Falkenburgh, Longland among SUNY Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients for 2012

On Wednesday, State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher, announced the winners of the 2011-12 Scholar Athlete Award, which recognizes academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement at the Division I, III and NJCAA levels. More than 70 student-athletes from across the SUNY System were honored, including Morrisville State senior student-athletes, Alison Falkenburgh (Bayport, N.Y.) and Tom Longland (Dunnville, Ontario) who were selected as recipients of this distinguished honor for Division III women’s and men’s lacrosse, respectively.



“SUNY students who earn this award have excelled in our classrooms as well as our athletic programs,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “With an average GPA of 3.6 and a number of championship competitions among them, this year’s scholar athlete awardees are a highly commendable group.”



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 State University system and members of the provost’s office.



Falkenburgh has excelled on and off the field as a student-athlete at Morrisville State, appearing on either the President’s List or Dean’s List in each semester while sporting over a 3.4 GPA, earning North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Scholar-Athlete honors in 2011. A member of the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, Falkenburgh has also served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for four years.



Three-time captain for the women’s lacrosse team, on the field Falkenburgh has garnered numerous accolades, receiving All-Conference honors three times in her four-year career at defense and midfield, while posting career totals of 59 games played, 43 goals scored, 39 assists, 82 team points, 112 ground balls and 38 caused turnovers. Recently, Morrisville State captured the 2012 NAC West Division title, in which she played a vital role.



A graduate of Bayport-Blue Point High School, Falkenburgh earned her associate’s degree in floral design in 2010 from Morrisville State and will receive her Bachelor of Technology degree in horticulture business management in May. She is the daughter of Rosemarie and Robert Falkenburgh of Bayport, N.Y.



A two-sport student-athlete for Morrisville State in ice hockey and lacrosse, Longland has also excelled on and off the field as a student-athlete for the Mustangs, appearing on either the President’s List or Dean’s List in each semester while sporting over a 3.7 GPA. His academic accolades include NEAC Scholar-Athlete honors as well as SUNYAC Commissioner List honors twice, earning recognition on the SUNYAC All-Academic Team three times throughout his career.



A member of the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, Longland has also served as president of SAAC and has been highly involved in the Morrisville State campus community service initiative for the past two years. In 2011 he was the NEAC Sportsmanship and Inspirational Award recipient, and most recently received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence.



As captain for both the men’s lacrosse and ice hockey teams, Longland was a four-year starter in each sport. In 59 games at defense for men’s lacrosse, Longland has tallied six goals and six assists for 12 team points, collected 211 ground balls, and caused 108 turnovers, earning All-Conference first team honors in 2011. Appearing in 100 games in his career as a member of the hockey program, Longland has posted 15 goals and 33 assists for 48 team points as a defenseman.



A graduate of Lake Shore Catholic High, Longland earned his associate’s degree in sports, nutrition and fitness management in 2010 from Morrisville State and will receive his Bachelor of Science degree in human performance and health promotion in May. He is the son of Carol and John Longland of Dunnville, Ontario.