Women's Indoor Track and Field | 6/14/2024 9:57:26 AM
Olivia Gilbert of the Alfred University women’s soccer and track and field team was named the 2023-24 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.
Gilbert excelled on the soccer field for the Saxons, playing in and starting all 61 games in her collegiate career as a center midfielder, logging nearly 5,000 minutes of action. A two-year team captain, she tallied 10 career points on four goals and two assists and garnered All-Empire 8 third team honors in 2023. Gilbert helped lead Alfred to four Empire 8 Tournament berths, including three trips to the league semifinals.
Gilbert became a standout on the track, specializing in the 800-meters. She was a six-time E8 Champion, winning back-to-back 800-meter titles at both the 2023 and 2024 Empire 8 Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Gilbert also led Alfred’s 4 x 400-meter and 4 x 800-meter relay teams that emerged victorious at the 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Championships. Gilbert was named the 2024 Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and two-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Atlantic Region selection.
In addition, Gilbert holds Alfred University program records in the indoor 400-meter dash (1:00.47), indoor 1,000-meter run (3:05.89) and outdoor 800-meter run (2:17.47) and outdoor 4 x 800-meter relay (9:48.86).
Gilbert wrapped up her four-year career at Alfred by winning the Nicolas F. Clark Ideal Saxon Award, given to a senior who has displayed excellence in the areas of athletics, academics, and service/leadership to the Alfred University community. She was also named the 2023-24 Muriel Strong Morely Award winner, given to a women’s student-athlete who has the top athletic marks of the year.
“Olivia is one of the most well-rounded individuals I have had the pleasure of coaching,” said Alfred head women’s soccer coach Craig Yanni. “She is respectful, reliable, and compassionate. To have a student-athlete with these characteristics in our program is something every coach and teammate can truly appreciate. Over the four years I have known Olivia, I have been truly amazed at how she carries herself and the positive impact she has on everyone she comes across in our campus community.”
A native of Ontario, N.Y., Gilbert recently earned her bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from Alfred, with minors in chemistry and business administration, while carrying a tremendous 3.9 grade-point average. She is a seven-time member of the Empire 8 President's List for maintaining at least a 3.75 grade-point average, while earning Alfred Saxon Scholar Athlete and Dean’s list honors in all eight semesters.
In 2024, Gilbert won the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, which recognizes model students who have integrated academic excellence with other aspects of their lives. She was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honors Society, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society, Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honors Society and Phi Beta Kappa Liberal Arts Honors Society. In addition, Gilbert was named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team selection in both soccer and track and field.
“Olivia’s accomplishments in the classroom and co-op experiences in addition to being in season throughout the entire academic year as a standout soccer player and league champion track and field athlete are remarkable,” said Joe Venniro, Empire 8 Senior Associate Commissioner. “She is a true leader, ideal student-athlete and has an incredibly bright future in the engineering field.”
Gilbert was awarded Alfred University’s prestigious Advancement of Women in Engineering Award in 2023, which is presented to a female who has shown promise in her field, high scholastic achievements and be active within engineering. In 2022, Gilbert won the McMahon Achievement award for excellence during a Co-op experience.
Outside of the field and classroom, Gilbert excelled in community engagement, volunteering at the YMCA of Hornell, organizing team members to prepare YMCA gardens for winter and re-opening in the spring. She also volunteered at Alfred-Almond Central School, mentored various Alfred-Almond varsity track and field student-athletes, and organized canned food drives at various athletic events to donate to local pantries. She also served as a co-op engineer on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) project, which included work in Alfred and Knoxville, Tenn. developing a vacuum microwave sintering process for a lunar landing pad.
“Olivia is the epitome of a scholar student-athlete with an engineering degree and two minors while being a leader in multiple sports – soccer, indoor, and outdoor track and field,” said Theresa Gunn, Alfred University Faculty Athletic Representative, MBA Director, and Associate Dean in the College of Business. “She excels in her classes, portrays leadership in team projects and teammates, and a wonderful mentor to all who know her.”
2023-24 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalists
Olivia Gilbert, Alfred University – Soccer/Track and Field
Madison Morton, Elmira College – Ice Hockey
Dayna Edholm, Keuka College – Volleyball
Julie Ruzzi, Hartwick College – Field Hockey
Kayla Camacho, Houghton University – Basketball
Lea Richard, Nazareth University – Track and Field
Kennedy Jones, Russell Sage College - Soccer
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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