New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz concluded the fall season with all seven varsity teams earning a spot in the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.
Throughout a successful fall there were numerous team accolades and several individual accomplishments. The Hawks were awarded 17 SUNYAC Athlete of the Week honors throughout the beautiful autumn season in the Hudson Valley, including one national weekly recognition, along with 27 All-SUNYAC recipients — the most since 2018. There were several other accolades throughout this past fall, but there were a few that stood out among the rest. See below all the most notable standouts, named for each moniker that suited them this past year.
Men's Cross Country: Mountain Climbers
(men's cross country)
The SUNY New Paltz men's cross country team climbed to new heights in the 2025 Fall season with both individual and program successes.
Under wet and muddy conditions, the runners were resilient in the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships and obtained their highest team finish at the meet in program history, placing 13th out of 26 teams who raced at the championships. The success was spearheaded by senior Oliver Melara-Perez who led the Hawks with a 44th place finish and a time of 26:29.1.
The Port Washington, NY native was succeeded by junior Evan Miller who came in 50th with a time of 26:38.0. Corbin Smith, Anthony Willis and Joe Palazzo were the three remaining scoring runners for the Hawks, coming in 83rd, 111th and 150th place, respectively. Compared to last year's 16th place finish at regionals, the team has steadily improved and took themselves to another level this year. And as the team rose to success, the depth and talent of their roster was elevated.
For the first time since 2000, the team placed two finishers in the top six at the SUNYAC championship meet and three in the top 15 runners. Melara-Perez finished with a 26:14.8 second-place finish in the 8K championship race, closely followed by Miller who came in sixth with a time of 26:29.3. Smith enunciated his breakout freshman campaign with a personal best 27:04.4 finish in the championship, landing the Shokan, NY native with a 14th place finish.
All three runners were named to the All-SUNYAC squad, with Melara-Perez receiving first-team honors and an automatic induction into the SUNYAC Hall of Fame for his second-place championship finish, making him one of the most decorated and most improved runners to go through the program. In his final year, Melara-Perez shaved down over a minute from his previous best championship time and placed second versus 40th in his first and 17th his second year as a Hawk.
Rachel Tama and Miranda Britton: Batman and Robin
(field hockey)
After losing three All-SUNYAC selects including two graduate players and one All-American in the said departed, the New Paltz Field Hockey Program needed a hero to step up and lead the Hawks back to the SUNYAC tournament. One name stood out amongst the rest: a three-year captain, two-time All-SUNYAC select, two-time All-Region pick and 2024 NFHCA All-American — it was none other than the Hopewell Junction, NY native and senior forward Rachel Tama.
At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Tama solidified herself as an all-time great for the program. The forward holds the all-time goal (49) and points (137) records, as well as the record for most game-winning goals in program history (12). She rose in the assist rankings to second all-time, as she dished 39 over her illustrious career. During her final season as a Hawk, Tama scored eight goals and tallied 13 assists with three game-winning goals. Adding to her laundry list of accolades, Tama was named to the NFCHA Preseason Players to Watch list before earning first team All-SUNYAC honors for the third year in a row and being named to the NFHCA Senior All-Star Team at the end of the year.
However, none of Tama's statistics could've sparked the Hawks' success without the works of senior forward Miranda Britton. Best friends and teammates, Britton became the Robin to Tama's Batman on the Hawks' forward line, solidified by her final career numbers as her four-year run as a Hawk concluded this past fall.
In her final season, Britton scored nine goals, including the team's sole score in the semifinal match against the Cortland Red Dragons, while delivering two assists. The Sayville, NY native, who was also listed on the NFCHA Preseason Players to watch list, netted two game-winning points on the year against non-conference foes Marywood and Union, and as her career concluded she earned herself two all-time records, climbing to second in all-time goals (46) and points (108) — trailing only Tama, her partner in crime.
