LOUDONVILLE, NY – From minimizing her splashes into the pool with succinct dives to maximizing her positive difference in the community to achieving high grades in the classroom, the recently graduated
Talia Spenziero has been donned the honor of being named one of the 2024 Capital District Sports Women of the Year (CDSWOY), the organization announced on Monday.
It marks back-to-back years in which a student-athlete from Siena has been bestowed the honor of being recognized by the CDSWOY. An awards gala is scheduled for Monday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available online at
rb.gy/z8vujc or at the Proctors Box Office in July.
"Talia is by far the most adaptable athlete that I have trained both in and out of the pool during my coaching career so far," said Siena Diving coach
Raislan Aiken. "This adaptability does not just apply to the boards however, but also in her studies and social life! Academically she was outstanding. Socially, she was always such an outgoing person and was very kind to everyone she met and spoke with. Athletically, she always put everything she had into every practice and meet and built a phenomenal career because of that! I wish her the absolute best in the next chapter of her life!"
The Clifton Park, NY native graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Health Studies Health Science last month. The Outstanding Academic Athlete Award winner was also the recipient of the distinguished Alpha Kappa Alpha membership award, which is the highest award granted to a Siena Honor Society member.
In the pool, Spenziero was a five-time All-MAAC diver during her time at Siena. Finishing second in the one-meter diving and fourth in the three-meter at the 2024 MAAC Swimming and Diving Championships, she was a six-time MAAC Diver of the Week.
In 2023, she was the MAAC One-Meter Diving Champion and MAAC Co-Diver of the Meet and a two-time NCAA Diving Zone Regional Qualifier in 2022 and 2023 and a one-time meet participant.
Academically, she was just as worthy of a candidate as she was named a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection. Additionally, she was a MAAC All-Academic Team and MAAC Academic Honor Roll member throughout her collegiate years.
As an active member in community service, Talia traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico as a Global Medical Volunteer for a month during the summer of 2022 and visited local clinics for 25 hours per week to learn about the disparities in our healthcare systems and the struggles of those from lower income classes. As a lover of animals, Spenziero volunteered her time at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society to walk dogs. Additionally, she spent her time at Albany Medical Center in the Children's Hospital giving kids bedside activities to do. Talia also gave her time to coaching swim clinics that the Siena swimming team does and was also a member of the Red Cross Club at Siena to perform service events such as working blood drives, managing fundraising for 5K runs and food drives.
Created in 2019 and currently honoring its fifth class, the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization (CDSWOY) honors the best and brightest female student athletes from high schools and colleges in the Capital District of New York State. The student-athletes are recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics, and community service.
A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 12 event. More information is provided at the website:
cdswoy.com
