Field Hockey | 6/26/2023 9:57:36 AM
Sydney Gagnon of the Hartwick College field hockey team was named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, based on a vote by the conference Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs). The award honors one female student-athlete who best exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated scholar and athlete over the course of their collegiate careers.
Gagnon was named the 2022 Empire 8 Player of the Year and garnered her fourth straight All-E8 first team honor. In addition, she was named a 2022 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Second Team All-American. Gagnon led Hartwick to the 2022 Empire 8 Championship and finished the season as the league’s leading scorer with 18 goals, six assists and 42 points in 18 games. Of those 18 goals, two were game-winners.
Gagnon, who was also the 2019 E8 Rookie of the Year, tallied 43 career goals, 15 assists and 101 points in 60 games. She wrapped up her stellar collegiate career as a four-time Empire 8 First Team selection and a three-time Division III Region 3 First Team selection. She was also selected to participate in the NFHCA Senior Game and was a part of two Empire 8 Championship teams in 2019 and 2022. Gagnon was a four-time Empire 8 Player of the Week.
A native of Chestertown, N.Y., Gagnon recently earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Hartwick, while carrying a tremendous 3.8 grade-point average. She was a four-time member of the NFHCA National Academic Squad and four-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction recipient and was a five-time member of the Empire 8 President's List.
“Sydney’s drive and commitment to her academics, field hockey team and the Hartwick College community as a whole shows how special she is,” said Hartwick head field hockey coach Erin Autera. “Sydney has shown success in every possible way, and I cannot wait to see her become an exceptional nurse in the future. I believe that Sydney embodies the best of Hartwick College, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.”
Gagnon was awarded the Edith Lacey Memorial Scholarship which is awarded to rising nursing seniors at Hartwick who exemplify outstanding patient care and academic performance. In addition, she was awarded the John Christophers Scholarship, which is given to six rising seniors who exemplify academic achievement, leadership, and character. In addition, Gagnon was a member of the Hartwick NSLS Honor Society, Sigma Theta Phi Nursing Honor Society and.
“Sydney is one of the most decorated field hockey student-athletes in Empire 8 history,” said Joe Venniro, Empire 8 Associate Commissioner. To see what she has accomplished not only on the field of play but more importantly in the Hartwick community, while excelling in an incredibly rigorous academic major is incredible. She embodies the very best qualities in a student-athlete and has an incredibly bright future in the nursing field.”
Outside of the field and classroom, Gagnon and the Hartwick field hockey program excelled in community engagement, raising money for the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, while organizing Hartwick’s Toys for Tots holiday drive. While at Hartwick, Gagnon won the Brunhilde I. Clinger Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Freshman Athlete in 2019, the M. Beal Banks Award in 2022 and the Ana M. Meyer Female Athlete of the Year (2023). In addition, she was earned Hartwick’s prestigious Frederick Binder Scholar-Athlete Award in 2023.
“Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing is one of the most difficult courses within Hartwick’s nursing program, and Sydney’s performance was exceptional,” said Dr. Patricia Manocchi, Hartwick Assistant Professor of Nursing. “Not only did she accomplish outstanding grades, but she did so during her time as active athlete during the playoff season. Sydney’s attention to detail and her eagerness to learn did not go unnoticed. She was a role model to the other students within the class and the care she delivered in the clinical setting was exceptional as well. She exemplifies what it means to be a successful student, peer, athlete, nurse and team member.”
2022-23 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalists
Arden Hatch, Alfred University – Softball
Amelia Martin, Elmira College – Softball/Volleyball
Sydney Gagnon, Hartwick College – Field Hockey
Amanda Burrichter, Houghton University – Cross Country/Track and Field
Emily Daciw, Nazareth University – Softball
Kaitlin Walker, St. John Fisher University – Basketball
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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