De La Cruz Honored With Alden C. Chadwick Leadership Award
(Canton, N.Y.)- SUNY Canton held their annual year-end athletic awards picnic on May 9. The day was highlighted by the awarding of the Alden C. Chadwick Leadership Award that went to senior Zeuxi De La Cruz of the men's baseball team. Chadwick was a beloved former dean and athletic director who spent 30 years at SUNY Canton. The award is given in his honor to a senior male student-athlete who has exhibited outstanding leadership qualities and sound character.
This past season De La Cruz (left with athletic director Diane Para), who has played three years on the baseball team, served as a captain and batted .212 with eight RBIs, eight runs and two doubles rotating between third base and the outfield.
The criminal investigations major and Bronx, N.Y. native has been active in other campus activities throughout his tenure at SUNY Canton. He has been president of the SUNY Canton Student Athlete Advisory Committee for the past three semesters;' he has been a student assistant in the athletic department for four years; a resident assistant his senior year; and has been a member of the Hispanic Unity Club, the Brother to Brother Club, and the Criminal Justice Club.
This summer De La Cruz will be attending the Marine Corps officer candidacy school in Quantico, Va. Next year he will be doing an internship with the Yonkers Police Department and then return to Quantico for basic training.
"Zeuxi is a very mature young man who has always been respectful, well-mannered, and appropriate in his behavior," said athletic director Diane Para. "He has never shied away from taking leadership responsibility. Perhaps one of the things that stands out with me the most is that Zeuxi never had a bad attitude about anything. That is something that has stuck with everyone in our department and has been deeply appreciated."
Several other department awards were handed out at the picnic. Junior Julie Vander Wiel (Malone, N.Y.) of the women's basketball team and senior Jacques DeMars (Vermontville, N.Y.) of the baseball team received the first annual Making A Difference Award for their outstanding contributions and attitude towards SUNY Canton’s Champions of Character initiatives.
Several student-athletes were recognized for outstanding achievement in the classroom. Academic Achievement Awards were given to those student-athletes who achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.35 or higher. That list included: Adam Benedict, Byron Danis, and Matt Sanford (cross country); Emily Bush, Teresa Morley, Whitney Perkins, Maribeth Simmons, and Julie Vander Wiel (soccer and basketball); Dustin Deleel and Mark Talamo (ice hockey); Isaac Emrich, Homero Flores, Nick Laboeuf, Justin Martin, Josh Mowery, and Brett Nortz (soccer); Matt Myers (baseball); and Tony Valentin (basketball).
Vander Wiel was recognized for being the outstanding scholar-athlete in women's basketball in the Sunrise Conference. Morley, Sanford, and Danis were recognized for being named Sunrise Conference scholar-athletes and Talamo was recognized for being named an ACHA Division I Academic All-American and an ECHL Academic All-Star.
Each team handed out individual team awards following the ceremony. Click below to view those winners.
2008-09 Men's Cross Country Awards
2008-09 Women's Basketball Awards