta State Airfield Invitational with a 5k time of 19:27.0. She also ran a season best 4k at the Hamilton Invitational