New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz Athletics, Wellness & Recreation, in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Relations, has announced the SUNY New Paltz Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024-25.
Comprising the Hall of Fame's 22nd induction is alumnae Carrie Hack '14 (women's volleyball), Jessica Rea (Caruana) '16 (field hockey), Kit Small '17 (women's basketball), Yuka Suzuka '13 (women's swimming) and Nichole Wischoff '13 (women's cross country).
The bi-annual induction ceremony and dinner will be held Friday, April 25 on Alumni Weekend on the campus of SUNY New Paltz. More details to follow.
To view the past Hall of Fame members,
click here.
To read more about each Class of 2024-25 inductee continue reading below:
Carrie Hack - Class of 2014
Student-Athlete – Women's Volleyball
Hack becomes the eighth women's volleyball alumna to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and third under head coach
Matt Giufre.
Playing on arguably the best teams to ever come through SUNY New Paltz, Hack was the lynchpin defensively as a four-year starting libero. One of the most consistent players on the court, Hack is the only Hawk to ever surpass 2,000 career digs and she holds the record by a hefty margin with 2,437 — 489 more than any other in program history.
The Baldwinsville, NY native made an immediate impact on the program, breaking out as a SUNYAC East Rookie of the Year select in 2010, to go along with First-Team All-SUNYAC East honors and AVCA All-New York Region honorable mention selection. In her first season, she totaled 567 digs while averaging 4.64 digs per set, including a season-high 30, while also contributing 30 aces on the year. Hack upped her game as a sophomore, leading the SUNYAC in digs, finishing with 590, averaging 4.8 digs per set — with the latter landing. She again earned All-SUNYAC East honors, named to the second team and was a SUNYAC All-Tournament team selection after helping the Hawks to a SUNYAC Championship appearance.
Her final two seasons were vital in leading SUNY New Paltz to back-to-back NCAA Tournament runs, which included the program's first NCAA Regional appearance. Hack totaled 40 digs and four aces as a junior in the Hawks' 2012 NCAA run, while finishing the season with a career-best 769 digs — the most in program history since 1997 and the third most all time. Following a career season, Hack earned All-SUNYAC East First-Team, AVCA All-New York Region First Team and AVCA All-America honorable mention honors.
In her senior season, Hack led the team to their second-straight 30-plus win season and NCAA Regional appearance. Despite missing the bulk of the season due to injury, Hack still paced the SUNYAC once again in digs (511), averaging nearly five per set, while adding 45 aces on the year. She was an All-SUNYAC Second-Team selection and notched her second SUNYAC All-Tournament team nod. Hack ended her career the all-time leader in digs, placing herself as the best libero to ever play for the program, while also sitting ninth all-time in aces with 178 for her career. Additionally, Hack was named as a SUNYAC All-Decade Team selection.
Jessica Rea (Caruana) – Class of 2016
Student-Athlete – Field Hockey
As only one of four student-athletes to hoist four-straight SUNYAC titles (joining teammates Dani Ackerman, Sarah Sansone and Alayna Wageman), Jessica Rea (Caruana) joins former teammate Dani Ackerman as the only two former field hockey stars to be placed into the Hall of Fame, both playing under legendary coach
Shanna Szablinski.
One of — if not the best — back to ever suit up for the program, Rea played a major role in the dynasty that was the Hawks field hockey program from 2012-2015.
A true winner from her days in high school to her collegiate career, she compiled a record of 61-27 while with the SUNY New Paltz field hockey program. Defensively, the Holbrook, NY native helped SUNY New Paltz to 25 shutouts over four years.
Appearing in 83 of a possible 88 games during her four-year tenure, Rea started in all but one game during her career, totaling 82 starts, playing in 15 playoff games including seven NCAA Tournament contests while helping the team to the second round three-straight years. She captained the Hawks for two seasons, including what was their most prolific season in 2012, which then matched the most wins in program history with 16 on the way to capturing what was their fourth-straight SUNYAC title and NCAA Tournament appearance. For her career, she totaled 29 goals, 30 assists for 88 points with eight game winners.
Rea was a two-time First-Team All-SUNYAC selection, while landing on the SUNYAC All-Tournament team twice as well. She earned SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015, along with being an ECAC Mid-Atlantic Region second team selection, two-time Longstretch/NFHCA North Atlantic Region first-team honoree, while capping her career with a Longstreth/NFHCA and Synapse Sports All-America third team honor in 2015.
Additionally, Rea was a SUNY New Paltz Leadership Wall recipient in 2016 and was named as a Kenneth F. Burda Sportsmanship Award honoree in 2016 as well, just the fourth field hockey player at the time to earn the honor, and in 2021 was named to the SUNYAC Field Hockey's All-Decade team.
Kit Small – Class of 2017
Student-Athlete – Women's Basketball
During her four-year tenure on the Hawks women's basketball team, there arguably was no one better who has ever suited up for the program. Small led SUNY New Paltz women's basketball to new heights, which included back-to-back SUNYAC titles and the team's first ever appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16.
The Slingerlands, NY native was a four-time team MVP, three-time All-SUNYAC selection, a D3Hoops All-East select and the program's first ever WBCA All-America honorable mention recipient. She led her team in scoring and assists her final two seasons, all while earning All-SUNYAC First Team and SUNYAC All-Tournament Team honors in back-to-back years, while pacing her team in not only points and assists, but rebounds and steals as well.
During the Hawks' run into the NCAA Sweet 16 in her senior season, Small was the catalyst as she finished the three games in the tournament averaging 14 points, nearly five rebounds, three assists and three steals with two blocks. In the opening round, 62-61 win over Bowdoin, Small totaled game highs in points (14), rebounds (8) and steals (3), while recording game highs in assists (4), blocks (2) and steals (2) to go along with 18 points in a thrilling, 83-80 win over Ithaca to help push her team into the third round for the first time.
She left the program as the team's leading scorer and held that mark until this past season, finishing her career with 1,344 points. She also left fourth all-time in program history in rebounds with 622, eighth in assists with 221 and eighth in blocks with 58. She was additionally named to the SUNYAC Women's Basketball All-Decade team.
Small was an elite student as well. She earned a spot on the SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic List three times, was named as the SUNYAC Co-Winter Scholar Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2017 and was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society. A leader for her team and in the department, Small was additionally named to the Hawks Leadership Wall in 2017 and was awarded the highest honor any SUNY New Paltz student-athlete can receive in being named a Heinz Ahlmeyer Jr. Award recipient, which came following her senior year.
Yuka Suzuka – Class of 2013
Student-Athlete – Women's Swimming
Suzuka is one of the most decorated swimmers in a prestigious history of SUNY New Paltz women's swimming.
She is one of only four Hawks to earn Outstanding Female Swimmer/Diver of the SUNYAC Conference Meet, joining Hall of Famer's Karen Adams (diving) '94, Claudine Gruver '99, Joanna Masterson '05 & '06 and Michelle Coombs '07 &'08. She is just one of six Hawks to earn the Grace Mowatt Award, which since 1997 is presented annually to the senior female swimmer/diver for her overall career athletic and academic achievements and is just one of two Hawks to be a four-time First-Team All-SUNYAC selection.
Additionally, Suzuka is a four-time SUNYAC Champion in both the 100, and 200-backstroke, a two-time champion in the 200-individual medley and a two-time champion as a member of the 200-medley relay, while setting two individual and one relay conference championship record.
Suzuka was an automatic NCAA Division III Championship qualifier in two individual events and earned a NCAA DIII B-cut in seven individual and three relay events. She claimed All-America First-Team honors in 2012 in the 200-backstroke, while also earning NCAA Division III All-America honorable mention honors three times throughout her career.
In the program record books, Suzuka stands first in the 100, and 200-backstroke, the 200 individual medley, and in the 200- and 400-medley relay, while in both the SUNYAC and the SUNYAC Championship meet record books, she held the top spot in both the 100 and 200 backstroke.
In 2021, SUNYAC named Suzuka to the All-Decade conference list. She will become the eighth women's swimmer to enter the SUNY New Paltz Athletics, Wellness & Recreation Hall of Fame.
Nichole Wischoff – Class of 2013
Student-Athlete – Women's Cross Country
Wischoff becomes the first ever women's cross country student-athlete inducted into the Hawks Hall of Fame.
One of the best to ever run for SUNY New Paltz, Wischoff was the very first national qualifier in program history and was the second fastest finisher, as she placed 103rd with a time of 22 minutes, 19.36 seconds at the 2011 Division III National Championships. She is the first ever USTFCCCA All-Region recipient and just one of three to earn multiple All-Region honors. She was also just the second Hawk to earn All-SUNYAC honors, and first to earn back-to-back nods.
The former Cooperstown, NY native broke out in her third year for SUNY New Paltz, placing eighth overall at the SUNYAC Championship meet to earn Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors, before crossing 14th overall at regionals to punch her ticket into nationals, making history for the program. In her final season, Wischoff finished fifth overall at the SUNYAC Championship meet — at the time the highest placing ever for a Hawk and garnering a spot in the SUNYAC Hall of Fame, setting more accolades for SUNY New Paltz women's cross country program. She later crossed 26th at the Atlantic Regional Championships with a time of 22:44.7 to earn her second-straight USTFCCCA All-Region recognition.
Wischoff holds the sixth fastest time in a 6K in program history, running 22:09 at the Connecticut Invitational in 2012. She was named as a SUNY New Paltz Leadership Wall recipient in 2012 — the first and only women's cross country student-athlete to earn the honor.
Wischoff excelled in the classroom as well. She was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic list in 2012, only one of 183 Division III runners across the country to be named, and landed on the SUNYAC All-Academic and SUNYAC Commissioner's List on multiple occasions throughout her four-year collegiate career.
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