Each year, The Sun’s sports department honors 25 outstanding graduating senior athletes. In their time wearing the carnelian and white, these athletes have captained teams, won Ivy League championships and competed in national tournaments.
Top Male Senior Athlete: Matt Morgan
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Prolific scorer Matt Morgan is The Sun’s top senior male athlete.
Top Female Senior Athlete: Marlène Boissannault
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
After backstopping Cornell to the Frozen Four, Marlène Boissannault is The Sun’s top female senior athlete.
Read more about Boissannault here. Read more about Morgan here.
Top Senior Athletes (listed alphabetically):
Briar Blumley
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Briar Blumley (Track and Field/Cross Country)
Briar Brumley is third all-time in the steeplechase and ninth all-time in indoor DMR for Cornell. The distance runner was on both the cross country and track & field teams at Cornell, setting personal bests throughout her time on East Hill. (Christina Bulkeley)
(Jack) Tianyi Cen
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(Jack) Tianyi Cen (Golf)
Despite a team finish of seventh place at the Ivy League Championship, (Jack) Tianyi Cen turned in a solid card, as he was counted on to do all year. Cen shot six over par and finished in sixth place, just four strokes back from the lead. For the second year in a row, Cen earned All-Ivy second team honors. (Miles Henshaw)
Samantha Clement
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Samantha Clement (Basketball)
Samantha Clement was Cornell women’s basketball’s breakout player her junior year, with the season highlighted by a 23-point game at Penn. The guard started her first game for Cornell as a junior and never looked back, staying one of the Red’s most elite players for the remainder of her tenure. (Christina Bulkeley)
Henry Ellis
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Henry Ellis (Rowing)
Ithaca native Henry Ellis helped No. 1 lightweight crew to a perfect season this year, sweeping the Platt, Geiger and Baggaley Cups. As a sophomore, Ellis rowed with the varsity eight crew that took home an IRA National Championship and was named EARC Lightweight Crew of the Year. (Miles Henshaw)
Kaitlin Green
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Kaitlin Green (Gymnastics)
A two-time USAG Collegiate Nationals champion on beam, Kaitlin Green anchored a strong senior class for Cornell gymnastics. This year, Green matched her own school record with a 9.900 on beam during the event finals and earned All-America honors. Then only a freshman, Green became the fifth Cornellian to qualify for NCAA regionals in 2016, where she finished 23rd overall on beam. (Raphy Gendler)
Ben Honis
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Ben Honis (Wrestling)
A career of flux and uncertainty for Ben Honis culminated in All-American status his final go-around at the NCAA Championships. A two-time NCAA qualifier with sights now set on national and international competition, Honis prepared to enter his senior year at heavyweight before being asked to cut back down to 197. After doing so, he went 23-7 on the year, took second at EIWAs and bounced back from a first-round loss at NCAAs to win four straight matches and All-American status on the podium as eight. In his career, Honis went 71-36. (Zachary Silver)
Helen Hsu
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Helen Hsu (Swimming)
Helen Hsu earned her team’s most valuable swimmer award after both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. As a senior, Hsu set school records for the 100- and 200-meter backstroke as part of the 400 medley relay. As a junior, she made the A finals of the 100 back at the Ivy League championship with the second-fastest time in school history. (Raphy Gendler)
Mariko Iinuma
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Mariko Iinuma (Tennis)
As the only upperclassman on a small women’s tennis roster, Mariko Iinuma had her work cut out for her. The California native played No. 2 singles and doubles for Cornell as a junior and senior. Iinuma, affectionately called “Koko” by her teammates, guided the Red through a tough season, leaving Cornell women’s tennis in a good spot looking to the future. (Miles Henshaw)
Meghan Kennedy
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Meghan Kennedy (Soccer)
Named the Cornell women’s soccer team’s most valuable player in her junior and senior seasons, captain Meghan Kennedy held the starting role for the Red for three seasons. Kennedy earned All-Ivy League honorable mention in both 2016 and 2018. She led the Ancient Eight in saves in both her junior and senior seasons. Kennedy ranked sixth nationally with 7.83 saves per game in the fall of 2018. (Raphy Gendler)
Tomasina Leska
Courtesy of Cornell Athletics
Tomasina Leska (Lacrosse)
One of Cornell women’s lacrosse’s most dangerous offensive weapons, Tomasina Leska scored 26 goals in the 2019 season, helping lead her team to the Ivy League Tournament. Leska scored six goals in her team’s March 27 blowout of Binghamton. Leska’s 33 points in 2019 after a 32-point junior season gave her 100 total career points. (Raphy Gendler)
Alec McCrea
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Alec McCrea (Hockey)
A defenseman from southern California, Alec McCrea came from an unconventional hockey background, growing up not all too far from the desert. A mainstay on the team’s top defensive pairings, McCrea played in all of Cornell’s games except for one in his four years in Carnelian and White. The 2017-18 ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman, McCrea capped off one of the most memorable games in Cornell’s recent history when he scored a last-second, game-winning goal over the Red’s archrival Harvard at Lynah Rink in November 2017. McCrea compiled 49 points over his career and finished off with an overall rating of plus-41. (Dylan McDevitt)
Andy Muran