Together, Tama and Britton leave the program with a combined 95 goals and 55 assists. The dynamic duo came in clutch multiple times over the years, netting 21 game-winning shots. Both stepped up often across the course of their four years and are irreplaceable players on and off the field for the New Paltz Field Hockey Program.
Gail Comiskey: Brick Wall
(field hockey)
The past four years of hard work and determination led senior goalkeeper Gail Comiskey to her best season yet.
The Patchogue, NY native daunted opponents who tried to get shots past, as Comiskey stood with the New Paltz field hockey record in all-time goals against average (1.52), third in shutouts (10), and sixth in saves (236) and save percentage (.744).
In her final season, Comiskey posted the best statistics of her career, with 23 goals-against in 17 games played and a .805 save percentage. She denied some of the country's best players, playing arguably her best game against No. 1 nationally ranked Christopher Newport University, blocking 15 of the 16 shots on net in the narrow 1-0 loss with the only goal scored coming off a penalty stroke. The performance and her efforts in a 9-0 shutout against Morrisville later that week earned her Division III NFHCA Defensive Player of the Week honors. Comiskey also left her mark on the conference, as she ranked third in the SUNYAC in overall save percentage, fourth in saves and tied for fourth in shutouts on the year (2).
The two-year captain leaves the program alongside six other talented senior players, including Tama and Britton. But Comiskey leaves not only big shoes to fill in net, but a legacy that will live on in SUNY New Paltz field hockey history for years to come.
Brooke Kelleher: Swiss Army Knife
(women's soccer)
One of the most versatile forwards in program history, senior Brooke Kelleher rounded out her four years at SUNY New Paltz with a standout season.
Hailing from Smithtown, NY, Kelleher led the team in goals (5) and assists (4) while securing her fourth consecutive All-SUNYAC selection and inaugural first team honors, her highest recognition since earning Rookie of the Year in 2022 when she was the first freshman in program history to receive such accolades. Kelleher is only the third Hawk to earn four straight all conference selections, emphasizing her consistent contributions on the field over her four years in the nest.
Although her season stats are comparable to her previous years, Kelleher ascended a "do-it-all" role on the frontline following the graduation of two legendary Hawk forwards the previous year of Gaby Treble and Rachel Eisert. Kelleher was key to offensive production for the Hawks, which was limited to 31 goals scored throughout their 2025 campaign as she both facilitated and finished in the team's offensive third.
At the conclusion of her final season, Kelleher ranked second for all-time program assists (15), trailing just behind All-American forward Eisert who tallied 17. Kelleher also sits fourth for both all-time points (55) and goals (20). Her quickness and athleticism were untouchable by opponents and are qualities that will be sorely missed by the program ahead of its 2026 season, as they only return 11 out of their 20 players.
Mia Baldinger: Double-Edged Sword
(women's soccer/women's lacrosse)
There are few high school athletes who go on to play at the Division III level. There are even fewer who play two sports over their four years, AND only a handful more who find success in not one, but both of their sports. Mia Baldinger is one of them.
The Massapequa, NY native is one of the most athletic and versatile athletes to walk through the doors of SUNY New Paltz. In only three and a half years, Baldinger solidified herself in both the Hawks women's soccer and women's lacrosse program record books earning her way to top-10 in both assists and points, running the midfield in both sports.
For the SUNY New Paltz women's soccer program, Baldinger was a catalyst in the team's recent success. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, the midfielder stands fourth all-time in assists (13) and 10th in all-time points (35). Using her razor-sharp soccer IQ, the senior was a key piece in the Hawks' middle third and even when the stat line did not show it, she provided invaluable contributions to team wins.
Her success on the South Turf carried over to the North Turf, as Baldinger's talent translated to the SUNY New Paltz women's lacrosse program in the spring. The midfielder ranks first in career assists (100), eighth in ground balls (97) and ninth in points (138). Her standings in the top 10 in points for both soccer and lacrosse make her the only dual sport athlete at SUNY New Paltz to achieve such that feat.
