Union Celebrates Seniors at Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony

SEE: Senior Awards and Block U Photo Gallery
WATCH: Senior Awards Ceremony

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College Department of Athletics held its annual Senior Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony on Friday afternoon at Memorial Chapel, recognizing the achievements of Union’s 114 seniors and other friends and contributors to the department. In addition, 12 year-end awards were announced to Union’s outstanding student-athletes and staff members.

 

Senior Associate Director of Athletics Beth Tiffany opened the afternoon by reflecting on the many achievements that were earned in competition, in the classroom and in the community by Union’s many dedicated student-athletes, followed by President David R. Harris, who addressed the seniors and also presented the Presidential Award for Academic Achievement to head coach Brian Bowman and senior members of the Union women’s tennis team. In addition, senior Eliza Munns of the field hockey team spoke on behalf of her classmates.

 

Seniors and staff members were recognized with some of the department’s year-end awards, while all Union senior student-athletes received their Block U senior gifts at the event as well. Union previously announced their underclass awards at the annual Student Affairs Leadership Celebration on May 23.

A full list of 2022-23 award winners are listed below:

 

Stephen Ritterbush ’68 Award

Presented annually, by select vote, to the student who best exemplifies “mente et corpore” sound mind in sound body — the attributes of scholar-athlete, and board of trustee member Stephen Ritterbush, Class of 1968.  Stephen’s outstanding intellect, forthright character, and incisive leadership distinguished him both on and off the field at Union and beyond.

 

Karson Saunders (Softball)

Saunders had an incredible year on and off the field for the Union softball team, racking up nearly every possible athletic and academic honor. She was named the second NFCA All-America first-team selection in team history this year as well as the CSC Division III Softball Academic All-American of the Year, the first Union player in any sport to receive the national honor. She ranked fourth in Division III with a school- and Liberty League-record .528 batting average and also ranked third in the country with a school-record .600 on-base percentage. In the classroom,…