LOUDONVILLE, NY – Recipients of the Leo and Jeannine Dufort Student-Athletes of the Month Award were given to tennis and swimming standouts Laia Giralt and Shaylea Triller of the Siena Women's Tennis and Swimming teams for the month of January to begin 2025.
 
Giralt, the senior from Barcelona, Spain, earned a 4.00 term GPA to make the 4.0 Club Recipients List this past fall.

The Data Science major now holds a 3.98 cumulative GPA.

The two-time MAAC All-Academic Team and three-time MAAC Honor Roll selection has steadily moved up the all-time rankings for career singles wins and career individual doubles wins. 
 
The product of Ins Car slide into the Top-10 for singles wins with 40 and added 42 individual doubles victories to move into fourth all-time in the category. 

Earlier this season, Giralt teamed with Manuela Gomez to win the inaugural MAAC Masters Tournament at Quinnipiac with a 7-5 victory against the Sacred Heart duo of Ola Irla-Bartyzel and Aina Garriga Martinez. 

It qualified the Siena duo for a trip to Rome, GA to compete in the ITA Conference Masters Tournament.
 
Triller, a senior from Newburgh, NY, earned her first MAAC Swimming of the Week award this past Wednesday, after helping win two events and two runners up finishes against St. Peter's this past Saturday.
 
The product of Newburgh Free Academy won the 100-meter freestyle in 54.41 and also was a part of the 200-meter free relay team that won in 1:39.49. 

Additionally, Triller came in second place in the 50-meter free (25.15) and also was second in the 200-meter medley relay team in 1:53.41. 
 
Triller also was a member of the 4.0 club recipient list and now holds a 3.42 cumulative GPA in psychology.  
 
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 resides at Shaker Pointe in Latham.