SUNY Chancellor King Recognizes Six Students as Scholar Athletes of the Year

August 5, 2024

Photos of the Scholar Athletes of the Year Available Here

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John King Jr. has announced six SUNY students were selected as the overall SUNY Scholar Athletes of the Year. The winners were selected from student-athletes previously recognized as SUNY Scholar Athletes in 29 different sports from the fall, winter, and spring athletic seasons. This recognition honors student-athletes for combining academic achievement with success in the arena of athletic competition.

"Congratulations to the six phenomenal student-athletes selected as this year's Scholar Athletes of the Year," said SUNY Chancellor King. "Each one of these students has excelled both in the classroom and on the field. We are proud to have these students share their talents with the SUNY community and represent our athletic programs at the national stage."

State University of New York Athletic Conference Associate Commissioner Megan Cross said, "Over the last two years, the SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year awards program has recognized more than 135 student-athletes from SUNY colleges and universities sponsoring intercollegiate athletics at the four- and two-year levels. The program honors the outstanding achievement of these scholar athletes for their success both in the classroom and in the arena of competition."

Individuals were nominated and voted upon by representatives of their respective institutions. Information on the overall Scholar Athletes of the Year honorees can be found below.

NCAA Division I

Men's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year, Dylan Kelly, University at Albany, Football

Kelly is a senior Business Administration honor roll student. He led the team's Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), setting a University at Albany record for 159 total tackled in a single season. His awards and recognitions include the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Defensive Player of the Year, top three finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, Associated Press FCS First Team All-American, Phil Steele FCS Defensive Player of the Year, Phil Steele All-American First Team, FCS ADA All-America Team, and FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team.

Women's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year, Marialis Kwak, University at Buffalo, Diving

Kwak is a junior Chemical Engineering major with a 3.7 GPA. She has been recognized twice as the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Diver of the Year as well as a two-time First-Team All-MAC. She was selected as MAC Freshman Diver of the Year during her first year in college and has qualified twice for the NCAA Championship Qualifier.

NCAA Division III

Men's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year, Trevor Bollinger, SUNY Geneseo, Lacrosse

Bollinger is a senior studying Chemistry and Sociology who has maintained a 4.0 GPA while leading SUNY Geneseo through back-to-back conference titles. He was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC)'s 2024 Dr. Sam Molnar Award Winner and Defensive Player of the Year. He is a College Sports Communicator (CSC) Academic All-District honoree. Last season, Bollinger was also named a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Honorable Mention All-American as well as First-Team All-SUNYAC and IMLCA Second-Team All-Region.

Women's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year, Jenna Giliberti, Farmingdale State College, Softball

Giliberti is a senior with a 3.87 GPA studying Applied Psychology. She ranks third at Farmingdale State's all-time Softball record, with a career average of .424, .630 slugging percentage, and 55 stolen bases. She has been recognized as an Academic All-America Third Team, becoming only the third person in the college's history in any sport to receive that honor. Additionally, she was honored as first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region Skyline Conference Player of the Year as well as a three-time first-team All Skyline recipient.

NJCAA

Men's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year, Brooks Robson, Hudson Valley Community College, Outdoor Track and Field

Robson is a senior with a 3.84 GPA majoring in Individual Studies. He received an All-American in the long jump (7.01m) and the triple jump (14.23m). Throughout his NCAA programs all season, Robson placed first or second in both events at every meet this year. He was the Region 3 champion in the triple jump (13.90m). He was the 2024 winner of the NJCAA National Championship in the men's triple jump category.

Women's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year, Aja Jackson, SUNY Broome Community College, Cross Country and Track & Field

Johnson is a sophomore studying Business Administration major with a 3.78 GPA. She is a two-time All-American in XC and a five-time All-American in T&F, as well as the owner of five school records. She won the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 SUNY SAOTY for NJCAA Women's cross country and track and field. In the 2024 track and field season, she took 1st place in the MSAC XC Championships, earning All-Conference honors and Women's XC Runner of the Year. Additionally, she took 2nd place at the NJCAA Region 3 XC Championships and was the National Champion in the 10k for two consecutive years.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.