Brockport, NY – The SUNY Brockport athletics department hosted its annual Senior Student-Athlete Celebration on Monday night on campus in the Seymour Union Ballroom.  The event included opening remarks from Director of Athletics Erick Hart, comments from Director of Alumni Engagement Betsy Standish, as well as a question-and-answer period with Brockport field hockey alumnus and current Stony Brook University Academic Advisor Briana Sterling '16.
 
The awards segment of the program included a recognition of the Brockport senior student-athletes who received a personalized framed Brockport "B" and a student-athlete graduation sash. Brockport also inducted a class of 50 seniors into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athletic Honor Society before handing out the scholar athlete of the year, outstanding athlete of the year and George M. Rich outstanding senior athlete awards. 


 
2024 Scholar Athlete of the Year Award
 
Scholar Athlete criteria
The honorees were selected based on grade point average and contribution to their respective program. Honorees must have completed at least four semesters at SUNY Brockport.
 
Emma Grace Sargent, Gymnastics
 
Sargent is a senior physics major and math minor at Brockport. She is an NCGA All-American on the gymnastics team, an active tutor for both physics and math, a lab teaching assistant, and serves as an officer for the physics club, Rotaract club, and the STEM Friends Club. She has spent three summers working in a SUNY Brockport lab, at Clemson University near her home in South Carolina studying Alzheimer's disease, and at St. Jude's Children's Hospital. For her efforts, she was recently awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.
 
Andrew Taylor, Men's Soccer
 
Taylor was the 2023 SUNYAC Men's Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year and he was also the 2022 SUNYAC Elite 20 Award Winner for having the highest GPA at the men's soccer championships. He is a three-time Brockport men's soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year. On the field, he was named the 2023 SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year, and he is a two-time SUNYAC All-Conference selection as well as an all-region selection.
 
2024 Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year
Outstanding Athlete Criteria
Student-athletes are nominated by coaches and/or administrators and the top players from each team are considered for the award.
 
Maren Eramo, Gymnastics
Eramo is a multiple-time All-American for the nationally recognized gymnastics program. She led all of Division III gymnastics with a season average score of 9.818 on the vault this past season. In March, she was crowned National Champion on the vault at the NCGA National Championships for the first time in her career.
 
Kyra Russ, Women's Swimming & Diving
Russ was recently named the 2024 SUNYAC Diver of the Year after taking home first place on both boards in the diving competition at the SUNYAC Championships this Winter. She broke her own record this season with a score of 476.10 in the women's 3-meter diving event at the SUNYAC Championships. For her efforts, she qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the third consecutive season.
 
Raylens Boutin, Football
Boutin was an Associated Press All-American, a D3football.com All-American and an AFCA All-American this past season. He was the Empire 8 and ECAC Division III Football Defensive Player of the Year. He earned all-region on both defense and as a return man. He was also a first team all-conference selection on defense, offense and special teams.  He was a four-time Preseason All-American and a multiple time Empire 8 All-Conference First team selection over the course of his career. 
 
Jonathan Zavala, Men's Cross Country & Track & Field        
Zavala was named an All-American at the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships after placing third in the mile in school-record fashion. He also qualified for nationals in cross country for the first time in his career this past Fall. He is a multiple-time SUNYAC All-Conference selection and won the SUNYAC title in the men's mile this winter. 
 
George M. Rich Outstanding Senior Award
 
Award Criteria
This award is in honor of a man that many have heard about in their time here at Brockport. George, better known as "Mr. Brockport" was a constant fixture around the college, always at athletic events, both home and away and was active in alumni affairs. George's most enjoyable time was spent chatting with students around campus. George pushed the students to think about their lives. He would ask "what kind of legacy do you want to leave?' In his honor, the department of athletics awards a four-year senior student-athlete who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship, citizenship, ethical conduct and leadership throughout their career the George M. Rich outstanding senior athlete award.
 
Rachel Swick, Gymnastics
Swick is currently pursuing her master's in business administration at Brockport after earning her undergraduate degree in Business last spring. She's a member of the nationally recognized gymnastics team and has received countless academic and athletic honors for her efforts. As a gymnast at Brockport, she was the 2024 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association East Region Uneven Bars Champions. She holds the school-record on the uneven bars and helped Brockport win the NCGA East Regional Championship for four consecutive seasons. She was a contributing member of the uneven bars team that holds the school-record, and she also helped the Golden Eagles set a school-record for team score this past season. She was also named a Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Academic All-American for her efforts.
 
In the classroom, she was the 2023 Undergraduate Business Student of the Year, and she has been a Dean's List and President's List with Honors member every semester of undergraduate studies. In 2024 she became the Business Department's graduate assistant, and she was a Founding Partner of Brockport's Student-Led Marketing Agency founded in the Fall of 2023.
 
Her community service efforts include being a Brockport Junior Eagle Gymnastics Program Coordinator and a Junior Eagles Instructor where she volunteers to teach community youth the basics of gymnastics as well as valuable life skills. She has also volunteered once a semester to help with the PE department's Friday Night Flipout event, ensuring a safe evening of gymnastics for community youth.