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Erie Community College

SUNY Erie Honors Student-Athletes at 2025-26 Athletic Awards Presentation

SUNY Erie Honors Student-Athletes at 2025-26 Athletic Awards Presentation

SUNY Erie Community College celebrated another outstanding year of athletics and academic achievement during the 2025-26 Athletic Awards Presentation, recognizing the accomplishments of student-athletes across all programs.

Highlighting the evening were the Lawrence C. Spring Athlete of the Year awards. Mac Ward earned Male Athlete of the Year honors after starring in both soccer and hockey, earning MVP recognition for each team while also being named an AAU Division II First Team All-American in hockey. The Female Athlete of the Year award went to softball standout Grace Szpylman following a dominant season that helped lead the Kats into postseason play.

Individual athletic excellence was recognized throughout the evening as each program presented its annual MVP team awards.

  • Football- Noah Willoughby (Offensive MVP) and Jaylon Yearwood (Defensive MVP)
  • Men’s Soccer Larry Katzman Award — Mac Ward
  • Women’s Soccer MVP — Averee Bouchey
  • Cross Country Guy Vastola Award — Emma Palumbo (Women’s MVP) and Lucas Heerdt (Men’s MVP)
  • Volleyball MVP — Samantha Padilla
  • Swimming & Diving MVPs — Tristan Madden and Alexandra Oldman
  • Men’s Basketball Richard R. Dry Award — Taesyn Slating
  • Bowling Kerm Helmer Awards — Nicholas Galligan (Men’s MVP) and Olivia Bell (Women’s MVP)
  • Hockey Ralph Galanti Jr. Award — Mac Ward

Academic excellence was also a major focus of the evening. Tristan Madden and Taesyn Slating were recognized as SUNY Scholar Athletes, while Slating and Women’s Cross Country runner Erik Blersch received the Helen Cornell Academic Achievement Award for having the highest grade point averages in the department. Emma Palumbo earned the Grace Galanti Athletic Achievement Award, and JohnPaul Agu received the Ralph Galanti Sr. Athletic Scholarship Award.

SUNY Erie continued to excel in the classroom as well, with eight of the college’s 14 athletic programs earning NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honors for maintaining team GPAs above 3.0. A total of 45 student-athletes earned Academic All-Region 3 recognition with GPAs of 3.5 or higher, while 36 student-athletes achieved NJCAA Academic All-American honors, one of the NJCAA’s highest academic distinctions awarded to student-athletes with GPAs above 3.6.

The ceremony highlighted another successful year for SUNY Erie athletics, celebrating the hard work, achievements, and commitment of student-athletes across every program.