Pictured left to right: Kolleen Brown, Greg Carroll (Morrisville State Athletic Director), and Chris Azzano
By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – May 2014) The Morrisville State College athletic department has selected its 2013-14 student-athletes of the year, naming seniors Kolleen Brown (Willet, N.Y.) and Christopher Azzano (Oshawa, Ontario) as the recipients of the prestigious Mustang Athletics award.
Student-athletes are nominated and selected by athletic department staff based on their accomplishments in three key areas: academics, athletics and service to the community.
“Selection of our most outstanding student-athletes each year is always a difficult but certainly satisfying process,” said Athletic Director Greg Carroll. “Many of our student-athletes have distinguished themselves beyond our expectations as administrators at Morrisville State, not just in their commitment on the athletic playing fields, but in the classroom and community as well. Both recipients of this year’s award are well deserving and should be applauded for their leadership roles throughout their career not just in their sports, but also in their dedication to their academic and service successes.”
Brown has excelled both on and off the playing fields throughout her career as a two-sport student-athlete for the Mustangs in soccer and lacrosse. Her efforts on the soccer field this past year landed her the captain title and she concluded her career with North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) third team all-conference accolades.
Off the field, Brown excels academically, boasting over a 3.00 cumulative grade point average, and is a four-time Dean’s List honoree at Morrisville State. Her academic prowess has also earned her NEAC Scholar-Athlete accolades.
Aside from her dedication to academics and athletics, Brown is very active in the community and over the course of her career, has been involved in several service projects that have benefited not-for-profit and charitable organizations such as Special Olympics, One Love Foundation, Vera House, Friends of Jaclyn, Galisano Children’s Hospital, and Kickin’ It For Corbin.
For three years she has served as a student representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), fulfilling the president’s role for the last two years. She also serves as a student-athlete representative on the Morrisville State Intercollegiate Athletic Board, playing a large role in several initiatives throughout her two years of service.
Brown has also been actively involved at the conference level as a student representative on the NEAC Strategic Planning Committee and President’s Cup Award Committee.
“Kolleen has been deeply involved with the athletic department from the time she joined our program,” said Carroll. “She was always the first to volunteer and assume a leadership role whenever she could. I have had the pleasure of working with Kolleen for the past two years as a member of the NEAC strategic planning committee and her insights to that group from a student perspective have proven invaluable, and she has clearly left her mark on not just the athletics program at Morrisville State College but within the conference as well.”
The senior earned her associate’s degree in sports, nutrition and fitness management in December 2012, and is slated to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in human performance and health promotion this May. She is a graduate of Cincinnatus High and is the daughter of Renae and Kurt Brown of Willet, New York.
Azzano is the recipient of the male student-athlete of the year award following his outstanding service and dedication to Mustang athletics. The senior is also a two-sport student-athlete in men’s ice hockey and golf.
His efforts on the ice for the past two seasons have garnered him the role of captain, and rightfully so as he has been committed to the success of the program not just on the ice, but off as well, throughout his career.
This past season, Azzano moved up the goaltender record books in all-time stats, ranking second all-time with 1,183 saves in his career.
Off the ice, he is just as dedicated to excellence in the classroom, earning Dean’s List and President’s List honors five times to date at Morrisville State behind his astounding 3.71 cumulative GPA. His success in the classroom has also earned him State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) All-Academic Team and Commissioner’s List accolades for academic excellence.
Off the field, Azzano has been actively involved in several service initiatives that have benefited not just charitable organizations but local community programs as well. He has been involved with charitable fundraisers for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Autism Speaks and Kelberman Centers, American Cancer Society with prostate cancer awareness, Special Olympics, and Sitrin Home Stars and Stripes. Within the community, Azzano has been an active leader in continuing relationships with Morrisville-Eaton Elementary School reading programs, Morrisville State’s Into the Streets community service activities and Skate with the Mustangs events.
During his time with the Mustangs, Azzano has also provided leadership to the SAAC organization as a student representative for ice hockey, and has volunteered for various roles with athletic department committees, including a student representative for the hockey search committee and integration institute student representative over the past year.
“Over the course of his career, Chris has led by example having a positive attitude through some significant injuries and staying true to his commitment to his team, as well as academic degree,” said Carroll. “He has always been an enthusiastic participant with all that he has done as a Mustang, and we are truly blessed to have had him as a member of our college community. Chris has earned tremendous respect for all of his efforts, not just at Morrisville State, but from our opponents as well.”
Azzano will earn his degree in business administration in May. He is the son of Linda and Dino Azzano of Oshawa, Ontario.