ALBANY, NY – Purchase College softball senior
Kelly Hayes, baseball senior
Brian Cunningham and women's tennis freshman
Alivia Cagliano have been named the State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award winners in their respective sports for the 2018-19 academic year.
The Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award was created in 2003-04 to recognize students who have combined academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement at the Division I, Division III and NJCAA levels at SUNY schools.
Hayes (Staten Island, NY), a four-year starter and senior captain on the softball team, batted .354 in her final season with 34 hits, including four doubles, four triples and two home runs. She also knocked in 20 RBIs, scored 20 runs, stole eight bases, walked seven times and finished with a team-high .542 slugging percentage. Hayes reached her 100th career hit on Mar. 30— a mark only two other players have reached in program history.
The Panther center fielder capped a stellar season with a spot on the All-Skyline First Team. Her notable stats on the field combined with a 4.09 GPA after seven semesters as a double major have made Hayes a superior candidate for the Chancellor's Award.
Cunningham (Westbury, NY), a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Panthers, took the lineup by storm from day one of his career. He recorded 23 hits and 16 RBI this season, and like Hayes, Cunningham batted in his 100th career hit in 2019. After 17 career starts on the mound, he caps his record at an even .500 (7-7). Cunningham will graduate next week with a degree in sociology and an exceptional 3.7 cumulative GPA.
Cagliano (Mastic Beach, NY) went undefeated in singles, 9-0, in her debut season. The Panther rookie tallied a spotless 7-0 record at the No. 4 position and 2-0 at the No. 3 spot. In doubles, she finished with 8-3 overall and 4-1 against Skyline opponents. Cagliano's breakout season earned her a spot on the All-Conference Second Team, and that coupled with a 3.4 GPA merited the SUNY Chancellor Award.
In order to be considered for the SUNY Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award , student-athletes were nominated by their campus athletic director. Nominees' academic credentials and athletic accomplishments were then reviewed by a panel of athletic directors from across the SUNY system.
Congratulations to all the winners!
