In Review: Sports

Twelve seniors who excelled both as athletes and as students were recognized this fall with Lysle (Spike) Garnish Scholar Awards from the Department of Athletics and Recreation.

Presented in memory of Garnish, a former coach and athletic trainer at Rochester from 1930 to 1948, the awards are presented on behalf of the Garnish Scholar Awards Committee, chaired by George VanderZwaag, executive director of athletics. In making the presentations before games this fall, VanderZwaag was joined by Gerald Gamm, a professor of political science and of history and the University’s NCAA faculty athletic representative.

Men’s Basketball: Brian Amabilino Perez, a biological sciences major from Sant Cugat Del Valles, Spain, was a two-time selection to the University Athletic Association’s All-Academic Team.

Football: Caden Cole, a computer science major from Lehi, Utah, earned all–Liberty League honors in his first two years and was a first team all–UAA choice as a first-year student in 2018.

Men’s Soccer: Will Eisold, an optical engineering major from Pipersville, Pennsylvania, excelled as a defender, saving potential goals in three consecutive NCAA playoff games. Rochester reached the Final Four that year, a first in program history.

Men’s Swimming and Diving: Adam Hopson, a biological sciences major from Ithaca, New York, earned All-America honors on the 1-meter board as a junior. He was named a Scholar All-American by the College Swim Coaches Association of America. He also was named a Provost’s Circle Scholar, a University award that recognizes academic and athletic excellence.

Rowing: Eleanor Mancusi-Ungaro, a chemistry and environmental sciences major from Marblehead, Massachusetts, was part of Rochester’s novice-8 boat, which won the Liberty League novice-8 title, and she guided the second varsity 8 and second varsity-4 boats to success at the Berman Cup.

Men’s Track and Field: Kudzai Mbinda, a chemical engineering major from Harare, Zimbabwe, broke the Rochester record for the 60-meter dash indoors in 2020, part of a campaign in which he finished in the top eight a total of seven times.

Women’s Basketball: Julianna Okoniewski, a brain and cognitive sciences major from Selkirk, New York, was named first team all-region in basketball by D3hoops.com as a sophomore and as a junior. She was the UAA Rookie of the Year as a first-year student and first team all–UAA as a sophomore.

Baseball: Joseph Rende, a political science major from Babylon, New York, played with two Liberty League championship teams, both of which advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs. He was a first team all–Liberty League selection in 2021 and a second team all-region honoree. He was named all-region by d3baseball.com as well.

Women’s Soccer: Emma Schechter, a data science major from Belleair, Florida, earned all–UAA and all-region honors in each of her first-year and sophomore seasons. In 2021, she was named as a Provost’s Circle Scholar.

Women’s Soccer: Kailee Sowers, a psychology major from Wheaton, Illinois, played with a team that advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs in her first year and held 12 opponents to a goal or less. She was named as a Provost’s Circle Scholar in 2021.

Field Hockey: Amanda Strenk, a chemical engineering major from Baldwinsville, New York, earned Liberty League Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, first team all–Liberty honors in 2020, and second team all-region honors from the coaches’ association. She was honored for three straight years on the National Academic Squad by the coaches’ association.

Women’s Tennis: Olivia Waysack, an environmental health major from Las Vegas, led Rochester to a 5–0 record against Division III opposition. She took part in an advanced learning program in which students finish their studies with a bachelor’s degree in environmental health or epidemiology and a master’s degree in epidemiology.