New Paltz, NY — College Sports Communicators (CSC, formally CoSida) announced its annual Academic All-District basketball teams Tuesday with the Hawks earning five selections from its men's and women's basketball programs.
 
SUNY New Paltz women's basketball graduate Brianna Fitzgerald, senior Karly Wittenbauer, sophomore Sierra Carter and men's basketball senior Thomas Keane and sophomore Trevor Amalfitano each nabbed their first CSC Academic All-District honor and with the accolade are automatically in consideration for the CSC Academic All-American Team, which is set to be announced April 14 for the men and April 15 for the women.
 
All five Hawks were pivotal in their team's success this past fall, leading their teams to a playoff run with the women tallying their eighth SUNYAC Championship win.
 
Keane started at point guard for the Hawks in his senior season and played in all 26 games with 24 starts, as he captained SUNY New Paltz to its fifth-straight playoff appearance. Keane facilitated the offense and finished with a team- and career-high of 79 assists to average three helpers per game. He recorded a 10-assist performance in a win over Fredonia and scored a season-high 15 points the following outing against Oneonta, but what didn't go on the stat sheet was his hustle all over the floor. He was crucial to the Hawks' success and aided in a fourth seed and home playoff berth this past year. He finished the season shooting about 30 percent from the field with 117 points, 110 rebounds, 42 steals and three blocks, and finished third in minutes per game after averaging 28.8 minutes per game on the court.
 
Amalfitano broke out in the second half of the season for SUNY New Paltz. The sophomore guard started in 25 of 25 games played and went through a four-game stretch where he was the team's go-to scorer. He posted six 20-point outings including a career-high 33 points, going 14-for-23 from the field in a last-second win over Plattsburgh that catapulted the Hawks to a No. 4 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament. He finished the year averaging 12 points and about three rebounds per game, shooting nearly 40 percent from the floor and above 30 percent from 3-point range. He added 47 assists, 23 steals and 12 blocks on the year as well.
 
Carter moved into starting point guard duties for the Hawks this past season and although her numbers weren't staggering, she was critical in helping facilitate the success of a 26-win season for SUNY New Paltz. She is sound defender with good size and does all the little things that fit seamlessly in an intricate and smothering signature Hawks defense. Carter started in 27 of 27 games played and averaged 31.1 minutes on the floor, second most on the team only to three-time All-American Brianna Fitzgerald, while shooting 34 percent from the field, averaging about seven points and four rebounds per game, while totaling 57 assists, 43 steals and 12 blocks.
 
Wittenbauer had a breakout campaign for the Hawks and was vital in helping SUNY New Paltz to a SUNYAC title and NCAA berth. Starting in 22 of 28 games played, WIttenbauer was the team's second leading scorer only behind Fitzgerald. She registered nearly 13 points and more than six rebounds per game, while averaging 39 percent from the field and added 62 assists, 63 steals and 20 blocks. She posted three double doubles on the year, the most notable in the Hawks' NCAA First Round win over Immaculata where she finished with 24 points and 12 boards. During the year, Wittenbauer tallied 17 double-digit performances, including nine-straight in the middle of the year, while recording a career-high 25 points in a win over Oswego. She followed the year with her very first All-SUNYAC nod, landing on second team.
 
Fitzgerald is the most decorated student-athlete in the last decade for SUNY New Paltz Athletics and one of the most illustrious to ever suit up for the blue and orange. She led her team in every statistical category and was named to her third SUNYAC Player of the Year, first SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year, fourth All-SUNYAC and All-Region team, second All-Region III Outstanding Player and third All-America selection following a career year that capped a legendary career.
 
As selected by the nations' sports communicators, the academic all-district award recognizes the country's top student-athletes for their combined performances both athletically and academically. The CSC recognizes honorees from four divisions across Division I, II, III and NAIA. To be considered, nominees must be recognized as one of the best in their respective conferences and must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or better. Less than five percent of student-athletes earned the prestigious honor last season across all sports and divisions.
 
To read the official CSC Academic All-District announcement, click here.


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