HAWK HIGHLIGHTS
RCC Volleyball Star
Named a SUNY
Scholar-Athlete
S
hannon Thomas truly made her mark
in her first year at RCC. The North
Rockland High School graduate found
success both on the volleyball court and in the
classroom, and as a result Thomas is one of
only 77 recipients statewide of the 2016-17
SUNY Scholar-Athlete Award, recognizing
outstanding academic excellence and athletic
success.
Thomas posted a 3.8 GPA while leading
RCC’s volleyball team to a solid season
last fall. The team reached the finals of the
Mid-Hudson Conference and qualified for
the Region XV tournament. Thomas was
named the conference’s Most Valuable Player
and an All-Region first team selection, and
ranked high in the nation in several statistical
categories. She also earned Academic All-
Region honors.
Thomas will return to RCC in the fall, with
plans to later transfer to a four-year college
and ultimately to attend medical school.
In order to be considered for this award,
student athletes were nominated by their
campus athletic director. Nominees’ academic
credentials and athletic accomplishments were
then reviewed by a panel of athletic directors
from across the SUNY system and members
of the SUNY provost’s office.
SCENE | 10
Doubles Domination Leads RCC Men’s
Tennis Team to Region Title
Second straight crown for Hawks, who earned 5 th place in nationals
T
he power of teamwork led the
Rockland Community College
men’s tennis squad to the Region
XV championship. The Hawks swept all
three doubles flights as they captured the
Region title for the second straight year.
Leading the way for the Hawks was
Felipe Robles, an international student
from Colombia. Robles captured the title
at second singles, and combined with
Juan Huertas, also from Colombia, to
earn the crown at first doubles.
Rockland’s second doubles team of
MacGregor Graham and Akinari Hotta,
an international student from Japan,
also earned top honors. And the Hawks
completed the sweep of the doubles thanks
to twins Daniel and Jovan Rivera, who
captured the title at third doubles.
Another contributor to the championship
was Ulyana Kitcmanuk, a female student
who plays at sixth singles. Unable to
compete in the fall when RCC could not
field a women’s tennis team, the Spring
Valley High School grad has held her
own against the men. Kitcmanuk, who
graduated in May with a 3.8 GPA, earned a
scholarship to St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Michael Escobar, from California, and
Akaki Utalishvili, an international student
from the Republic of Georgia, round out
the team’s lineup.
This is the first time that RCC has
captured back-to-back Region XV men’s
tennis championships since 1975-76. The
feat is even more impressive since the
Hawks did not return a single player from
last year’s title-winning team.
At the NJCAA Division III National
Tournament in Plano, Texas, in May,
Rockland finished the season by placing
fifth in the nation.
The Rockland Hawks pose with the Region XV championship trophy. Front row (l. to r.): Felipe Robles, Juan Huertas,
Michael Escobar. Back row (l. to r.): Jovan Rivera, Akaki Utalishvili, Ulyana Kitcmanuk, Akinari Hotta, Daniel Rivera,
MacGregor Graham.