Albany, NY — The State University of New York (SUNY) named 22 student-athletes this past fall for their academic and athletic achievement hailing from Division I, II, III and NJCAA SUNY institutions across the state with Hawks women's tennis junior Olivia Kunz and field hockey senior Rachel Tama named as their respective sport's Division III SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year.
 
The award was officially announced Wednesday by the SUNYAC Office, as four others within the conference were honored alongside Kunz and Atwater. It was the first time named for both Kunz and Tama.
 
The SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year Award recognizes student-athletes from SUNY colleges and universities sponsoring intercollegiate athletics at the four- and two-year levels who were nominated and voted upon by representatives of their respective institutions based on cumulative grade point average, current and career statistics and athletic and academic honors. Honorees were nominated and voted upon by representatives of their respective institutions.
 
Kunz and Tama earned the award on the heels of the Hawks grossing five total SUNY Scholar Athlete award winners over the course of the 2024-25 academic year. Kunz is the second-straight women's tennis select, joining 2025 graduate Isabel van der Veen, while Tama is the first SUNY field hockey select for SUNY New Paltz since 2025 alumna Hannah Ackerman in 2024. Both Kunz and Tama also both received the SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year award for their respective sports.
 
Kunz helped the Hawks to their fourth-straight SUNYAC title this fall, as she went a perfect 5-0 in doubles play in SUNYAC competition, while also rolling to a 6-0 win the semifinal round and was winning 5-1 in the finals alongside partner Patrycja Filonik during the SUNYAC Tournament. Kunz was additionally named as a SUNYAC All-Tournament team selection for her efforts. 
 
A psychology major, Kunz nearly finished with a perfect 4.0 this past semester as she earned another trip to the Hawks Academic Honor roll and for the past two years was a SUNYAC Commissioner's List recipient.
 
Tama adds the accolade to an already illustrious resume, as she leaves as one of the best to play for NPFH. Over the course of her four-year career, the Hopewell Junction, NY native and three-year captain led the Hawks to the SUNYAC championship twice with two semifinal appearances. She was named as a First-Team All-SUNYAC select three teams, was an NFHCA All-Region pick twice and was named as a Third-Team All-American in 2024, while this past season was named to the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game. She led the team in points for the third consecutive year this past fall and leaves as the program's leader career points, goals, game-winning goals and second in assists.
 
As much as Tama excelled on the field, she was just as elite in the classroom. Earning her undergraduate degree early last spring, she pursued her master's degree in just four years starting in the fall, while also taking on administrative responsibilities working in the Hawks Athletic Department. Throughout her academic career at SUNY New Paltz, Tama earned a spot on the Hawks Academic Honor Roll each semester, landed on the SUNYAC Commissioner's List three consecutive years, was enshrined into the Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society and was a NFHCA Division III All-Academic Squad member for the past two years.

See the official SUNY press release by clicking here. 
 
View the full list of Division III Fall SUNY Scholar Athlete Award winners below:

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Division III
Men's Cross Country - Emerson Comer
School: SUNY Geneseo
Year: Sr.
Major: Physics
Overall GPA: 3.80
Description: Emerson Comer helped lead Geneseo to second place overall at the NCAA Championship Meet this fall, earning All-American honors for the Knights by placing 15th with a time of 24:14.5. Comer also highlighted his impressive junior campaign by helping lead the Knights to the Niagara Region Title with a second-place finish at 24:51.6. Comer has a 3.80 cumulative GPA as a physics major.
 
Women's Cross Country - Ann Brennan
School: SUNY Geneseo
Year: Sr.
Major: Data Analytics
Overall GPA: 3.81
Description: Ann Brennan wrapped up a tremendous 2025 season, as she won both the individual title at the Empire 8 Championship and annexed the Niagara Region Championship in a time of 21:38.2. Brennan, who also earned runner-up honors at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational, broke 22 minutes in a race four times in 2025 and recorded a personal-best time of 21:24.1 over 6,000-meters at the Connecticut College Invitational on Oct. 8. Brennan was the Empire 8 Runner of the Year, a five-time E8 Runner of the Week and placed 83rd overall at the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships. She has a 3.81 cumulative GPA with a major in Data Analytics.
 
Field Hockey   - Rachel Tama
School: SUNY New Paltz
Year: Sr.
Major: Business Analytics
Overall GPA: 3.88
Description: 3.88 GPA; First-Team All-SUNYAC; NFHCA Senior All-Star select; 3yr team captain; holds program records in goals, points, game-winning goals, second in assists; graduated undergrad a year early, currently in grad school studying business analytics; works within athletic department as student staff assistant; 3x SUNYAC Academic; Chi Alpha Sigma inductee; 2x NFHCA All-Academic squad; Hawks Academic Honor Roll.
 
Football - Mike Rescigno
School: Cortland
Year: So.
Major: Physical Education
Overall GPA: 3.82
Description: Second Team All-Empire 8 quarterback...CSC Academic All-District...Started all 11 games...128-of-216 passing, 1,728 yds., 22 TD...155 rushes, 1,068 yds., 12 TD...Set school single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback...4 TD passes and 2 TD rushes in win over Alfred University...Tied school single-game record with 5 TD passes in win at Alfred State...3 TD passes and 2 TD rushes in win over Brockport...Team finished 8-3 (7-0 Empire 8) and won fifth straight league title.
 
Men's Soccer - Jordan Ott
School: Cortland
Year: Sr.
Major: Sport Management
Overall GPA: 3.63
Description: CSC Second Team Academic All-American...United Soccer Coaches Fourth Team All-America Goalie and First Team All-Region 3...SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year...First Team All-SUNYAC...Started all 21 games and played every minute in goal during the season...0.51 GAA, .891 save percentage, 90 total saves, 14-1-6 record, school single-season record 13 shutouts....Tied for second nationally in Division III in shutouts, third nationally in save percentage and seventh nationally in GAA...Cortland career leader with 30 shutouts in three seasons...Team finished 14-1-6 (7-0-2 SUNYAC), won SUNYAC regular-season title, and advanced to third round of NCAA tournament.
 
Women's Soccer - Katie Diem
School: Cortland
Year: Sr.
Major: Biology
Overall GPA: 4.0
Description: CSC First Team Academic All-American...United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region 3 defender...SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year....First Team All-SUNYAC...SUNYAC Elite 20 Award winner...SUNYAC All-Tournament Team...Started all 21 games...4 goals, 3 assists, 11 points...Team finished 14-3-4 overall (8-0-1 SUNYAC) and won SUNYAC regular-season and tournament titles.
 
Women's Tennis - Olivia Kunz
School: SUNY New Paltz
Year: Year
Major: Psychology
Overall GPA: 3.92
Description: GPA 3.92 - First-Team Doubles; All-Tournament Team Doubles; went undefeated in doubles play; 2x SUNYAC Commissioner's List recipient; 4x Hawks Academic Honor Roll; helped Hawks to fourth-straight SUNYAC title.
 
Women's Volleyball - Kira Pirrera
School: Cortland
Year: Jr.
Major: Inclusive Childhood Education
Overall GPA: 3.89
Description: AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-Region 3 Outside Hitter...SUNYAC Player of the Year...CSC Academic All-District (Academic All-America will not be released before this deadline)...Played in all 114 sets over 32 matches...435 kills, .226 attack percentage, 54 aces, 338 digs, 54 blocks...Led team in kills and aces and second in digs...Team finished 24-8 (9-0 SUNYAC) and won SUNYAC regular-season and tournament titles.


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