Four Win Kidera Awards
Carissa Risucci ’13, Tyshun Stephens ’13, Amanda Sudore ’13, and EJ Wells-Spicer ’13 were the recipients of the 2013 Robert A. Kidera Scholar-Athlete Award, which recognizes athletic and academic excellence.
A native of Deerfield, N.Y. and a graduate of Whitesboro High School, Risucci was a four-year standout for the Golden Flyers’ swimming and diving team and carried a 3.93 grade-point average as a communication and media major. She also was recognized as the Empire 8 Scholar-Athlete award winner. In the swimming pool, Risucci earned nine All-American certificates and holds four school records. She placed second in the 200-yard breaststroke at the NCAA Division III Championship meet in March.
Stephens, of Newark, N.Y. and a graduate of Newark High School, was a four-year basketball standout for the Golden Flyers who amassed 1,423 career points, good for sixth place on Nazareth’s all-time scoring list. He was a first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star in 2013 and a second-team all-region selection from d3hoops.com. Stephens has a 3.01 grade-point average as a business administration major.
Sudore, of Ontario, N.Y. and a graduate of Wayne Central, was a four-year standout as a soccer player for the Golden Flyers, who won the co-championship of the Empire 8 Conference in 2012. She is a three-time first-team all-conference selection and was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. She also earned first-team All-American honors both athletically and academically in 2011 and has a 3.68 grade-point average as a communication sciences and disorders major.
Wells-Spicer, of Phelps, N.Y. and a graduate of Midlakes High School, was a four-year men’s volleyball standout for the Golden Flyers, who placed second in the NCAA Division III tournament. Wells-Spicer earned an array of honors in 2013, including Division III Player of the Year recognition. He completed his career as Nazareth’s all-time assist leader with 4,762. Wells-Spicer has a 3.10 grade-point average as a history major.
To be eligible for the Kidera Award, student-athletes must hold a grade-point average of 3.0 or better while exhibiting positive character and leadership skills in campus activities. The award was established in honor of the late Robert A. Kidera, a charter member of the Nazareth Sports Hall of Fame and the College’s president from 1976 to 1984.
Other award winners were Brian Wright ’13 and Kate Wyant ’13 (Emily Haskins Inspirational Athlete Award) and Connor Ecklund ’13, Amy Johnson ’13, and Kassandra Prutsman ’13 (Bill Carey Sportsmanship Award).
Carissa Risucci '13