FREDONIA, N.Y. – Fredonia State graduate
Nick Guarino is a repeat winner of the SUNYAC Dr. Sam Molnar Award, given each December to the junior or senior male student-athlete with the best combination of academic and athletic ability during the previous academic year.
Guarino, a runner on the Blue Devils cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams, graduated in May 2010 with a 3.44 grade-point average as a Computer Information Systems major with a concentration in systems management. He was named to the SUNYAC All-Academic team four times and the Commissioner's List three times.
Outside the classroom, he was a two-time All-SUNYAC selection in cross country and led Fredonia State to third-place finishes at the 2009 and 2010 championships.
He repeated as the national champion in the indoor mile run in 2010-2011. During the indoor season, he set the conference record in the mile when he won the ECAC championship in 4:04.68. Guarino also set the conference and the meet record in the 800 meters.
Guarino continued his All-American performance during the outdoor season where he became a two-time national champion in 2011. In a span of 90 minutes, he defended his 1,500-meter title and then captured the men's 800 meters. The two wins gave Guarino five national titles -- in five attempts -- over two years. In addition, he etched his name into the SUNYAC record book by setting the conference and meet record for both the 1,500 and 800 meters.
It is the ninth time a Fredonia male athlete has received the Dr. Sam Molnar Award and first time that an individual has ever repeated as a back-to-back recipient. The award is named after the late Dr. Sam Molnar, who was the Director of Athletics at SUNY Potsdam for over 30 years, in addition to coaching a variety of sports.
The membership body also voted Geneseo field hockey player Michelle Milkovich (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) as the Dr. Dolores Bogard Award winner, given annually to the top female student-athlete.
