Cortland senior men's cross country runner Hunter Brignall and junior women's volleyball libero Mikenzie Martens have been honored as both State University of New York (SUNY) and State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Fall Scholar Athletes of the Year in their respective sports for the 2023 season. Brignall is a physical education major with a 3.74 overall GPA at the conclusion of the fall semester. He earned SUNYAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year honors and placed fourth at the NCAA regionals to earn All-Niagara Region recognition. Martens is a physical education major who completed the fall semester with a 3.99 overall GPA. She earned honorable mention All-America honors, first-team All-Region 3 recognition, and was chosen as the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as to the all-conference first team. Martens finished the season with 502 digs and a .970 serve reception percentage, helping Cortland win its third straight SUNYAC title.

By the Numbers
  • Brignall's GPA: 3.74
  • Martens' GPA: 3.99
  • Martens finished the season with 502 digs and a .970 serve reception percentage
  • SUNY Scholar Athlete Awards recognized outstanding academic and athletic success in 29 different sports and are presented three times a year to coincide with the specific sports contested in the fall, winter, and spring seasons
  • More than 14,000 student-athletes compete at SUNY institutions representing 53 different colleges and universities at the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III/USCAA, and NJCAA levels and are eligible for the awards
State of Play
  • Brignall and Martens have been honored as SUNY and SUNYAC Fall Scholar Athletes of the Year
  • SUNY Scholar Athlete Awards recognized student athletes from SUNY colleges and universities sponsoring intercollegiate athletics at the four-year and two-year levels
  • Scholar Athletes of the Year in each sport will be nominated for an overall Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's sports and women's sports
Bottom Line

Hunter Brignall and Mikenzie Martens have been recognized as top scholar athletes, showcasing exceptional academic and athletic achievements in their respective sports, contributing to Cortland's success and athletic reputation.