Utica, N.Y. – LaMarqus Merchant, Trinity Critelli, Ryan Pelton, Andrew Baaki, and Annabella Mondello were among the standout student-athletes honored at the end-of-year Athletics Awards Banquet held on Wednesday, May 4, 2025.
The evening's highest honors—the Wildcat of the Year awards, presented to the best overall male and female athletes—were awarded to LaMarqus Merchant (men's basketball) and Trinity Critelli (softball).
LaMarqus was a true jack-of-all-trades on the basketball court this season, averaging nearly 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. His versatility and leadership helped guide the Wildcats to their first-ever appearance in the Empire 8 Championship game. Along the way, he earned Empire 8 Player of the Week honors twice and was named to the Empire 8 All-Conference First Team.
Critelli was a dominant force in the circle and a key leader for Wildcat softball. Trinity capped her regular season with a 10–8 record and an impressive 171 strikeouts across more than 131 innings pitched. She finished the season with a 2.88 ERA and also contributed at the plate, hitting over .210 with five RBIs and a couple of stolen bases. Already the all-time strikeout leader in SUNY Poly history, Trinity's legacy continues to grow game by game.
Ryan Pelton took home Performance of the Year for his history-making performance against the SUNY Canton Kangaroos. On March 18, Pelton delivered a performance for the history books, breaking the all-time home run record at SUNY Poly with the 11th homer of his career. In that same game, he also became the first Wildcat in program history to hit for the cycle. His historic showing powered the Wildcats to a dominant 19–9 win and gave the team a major boost heading into Empire 8 conference play.
Andrew Baaki (men's volleyball) was named Male Rookie of the Year. In 108 sets played, Andrew wrapped up a stellar rookie season with 157 kills and 72 blocks. He posted a .345 hitting percentage in conference play—ranking 2nd in the NEVC—and averaged 0.63 blocks per set, good for 5th in the league. Capping off an impressive debut season, Andrew earned a spot on the NEVC All-Conference Second Team.
Female Rookie of the Year honors went to Annabella Mondello (softball), whose immediate impact made her a key contributor from the start. In her first season with the Wildcats, Annabella has been sharp both at the plate and in the pitching circle. In 14 pitching appearances, she compiled 74 strikeouts in 64 innings while holding opposing batters to under a .250 average. Offensively, Annabella wreaked havoc on pitchers, batting .357 with an OPS of nearly .900 and driving in 17 runs.
Scholar-Athletes of the Year Honored for Academic Excellence
This year's Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year was awarded to Ryan Carroll (men's lacrosse), a Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.95 GPA. On the women's side, Grace Southwick (women's volleyball), a Mechanical Engineering major, and Taylor Hunter (softball), a Computer Science major, were both named Women's Scholar-Athletes of the Year for earning 4.0 GPAs.
Blue & Gold and Most Outstanding Award Winners
Men's Basketball
Blue & Gold: Jarrett Wilbur
Most Outstanding: LaMarqus Merchant Jr.
Women's Basketball
Blue & Gold: Kelsey Meca
Most Outstanding: Alysa Jackson
Baseball
Blue & Gold: Derek Baur
Most Outstanding: Quinn Hill
Softball
Blue & Gold: Ava Faragon
Most Outstanding: Trinity Critelli
Men's Cross Country
Blue & Gold: Thomas Houghtaling
Most Outstanding: Noah Breedy
Women's Cross Country
Most Outstanding: Rosalea Claeys
Men's Lacrosse
Blue & Gold: Griffin LaFleur
Most Outstanding: Payton Thomas
Women's Lacrosse
Blue & Gold: Callie Johnson
Most Outstanding: Jayden Brown
Men's Soccer
Blue & Gold: Ryan Primus
Most Outstanding: Thomas Nimineh
Women's Soccer
Blue & Gold: Amanda Sweet
Most Outstanding: Hannah Shipley
Men's Volleyball
Blue & Gold: Brendan Palmer
Most Outstanding: Joshua Slater
Women's Volleyball
Blue & Gold: Brooke Durfee
Most Outstanding: Grace Southwick
Mixed Golf
Blue & Gold: Blake Pugh
Most Outstanding: Ryan Waring