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Andy Muran (Squash)
Andy Muran played at the top spot on Cornell squash from his junior season, his first year as captain and the season in which he was named the team’s most valuable player. Muran was a consistent and strong presence in the ladder throughout his time with the Red, spending most of his time in the top half of the order. (Christina Bulkeley)
Matt Nuttle
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Matt Nuttle (Hockey)
Matt Nuttle played just two games as a freshman, but by the time he graduated from East Hill he’ll have on his resume a year as alternate captain and the ECAC’s Best Defensive Defenseman award. The meteoric rise of Nuttle fell directly in line with that of Cornell men’s hockey, which made the NCAA Tournament each year from his sophomore year on. A plus/minus wizard, Nuttle ends his college career at plus-26 after leading the Red in that category each of the past two campaigns. (Zachary Silver)
Connor Ostrander
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Connor Ostrander (Sprint Football)
As a quarterback for Cornell sprint football, Connor Ostrander improved steadily over his years with the Red, earning playing time even in his underclassmen seasons. He was named a CSFL Offensive Player of the Week as a junior and accounted for 36 of the team’s points that season. (Christina Bulkeley)
Diana Otis
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Diana Otis (Sailing)
Diana Otis capped off her career with Cornell sailing by helping the Red’s B-division earn a spot in the Coed National Semifinals. Otis earned a spot on the All-MAISA crew for the second straight year. (Raphy Gendler)
Clarke Petterson
Courtesy of Cornell Athletics
Clarke Petterson (Lacrosse)
A two-time captain, Clarke Petterson’s 172 career points are good for seventh-most by a Cornellian all-time, and his 112 goals rank ninth in school history. Petterson spent much of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons alongside his old Canadian prep school teammate, junior Jeff Teat, and the two combined forces to turn Cornell’s offense into an elite weapon that wreaked havoc on opposing defenses for years. Petterson earned All-Ivy honors twice in his career, making the honorable mention list in 2017 and the second team in 2019. (Dylan McDevitt)
Sarah Phillips
Courtesy of Cornell Athletics
Sarah Phillips (Lacrosse)
2019 was a return to form for two-year captain Sarah Phillips, as she netted 33 goals, nearly matching her sophomore-year high of 35. At the end of her four years, Phillips finds herself in the top 20 in Cornell history in goals (82), points (115) and assists (33). Phillips excelled in big games this season, scoring 12 goals against Ivy League foes including four against Harvard and three against Penn. (Miles Henshaw)
Reis Seggebruch
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Reis Seggebruch (Football)
Football captain Reis Seggebruch capped off an impressive career with the Red in 2018 by earning All-Ivy honorable mention after finishing the year top-10 in the Ivy League in tackles with 62. The captain led a linebacking core that was tasked with stopping capable Ivy League rushing attacks. Seggebruch notched over 60 tackles in each of his three seasons for the Red, including 52 solo tackles in his breakout sophomore campaign, good enough for 24th in the nation. The Texan’s 198 career tackles place him ninth in Cornell history. (Miles Henshaw)
Lenka Serdar
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Lenka Serdar (Hockey)
After earning honorable mention All-Ivy accolades as a junior, Lenka Serdar took a step forward as one of Cornell women’s hockey’s best offensive weapons during the 2018-19 season, helping the team to its first Frozen Four since 2010. Serdar appeared in 36 games and scored 12 goals, which included a stretch in January in which she tallied five goals in four games. (Raphy Gendler)
Carla Sganderella
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Carla Sganderella (Volleyball)
Upon coming to Cornell, Carla Sganderlla made an immediate impact as a freshman, playing in every match and starting 17. In 2016, she earned honorable mention All-Ivy honors. Despite suffering a season-ending injury two matches into her junior campaign, Sganderlla’s contributions to Cornell volleyball were numerous and she managed to break into the top 25 all time for multiple Cornell volleyball statistical records. (Christina Bulkeley)
Will Simoneit
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Will Somoneit (Baseball)
While his six-foot-four frame might make him stand out on the diamond, it was Will Simoneit’s versatility that defined his time playing baseball at Cornell. After being selected second-team All-Ivy as a sophomore at catcher, he played third base the next year and earned himself the same honors. Simoneit posted a .302 career batting average, and flashed his power as a senior with 10 doubles and five home runs. Simoneit said goodbye to Cornell in fashion, hitting a walk-off home run in his final at-bat at Hoy Field. (Miles Henshaw)
Mitch Vanderlaan
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Mitch Vanderlaan (Hockey)
In his second consecutive year wearing a C on his sweater, forward Mitch Vanderlaan captained men’s hockey to the ECAC Championship game and to the NCAA Quarterfinals. It was also his second straight year winning honorable mention All-Ivy; as a sophomore, he was named to the All-Ivy second team. (Christina Bulkeley)
David Volfson
Courtesy of Cornell Athletics
David Volfson (Tennis)
One of the most decorated tennis players in recent Cornell history, David Volfson won the northeast regional singles final in fall 2018. He earned a spot on the All-Ivy first team for singles in both 2016 and 2018. Volfson was an All-Ivy first team selection for doubles in 2016, when he was also named the conference’s rookie of the year. Volfson played the bulk of his matches from the No. 1 singles position. (Raphy Gendler)