Albany, NY — The 2023 season was a year of milestones for State University of New York at New Paltz sophomore outfielder Jackie Rometo. She added one more accolade to an already illustrious resume July 21, being named the 2022-23 Division III Women's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year.
 
"I feel so honored," Rometo said. "I am so thankful for the supportive people surrounding me that push me to work hard and give me the opportunity to achieve my goals. I can't wait to build off of this next season and help my team take home a SUNYAC championship."
 
As a freshman in 2022, Rometo flashed her potential — and serviceability playing out of position at second — to aid in the Hawks' conference postseason berth as she batted atop her team's lineup. She was mentioned as a potential All-SUNYAC pick but wasn't selected to the annual all-conference list. She left no doubt, however, in year two.
 
Playing back in left field, Rometo put on full display of why she was a highly touted recruit for coach Krysti Maronski. She not only helped solidify one of the best outfields in the SUNYAC alongside All-SUNYAC selection Sydney Bonewit in center but became the most consistent hitter in the entire league.
Rometo led SUNY New Paltz in nearly every statistical category throughout the year, guiding her team to a record 16-game winning streak en route to the team's first ever regular season title and No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament. There, she hit .308 through four games played with three runs an RBI, a double and a triple and was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team. The athletic accomplishments led her to a bevvy — and well deserved — athletic honors: SUNYAC Player of the Year, First-Team All-SUNYAC, NFCA All-Region.
 
"The main goal for this season was to win SUNYAC's," Rometo said. "I wasn't too focused on my individual statistics as long as we continued to win each game. The drive that the entire team shared to win our first championship drove me to work even harder in and out of practice. Having a team full of energy and positivity allowed me to thrive individually. I felt capable of anything this season because I was so eager to be part of something great."

"Jackie has been a great leader for our program, and she has earned the utmost respect from all her teammates by just being herself," Maronski added. "One of the most admirable things about Jackie is that she is a very selfless person and teammate. She has never once made the game about herself and has always played for our team and New Paltz, and I think that is something so admirable because it is easy to get caught up in ourselves in this world, and specifically in sports."

What became one of Rometo's most impressive attributes was her ability to balance her success on the field with her dominance in the classroom. A Communications Disorders major, one of the University's more difficult undergraduate paths, Rometo secured high honors in her second year, eligible as a junior academically to earn herself on the Dean's List, SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, Hawks Academic Honor Roll, an Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete recognition, the SUNYAC Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year and to her credit, was selected among all DIII athletes in the state to be voted as the SUNY Division III Women Athlete of the Year.

"I am so proud of Jackie on receiving such a prestigious honor that recognizes not only her success on the field but also her success off the field and in the classroom," Maronski said. "This honor is a testament to the person Jackie is as a whole. She has so many great qualities that contribute to all of her success including her work ethic, commitment to success, organization skills, and communication skills, which will all be essential to her as she continues in her career path in life."
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. made the official announcement of Rometo's selection in a press release Friday. To read the official release, click here.
 
Individuals were nominated and voted upon by representatives of their respective institutions before a panel of athletic directors from across the SUNY system reviewed all nominees for the combination of their athletic and academic success. A male and female student-athlete from each division — NCAA DI, DIII, NJCAA — were honored as the overall men's and women's SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year, combining academic achievement and prowess in their respective athletic arena of competition during the 2022-23 academic year.
 
Rometo was named as the female Division III recipient, while SUNY Geneseo men's lacrosse defenseman Trevor Bollinger was voted as the Division III winner on the men's side.
 
"This year has been really special," Rometo said. "I feel like all of my hard work and the time I've put into the sport, especially as a kid, has finally been worth it. With that said, I am only a sophomore and there is so much more to be accomplished. We didn't win the championship. We only got a taste of how successful the program can be this past year, which is now a baseline for the next. I think I can speak for the entire team when I say that we are already so motivated for next season now that we know what we are capable of, especially being such a young team. We should celebrate the success we did have, but really focus on how we'll take home a SUNYAC championship next season. I know now that being so motivated to win goes hand in hand with good stats and other accomplishments."
 
Rometo was eligible for the award after being one of 70 student-athletes to earn SUNY Scholar Athlete in their respective sport. More than 14,000 student-athletes compete at a SUNY institution, representing 53 different college and universities.
 
"I would definitely advise student-athletes to pick a school with coaches that prioritize academics," said Rometo on advice she'd give to prospective student-athletes who are looking to be successful in all aspects of their collegiate career. "Coach Maronski often reminds us that we are student-athletes rather than athlete-students. I would also recommend communicating with the professors early in the semester about how you may miss class for games and form a relationship with them, so they know who you are. I've learned that I can only achieve high standards by setting them for myself. I set goals both in class and on the field that I really zone in on until they're accomplished."
 
Balancing time during the season is also one of the biggest obstacles for all student-athletes, and for Rometo finding the ability to manage her time between practice, games, individuals, meetings, class and every other aspect during the spring was the key to her success. She made sure to get into a routine that worked for her, not wasting any free time and being efficient throughout the week.  
"Time management is definitely the hardest thing while being in season. The main thing I focused on was getting in a routine and trying not to waste free time," she explained. "Coach Maronski does her best to make practices around the majority of the team's class times, so I didn't have to miss practice very often. It's easy to fall behind in classes or struggle in softball but carrying that stress from one of them to the other is what I try to avoid. I found that what helped me the most was being fully present in what I was doing, whether it was playing softball or being in class. Separating softball from school has helped me succeed in both."

 "It's easy to fall behind in classes or struggle in softball but carrying that stress from one of   them to the other is what I try to avoid. I found that what helped me the most was being  fully present in what I was doing, whether it was playing softball or being in class.  Separating softball from school has helped me succeed in both."  

Her prowess academically also stems from her passion she has in her field, as she looks to capture her undergraduate this upcoming year with graduate school looming. 
 
"Taking courses that I find so interesting has made it much easier to do well," she said. "New Paltz has a great program for my major which is why I really chose the school. Softball was a bonus on top of that and I got lucky that I could be a part of two amazing programs. Speech pathology is a tough field and super competitive, as is softball. Naturally, I am driven to compete in both.
 
Rometo's competitiveness pushed her to become one of the most decorated student-athletes in Division III this past year. And, although her second year was memorable individually, she continued to look forward to next season where she hopes set an even higher standard for herself in order to help the Hawks achieve history in becoming the first team in program history to earn a SUNYAC title and appear in the NCAA Tournament.

"I am looking forward to seeing Jackie's success continue next year," Maronski said. "As long as she keeps the same mindset and strives to be the best player, teammate, and student she can be like she has the last two years, I see her growth and development continuing.  She is a special kid that we are lucky to have at New Paltz and a part of our program."

To read the SUNYAC SUNY Scholar Athlete press release, click here.

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