Sage student-athletes honored for excellence on the playing fields and courts and in the classroom

Posted: May 13, 2021

RUSSELL SAGE NAMES 2020-2021 ATHLETIC AWARD WINNERS

Albany, NY—Russell Sage College's department of athletics recently announced the recipients of the department's annual awards. In addition to several honors bestowed for athletic and academic excellence, Sage also selected the Gator of the Year Award for the department's varsity sports for the 2020-2021 year.

The department selected the 2020-2021 Female and Male Rookies of the Year as well as the 2020-2021 Female and Male Athletes of the Year. Sage also selected 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 tapped senior men's soccer player Nathan Ficht (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) and senior men's golfer Blake Pritchard (Malone, NY/Franklin Academy) as the Co-Males Athlete of the Year, while junior softball player, Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) earned Female Athlete of the Year honors.

Added in 2019, Sage established a Female and Male Rookie Athlete of the Year recognition. Selected for the award this year on the women's side was newcomer cross country and track and field performer Mackenzie Feeney (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties). Men's track and field performer Dominic Nova (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) was honored after his tremendous start to his running career.

The 2020-2021 Dean Sharon Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award was presented to graduate student Brittany Gage (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush) from the women's lacrosse team, while senior men's volleyball player, Danial Mackey (Westerlo, NY/Greenville Central) was recognized as the male recipient of the award.

Men's soccer Nathan Ficht was selected as the recipient of the Aggie Stillman Perseverance Award for overcoming injuries throughout his career to lead the men's soccer team this year as they advanced to the Empire 8 Championship match this spring.

Additionally Sage selected the Fan of the Year, which was bestowed to Dianne Knoll (Guilderland, NY), a nurse with Russell Sage College's Wellness Center, who worked with all of our Gator student-athletes and coaches to facilitate covid testing.

RSC's Department of Athletics also presented a special award to President Chris Ames, for his support, dedication, and commitment to support our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators to make competition this spring a reality.

RSC also awarded the Gator of the Year to members of the varsity teams, often awarded to the team's most valuable player, the Gators of the Year status was bestowed to the following individuals in these sports:

Women's Cross Country, freshman Emma Cronin (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich Central)

Men's Cross Country, senior Holden Maynard (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen)

Women's Indoor Track and Field, freshman Skylar Grybos (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam)

Men's Indoor Track and Field, senior Arnoldo Burnett (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy)

Men's Outdoor Track and Field, junior Jared Young (Winthrop, NY/Brashers Falls Central)

Women's Outdoor Track and Field, freshman Sarah Masse (Albany, NY/Colonie Central)

Men's Lacrosse, junior Michael Capitelli (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside)

Men's Basketball, junior Amani Cummings (Brooklyn, NY/Transit Tech)

Men's Golf, senior Blake Pritchard (Malone, NY/Franklin Academy)

Women's Basketball, senior Madasyn Bush (Pottersville, NY/North Warren Central)

Women's Volleyball, senior Kayla Weaver (Amsterdam, NY/Broadalbin Perth)

Field Hockey, sophomore Alyssa Fitzgerald (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury)

Women's Soccer, junior Hallie Klosterman (Modena, NY/Wallkill),

Men's Soccer, Jeaneste Pierre (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy)

Women's Lacrosse, freshman Grace Hines (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland)

Softball, junior Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union)

Men's Volleyball, senior Ryan Jennings (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick Township)

Women's Tennis, junior Kaitlin Banks (Annapolis, MD/Mount Anthony Union)

RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE ATHLETIC HONOR SOCIETY

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.

Below is a list of the 41 individuals named to the Honor Society for their success in 2020-2021:

Emily Agate

Lily Batule

Sydney Benton

Madasyn Bush

Mickaela Buzzy

Michael Capitelli

Cortney Conley

Taylor Dicranian

Liam Dowd

Richard Everoski

Courtney Formosa