Syracuse, NY — The State University of New York Athletic Conference announced the recipient of its annual Dr. Sam Molnar SUNYAC Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year with Hawks baseball senior Tommy Kreider named for his prowess both on the field and in the classroom.
 
Kreider is just the second male recipient SUNY New Paltz has had, and first since men's swimming alum Jonathan Amoia was awarded following the 2002-03 season since the inception of the award in 1976. The Hawks have only had three total recipients of the male and female SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year before this year. Kreider joined women's soccer counterpart Rachel Eisert as a sweep of the award for just the sixth time in SUNYAC history, as Eisert was named as the Female recipient Monday.  
The Dr. Sam Molnar SUNYAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year is presented annually to a senior student-athlete with the best combination of academic and athletic ability as voted upon by the membership body. Nominees must be a senior in athletic eligibility, have the most outstanding combination of academic and athletic achievement, sustain at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA through the spring semester and must be a full SUNYAC member institution.
 
Kreider embodied the award with the four-year career he sustained as a Hawk. The Sam Molnar Scholar Athlete of the Year comes on the heels of Kreider earning his second-straight SUNYAC Baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year Award in a final season where he was named to back-to-back ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com All-America lists at second base, while garnering his third All-Region III selection while becoming the program's first Bob Wallace SUNYAC Player of the Year to go along with his third all-conference selection.
 
Academically, the New City, NY native excelled as he earned high honors for the fourth straight year, as he will be named to his fourth SUNYAC Commissioner's List selection to go along with a spot on the Hawks Academic Honor Roll. Additionally, he is a two-year Chi Alpha Sigma Inductee, a two-time SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year and has the potential to earn back-to-back Division III SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year honors after being named as a first-time recipient in 2024.
 
The men's SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year award is named after the late Dr. Sam Monlnar who was the Director of Athletics at Potsdam for more than 30 years. He also coached various sports during his time and served as the SUNYAC President in the early to mid 1960's.
 
To view the full SUNYAC press release, click here.

 
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