LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Athletics welcomed its more than 350 athletes to its annual end-of-year celebration as part of the second annual "Bernie's" awards show, which took place inside the UHY Center on campus on Tuesday, April 30.

 The Bernie Awards were once again spearheaded and produced by Siena's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), with Siena SAAC members Jack Cavaioli (Men's Lacrosse), Maddie Finn (Women's Soccer), and McKenzie Swinson (Softball) serving as the co-hosts of the evening.

Accomplishments both on the field and in the classroom were celebrated, including honoring the top athletic and academic performances of teams and individuals and recognizing the department's 85 graduating members who completed either undergraduate or graduate studies. The event featured an invocation from Fr. Roberto "Tito" Serrano, hors d'oeuvres, and a 2023-24 Year in Review video prior to the awards ceremony.

The College's Faculty Athletics Representative, Dr. Michael Jarcho, commenced the awards portion of the evening by presenting the Siena Athletics Academic Excellence Awards. Jarcho presented individual awards to the three true seniors who possessed the highest cumulative senior student athlete GPA's in their respective schools. Men's Soccer's Henrik Winkelmann earned the honor for the highest cumulative GPA in the School of Business with a 3.98, Women's Soccer's Rebecca Rolland received acclaim with a 3.98 GPA in the School of Science, and both Women's Soccer's Melia Ortiz and Women's Tennis' Alexa Wilson earned the honor for the School of Liberal Arts with a 3.98 cumulative GPA.

Siena Associate AD for External Relations Lori Anctil next presented awards for the Male and Female Rookies of the Year.

The 2023-24 Siena College Male Co-Rookies of the Year is Men's Tennis' Oscar Martinez. The program's second straight MAAC Rookie of the Year, Martinez went 18-7 overall and 5-1 in the MAAC in singles play, predominantly from the No. 1 & No. 2 spots. A second-team All-MAAC selection for singles #1 and doubles #2 play, he was a three-time MAAC player of the week.

The five finalists for the 2023-24 Siena College Male Rookie of the Year Award were Tyler Figueroa from baseball, Bennet Glinder from men's soccer, Martinez, Michael McConie from men's golf, and Caden Olmstead from Men's Lacrosse.

The 2023-24 Siena College Female Rookie of the Year is Water Polo's Catherine Williamson. The program's first MAAC Rookie of the Year since 2005, Williamson led the saints with 68 goals and 13 assists for 81 points in 2024 with 13 hat tricks. a three-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Week and four-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, she earned Second-Team All-MAAC honors while helping the saints to their most wins in a season since 2019.

The five finalists for the 2023-24 Siena College Female Rookie of the Year were Abby Daly from women's soccer, Hope Ivanovich from swimming & diving, Olivia Nicholson from women's lacrosse, Megan Stowell from women's soccer, and Williamson.

Siena Strength & Conditioning coaches Julianne Corcoran and Dylan Brickner were next up to present the Iron Saint awards. They presented two student athletes from their respective teams as the Iron Saint Team Award winners, and then crowned the 2023-24 Iron Saint Individual Award winners for their hard work and leadership in the weight room. This year's honorees were Baseball's Randall Hien, Women's Lacrosse's Grace Kush, Softball's Diana Parker, and Men's Lacrosse's Andrew Arcuri.  

The all-coveted Iron Saint awards were followed by the Outstanding Teammate award, with Men's Lacrosse's Will Edell presenting the award to his teammate and cousin, Matt Edell.

Next up were the Comeback Player of the Year Awards, presented by Siena Assistant Athletic trainers Kim Twait, Caitlin Moeller, and Trevor DiMauro to a male and female athlete who persevered through major injuries to have successful seasons. Women's Basketball's Ahynisha Jackson received the Female Comeback Award, while Men's Lacrosse's Dylan Pape and Colin Gleason were co-winners for the men's award, and Cross Country & Track's Jennifer McClintock received a Career Comeback award.  

Next came the Saints Supporting Saints award, which was presented by Men's Golf senior Alex Kelley to Women's Lacrosse's Sabrina Krasner.

Siena College President Dr. Charles "Chuck" Seifert next made his way to the stage for the awarding of the S.A.IN.T.S. Cup award, which honors the team who has made the largest impact on the local community over the last year in its community service efforts. The 2023-24 S.A.IN.T.S. Cup award was presented to Siena Baseball, who performed several community service opportunities in the local community under the leadership of first-year head coach Alex Jurczynski.  

The Staff MVP award honored a member of the Siena College Athletic Staff who went above and beyond with their work ethic and attitude during the 2023-24 school year. This year's Siena Athletics Staff MVP Award was presented to Digital Media Manager George Fellows.  

The 2023-24 Siena Athletics Moment of the Year was presented by Associate Athletic Director for Operations Andrew Santandera. As voted on by the Siena Athletics student body, the moment of the year went to Siena Men's Lacrosse's comeback victory of four goals in 44 seconds to defeat Manhattan at Hickey Field on April 13.

Siena Vice President / Director of Athletics John D'Argenio then presented the awards for the Siena College Male and Female Student Athletes of the Year.

The 2023-24 Siena College Male Student Athlete of the Year is Men's Lacrosse's Pratt Reynolds. The team leader and tied for the MAAC lead in goals with 42, Reynolds is second in the league with 2.8 goals per-game and leads the conference in shots per-game. with a team-high ten hat tricks to his name, he has recorded multiple goals in all but two games this season while helping the saints to their second straight MAAC semifinal appearance. he tied a career high with five goals in the saints' win against Wagner, and became the program's 31st member of the 100-point club this season.

The five finalists for the 2023-24 Siena College Male Student Athlete of the Year Award were Jackson Cayward from cross country & track, Nolan Crowley from men's golf, Matthew Laframboise from cross country & track, Reynolds, and Henrik Winkelmann from men's soccer.

The 2023-24 Siena College Female Student Athlete of the Year is Women's Lacrosse's Grace Dobrzynski. A First Team All-MAAC selection, Dobrzynski leads the nation with 59 assists and set both the program and MAAC single-season records this season. She also ranks fourth nationally with 3.28 assists per-game and led both the team and conference with 83 points during the regular season. A two-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Week this season, she recorded at least one point in every regular season contest and multiple assists in 14 games.

The five finalists for the 2023-24 Siena College Female Student Athlete of the Year Award were Taryn Asselin from women's lacrosse, Dobrzynski, Claire Gardner from cross country & track, Elisa Mevius from women's basketball, and Teresa Seppala from women's basketball.

The evening also included Siena's graduating athletes gathering for a group photo wearing their graduation sashes in front of the picturesque backdrop of the Grotto. D'Argenio then welcomed the seniors back inside the UHY Center for brief closing remarks and a champagne toast, thanking them for their countless contributions during their time in Loudonville.