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Albany, N.Y. --- State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. announced that two student-athletes from each division have been selected as the overall men’s and women’s SUNY Scholar Athletes of the Year. SUNY Corning Community College softball player Grace Vondracek (Odessa, NY -- Odessa-Montour) was selected as the NJCAA Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.

The 2023 SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year award is the most recent accolade in a long list for Vondracek. She was named the 2023 NJCAA Division III National Softball Player of the Year, National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Player of the Year, NJCAA Division III Region III Player of the Year, NFCA Golden Shoe Award winner, and the Mid-State Athletic Conference (MSAC) Player of the Year.

Additional honors this year include First-Team NJCAA Division III All-American, NJCAA Region III Division III First Team, MSAC All-Conference, and NJCAA All-National Tournament Team.

Vondracek led the Red Barons in nearly every major statistical category during the 2023 season, including batting average (.609), slugging percentage (.974), on-base percentage (.687), hits (95), runs scored (91), doubles (20), and stolen bases (43).

On the national stage, her numbers were nothing short of prolific as she led the country in hits and runs scored. Vondracek ranked inside the top three in the nation in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and stolen bases, as well as top 10 in RBIs (64), home runs (11), and doubles.

Her efforts helped the Red Barons produce a 38-10 overall record that included MSAC and NJCAA Region III titles, as well as a runner-up finish in the 2023 NJCAA National Tournament.

Vondracek majored in criminal justice and graduated cum laude in 2023 after achieving a 4.0 GPA in the spring.

"This award solidifies Grace as the standard for what a student-athlete should be,” said head softball coach Stacy Johnson. “Grace's work ethic is unmatched on and off the field.  With all of the challenges of being a student-athlete, this is the one Grace should be most proud of. Grace will be taking her talents to Division II Caldwell University in the fall where she is on an academic and athletic scholarship; a true testament to her hard work paying off. I am excited for her opportunity and what lies ahead. She has been the heart and soul of our program for the last few years and she will be greatly missed, but we are grateful for what she meant to the program, the College, and the way she represented us all.  Great things lie ahead for this young woman and I am proud to call her a Red Baron alum."

“Balancing education and athletics is no small feat. With a sheer determination to succeed, each of the student-athletes selected has achieved that balance and shown a commitment to their sport and their studies. I cannot stress enough the weight of the phrase ‘student-athlete,’” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Each individual is a student first, and it is an honor for me and for SUNY to bestow this award to each of the student-athletes”

About the SUNY Scholar Athletes of the Year
These overall winners were selected from student-athletes previously recognized as SUNY Scholar Athletes in 29 different sports from the fall, winter, and spring athletic seasons. These awards recognize outstanding student-athlete performance in the classroom and on the field of play. Individuals were nominated and voted upon by representatives of their respective institutions. Those put forward then had their academic and athletic achievements reviewed by a panel of athletic directors from across the SUNY system.