LOUDONVILLE, NY – Recipients of the Leo and Jeannine Dufort Student Athletes of the Month Award were given to Siena Cross Country standouts Mattingly O'Rourke and Jackson Cayward for the month of October.
 
O'Rourke, a senior from Glenville, NY, is a member of the Dean's List. She holds a cumulative 3.91 GPA and majors in business as a double concentration. 

The product of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake has earned All-MAAC Academic Team or MAAC Honor Roll Team honors in every semester. 
 
One of O'Rourke's strongest showings came at the MAAC Cross Country Championships where she ran a 22:22.6 at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, NY this past Saturday. 
 
Earlier this season on Oct. 17 at the IC4A / ECAC Cross Country Championships, she was the first Saint to cross the finish line in 22:35.6 in the 6K event at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The time was 20 seconds better than her previous 6K time at the Paul Short Run on Oct. 3 in Bethlehem, PA.
 
Cayward, a graduate student from Tolland, CT, was a member of the 4.0 club this past spring semester and holds a cumulative 3.68 GPA as an Economics major. 

The product of Tolland High School has been an All-MAAC Academic Team each year that he has been eligible as well as an All-MAAC Honor Roll member each year. 
 
Cayward's strong season includes an All-MAAC Championship Team performance at the MAAC Cross Country Championships this past Saturday at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, NY with a time of 24:28.9 to finish 11^th overall.

In addition, he's been a two-time MAAC Cross Country Runner of the Week after running a 24:12.9 at the Paul Short Run on Oct. 8 and a first-place finish in the Jasper Invitational on Sept. 13, clocking in at 24:33.2.
 
The Leo and Jeannine Dufort Student Athlete of the Month Award is presented nine times annually (September-May) throughout the academic year. The award recognizes exemplary achievements in both academics and athletics. The late Leo Dufort received a B.S. in marketing and management from Siena in August of 1977. His entire academic career was completed on a part-time basis beginning in the spring of 1961, as a married adult while at the same time raising six children. He passed away suddenly in 1993. His wife Jeannine wanted to do something to immortalize his memory. The original plaque was donated to athletics and the school began the Leo Dufort Student Athlete of the Month Award to help carry out his legacy. Dufort graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1954 which is where he met his high school sweetheart, Jeannine Snyder.  Among his many accomplishments, Leo was extremely active in youth sports throughout his life and was a Navy Veteran stationed on the USS Bennington. The name of the award was updated in December 2024 to also honor Leo's wife, Jeannine Dufort, and her many years of dedicated and loving service to Siena College. It was often said that Jeannine was one the most knowledgeable people on campus during her years of service. Jeannine served as the secretary to presidents Rev. Hugh Hines, Rev. William McConville, and Rev. Kevin Mackin. Her love for the students was endless. A short time after Jeannine retired, she was awarded the title of Honorary Franciscan (complete with her Franciscan robe). Jeannine passed away in June 2025.