Holmes Named SUNY Scholar Athlete

Standout sophomore Genesee Community College men's soccer defender Glenn Holmes was announced as a 2017-18 State University of New York Scholar Athlete Award winner on May 16.

Holmes co-captained GCC's men's soccer team to a National Junior College Athletic Association Division-III national championship.

Holmes was recognized for outstanding academic excellence and athletic achievement, and was one of 84 total recipients from nearly 800 statewide teams in the SUNY system that includes teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division-I and Division-III levels, as well as NJCAA teams.

"It is my pleasure to congratulate our Scholar Athlete awardees for their achievement in the classroom, and on the playing field," said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson.

"All of those honored today are committed to excellence in their athletic pursuits, sportsmanship, and personal development. They balance a challenging workload, while demonstrating leadership and service," Johnson added.

Of the 84 SUNY Scholar Athlete Award recipients, Holmes was just one of 29 to come from 385 NJCAA teams, and the only NJCAA male soccer player to be recognized. Of all the athletes from the near 800 SUNY teams eligible, the entire field of athletes was somewhere between 10,000-20,000.

Less than a week earlier at the GCC athletics banquet, Holmes also received the college's top male scholar-athlete award, as well as an award for being the top sports management student. The vice-president of LEADS (Leaders in Education, Athletics and Development of Student Athletes), was also awarded the Coaches Award as a member of the men's soccer team.

The First Team NJCAA All-American, First-Team United Soccer Coaches All-American, and First-Team USC Academic All-American led all NJCAA defenders in points with 32 and goals with 13. In addition, the Genesee sophomore was the catalyst behind the team's amazing run that ended with an 11-game winning streak and a 20-game unbeaten streak in bringing the Cougars its first national championship in soccer.

The sports management major was just one of four overall junior college players who were recognized as first-team selections both on the field and in the classroom by the USC. At the junior college division-three level, he was just one of two to achieve the feat and the lone defensive player in the country recognized by the USC.

In order to be considered for SUNY Scholar Athlete Award, student-athletes were nominated by their school's athletic director. Nominees' academic credentials and athletic achievements were then reviewed by a panel of athletic directors from across the SUNY system and members of the SUNY provost's office.

A complete list of 2018 Scholar Athlete award winners can be found at: http://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/images/news/Scholar-Athlete-Awards-2018.pdf

SUNY offers athletic opportunities at all levels of competition—from intramurals and club sports to nationally-ranked NCAA, NJCAA, NAIA, or USCAA sports teams. Statewide, SUNY has more than 85 NCAA Division I, 290 NCAA Division III, and 385 NJCAA athletic teams, as well as hundreds of non-competitive athletics clubs.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, with 64 college and university campuses located within 30 miles of every home, school, and business in the state. As of fall 2017, more than 430,000 students were enrolled in a degree program at a SUNY campus. In total, SUNY served nearly 1.4 million students in credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs in the 2016-17 academic year. SUNY students and faculty across the state make significant contributions to research and discovery, resulting in $1 billion of externally sponsored activity each year. There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum.