ALFRED, NY – Saxon Nation and Alfred University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) successfully hosted the third annual ALFYS Awards Night on Monday evening from the Miller Theatre.

"The ALFYS was a night to remember, full of excitement as we celebrated the hard work and passion of our student-athletes," Associate Athletic Director Erin Schurr said. "These awards put an exclamation point on the year and it's great to see the energy our athletes bring. As always, it was a great day to be a Saxon!"
 
"This incredible event celebrated the academic and athletic success as well as the leadership and community engagement of our student-athletes," Associate Vice President for Student Experience, Athletics & Recreation, Deb Steward said. "I was filled with pride as we honored our outstanding Saxons and celebrated our seniors. I also want to thank our team behind the ALFYS that made this event special for our student-athletes.
 
Nicholas F. Clark '11 Ideal Saxon Award

The Ideal Saxon Award was established in 2013 and is an annual honor that recognizes the achievements of a male senior and a female senior student-athlete at Alfred University who "displays excellence in both academics and athletics while providing service and leadership of distinction to the AU Community." After five years of annual presentation, the Ideal Saxon Award was properly renamed the Nicholas F. Clark '11 Ideal Saxon Award, following the tragic passing of Nick Clark, a 2011 graduate of Alfred University and Saxon football program, who lost his life while serving in the line of duty as a New York State Police Trooper in the summer of 2018.

The 13th and 14th recipients of the award were Kenneth Allison Jr (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh) of the men's basketball team and Nyah Solly (Colden, NY/Springville-Griffith Institute) of the women's soccer team. The award was presented by Theresa Gunn, Faculty Athletic Representative and Clark's Mother, as well as Football Head Coach Bob Rankl and Olivia Gilbert '24, a recipient of the award at the 2023-24 ALFYS.

Exceptional Saxon Award

The Exceptional Saxon Award is given out yearly to a member of our AU community who goes "above and beyond" in their support of our athletic department. The recipient of the 2024-25 Exceptional Saxon Award was Mike Elmes, a member of the custodial staff within the Alfred University Athletics department. The staff and faculty surprised Elmes with a ceremony prior to the 2024-25 ALFYS to recognize his continued dedication to the program.

ECAC Merit Medal Award

The ECAC Merit Medal award is presented in conjunction with the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The ECAC Merit Medal Award honors a female and male senior who has combined excellence in athletic competition and in the classroom or outstanding service to the institution. The recipients of the ECAC Merit Medal award were Abigail Gatza (Burlington, ON, Canada/Assumption Catholic) of the softball team and William LaMastus (Maumee, OH/Anthony Wayne) of the men's swimming & diving team.

Franklin Morley & Murley Strong Morley Award

The Franklin Morley Class of 1942 Award is presented to an outstanding male athlete who is highly involved in campus activities and has enjoyed success in his athletic pursuits. The Muriel Strong Morley Class of 1943 Award is presented to an outstanding female athlete who is highly involved in campus activities and has enjoyed success in her athletic pursuits. The Franklin Morley Award was presented to Carlos Gonzalez (Baja California, Mexico/Unifront) of the men's swimming & diving team, while the Murley Strong Morley Award was received by Anne Spila (Mechanicsburg, PA/Trinity) of the women's cross country and track & field teams.

Newcomer of the Year Award

Added this year, the Newcomer of the Year is awarded to the top male and female student-athletes who have excelled in their sport in their first year of competition at AU. This award is open to both first year and transfer students. The recipients of the Newcomer of the Year award were Carlos Gonzalez (Baja California, Mexico/Unifront) and Elizabeth Share (Macedon, NY Palmyra-Macedon) of the swimming & diving teams.

The Unsung Hero Award

The Unsung Hero Award recognizes a senior student-athlete who doesn't break school records, but each day makes a difference in our athletic department, their program and most importantly, to our University. They are the people their teammates can rely on, and our staff comes to call on repeatedly because of their selfless nature and unending quest to make AU a better place. They are difference-makers in the same way that first-team all-conference players are for our programs. The third recipient of the Unsung Hero Award was Alyssa DiMillo (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool) of the women's basketball team.

Highest Team GPA

Alfred University Athletics introduced a handful of new awards on Monday, including honoring the team with the highest team GPA following the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters. The team with the highest fall 2024 GPA was women's volleyball, who compiled a 3.63 GPA. The dressage team won the highest spring 2025 GPA, finishing with a 3.74, which was announced on all social media platforms once grades were finalized. 

Team Community Service Award

Throughout the year, our Saxon student-athletes went out to the community of not only Alfred, New York, but the surrounding communities. This award aims to recognize the program with the most community service hours logged in relation to their roster size. The team that received the Team Community Service award was women's basketball.

Team Saxon-for-Saxon Award

The Saxon-for-Saxon program is a way to connect our student-athletes outside of their own sport and recognize and thank those who consistently come to home contests to support their peers. Women's Basketball additionally won the Team Saxon-for-Saxon award.

Saxon Strong Award

The Saxon Strong award acknowledges both a male and female athlete who led by example through their unwavering dedication to training for their sports. These student-athletes exemplify the power of consistent effort, inspiring their teammates with their commitment and positive attitude. This award highlights the character and resilience that define true Saxon Strength. The recipients of the award were Natalya Ryckman (New Eagle, PA/Ringgold) of the women's cross country and track & field teams and Thomas Welch (Avon, NY/Avon) of the football team.

Emerging Leader Award

In conjunction with the efforts of Dr. Chrissy Holm Haider, the Emerging Leader award was selected as someone who went above and beyond during their time with Dr. Chrissy during the 2024-25 academic year. Julia Flaitz (Arkport, NY/Arkport Central) of the women's soccer team was the recipient of the award.

Highlight of the Year

Over the last few weeks, the Athletic Communications staff gathered and posted highlight reels from the 2024-25 seasons and shared them on social media. We asked for all Saxon Nation to decide our winner by voting. Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville) of the women's basketball team won the award following her buzzer-beat shot as part of a home win against Houghton University.
SAAC Awards

Each of the varsity Saxon programs nominated a member of their program for a SAAC Award. The award is meant to signify a student-athlete who best represents the team. The recipients of each SAAC Alfy were:

• Garrett Farabaugh – Men's Alpine Skiing
• Sophia Lazarenko – Women's Alpine Skiing
• Will Timpano – Baseball
• AJ Giaquinto – Men's Basketball
• Natalee Collins – Women's Basketball
• Damian Brown – Men's Cross Country
• Alivia Kocan – Women's Cross Country
• Chester Mikkelson – Equestrian
• Adam Mietz – Football
• Max Sigmund – Men's Lacrosse
• Molly Howlett – Women's Lacrosse
• Edward Hart IV – Men's Rugby
• Zia Oellig – Women's Rugby
• William Moore – Men's Soccer
• Sidney Khuns – Women's Soccer
• Ty Thomas – Softball
• Wade LaMastus – Men's Swimming & Diving
• Eden Vallely – Women's Swimming & Diving
• Mark Ungurian – Men's Tennis
• Allison Windisch – Women's Tennis
• Jonathan Hodges – Men's Track & Field
• Meridian Bremel – Women's Track & Field
• Delaney Sims – Women's Volleyball

44 Saxons were also inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma Honors Society on Monday evening. Chi Alpha Sigma is the first national scholar-athlete society to honor collegiate student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and in athletic competition. Chi Alpha Sigma recognizes college students who receive a varsity letter in their sport while earning a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average.