With one season of lacrosse left, Baldinger has a chance to continue to climb the all-time leaderboard and etch herself into the SUNY New Paltz history books indefinitely.
Women's and Men's Soccer: The Streak
(men's and women's soccer)
The SUNY New Paltz men's and women's soccer programs have soared to unprecedented success in recent years, solidifying themselves as cornerstone programs in the history of Hawks athletics.
The men's soccer program elevated their game in the past five years, and at the conclusion of the 2025 season, secured their fifth-straight winning season after sporting a .667 overall winning percentage. The season marks the longest winning streak in program history, while also tallying the teams' fifth-straight SUNYAC postseason appearance — also the longest streak in program history.
Led by head coach Kyle Clancy for the last nine seasons, the team has elevated the standard of Hawks men's soccer, garnering 28 All-SUNYAC selections and four All-Region players emerging since Clancy has been at the helm. Clancy also holds the record for most double-digit wins in a season, tallying three of his nine seasons surpassing 10-plus wins, which included this past fall.
Coming off their 2024 SUNYAC Championship win, the women's team was looking to repeat their success this past season. Former coach Mike Eckberg led the squad to their previous four playoff berths, and his success was continued by interim coach Samantha Trimblett in 2025. Although falling in the first round as well, the team secured their fifth straight appearance to the SUNYAC tournament, the longest playoff streak in program history. Similarly to the men, it was also their fifth-straight winning season, also the longest all-time streak for the team.
Women's Tennis: The Four Peat
(women's tennis)
For only the second time in SUNY New Paltz Athletics history, a program has successfully achieved four straight SUNYAC Championship wins, the dreamed "Four Peat." Led by coach Rob Bruley and senior captains Justine Stanejko and Nine Genzone, the Hawks women's tennis program has solidified themselves as one of the most skilled and awarded teams to ever compete at SUNY New Paltz.
Besides the 2012-2015 field hockey teams, no other program has taken home four consecutive team SUNYAC titles, let alone rounding out the run with an undefeated conference run in 2025 (5-0) and never having lost a SUNYAC conference match with a 50-0 record. Nine players made All-SUNYAC honors, with Stanejko and Genzone making history for herself as two of only six players to ever hoist four-straight SUNYAC trophies.
In her final year as a Hawk, Stanejko confirmed her all-time greatness in the SUNYAC conference. The Lakeland, NY native is one of only two players to ever win four straight SUNYAC MVP awards, taking home the Peter J. Cahill MVP award every year she competed as a Hawk. She concluded her time on the court with both an undefeated SUNYAC singles record (24-0) and doubles record (24-0) and looks to bring home even more hardware in the spring when Stanejko and the team heads on to the NCAA tournament on May 8.
Reagan Dyba: Rising Star
(women's volleyball)
Although the SUNY New Paltz women's volleyball team's 2025 campaign did not end with the coveted SUNYAC trophy in their hands, a new star emerged throughout the season. Freshman outside Reagan Dyba was the bright light the Hawks relied on all year. The Flemington, NJ native became the first freshman to lead the Hawks in kills and points since New Paltz Hall of Fame member Belgica Santana in 1997.
In 2025 alone, Dyba earned 270 total kills for 2.65 kills per set and 307.5 total points for 3.01 points per set. The outside hitter led the squad in both kills and points and was one of only three Hawks to play in all 30 matches across the season. She also tallied 22 aces and 13 assists — all across 102 sets played. Defensively, she was fifth on the team in digs with 178 and fourth in blocks with 27.
At the conclusion of her freshman season, she was one of only two Hawks to garner All-SUNYAC honors. Alongside third team select Kim Braun, Dyba was named to the All-SUNYAC second team for her resounding efforts against competition in all nine regular season conference matches — all of which Dyba started in.
With three years of eligibility left, Dyba is anticipated to rise up and become one of the best players to go through the women's volleyball program.
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