Valhalla, NY – With the 2022-2023 athletic season wrapped up and heading right into the first days of summer, the Vikings saw many accomplishments throughout their competitive seasons.
 
As always, the Athletic Department would like to congratulate and thank all our Student-Athletes on another fantastic year for SUNY Westchester! The grueling road of college athletics is not an easy adjustment for those transitioning from high school however the dedication to our programs went above and beyond all expectations. We'd also like to take the time to wish all the student-athletes moving on to four-year institutions continuing their educational and playing careers! For those going straight into the workforce, we wish you nothing but success moving on!
 
Our annual top-10 moments spotlight this year's greatest achievements for the Vikings from All-Americans to hosting a playoff game for the first time in program history. This week will spotlight the final top 5 of the 2022-2023 year!
 
Coming in at Number 5 is Women's Basketball Sophomore Adriana McFadden joining the 500 point club and becoming the programs all-time leading scorer!
McFadden would join the elusive club back on February 14^th, 2023 against Essex County College. With 1:39 left in the fourth quarter, Adriana would hit the first of two free throw attempts to eclipse the mark. She would be the first Westchester player to do so in at least 9 years and one of very few in the program's history. Mcfadden was a joy to watch over the 2022-2023 season dominating most of her opponents. We wish her well as she moves onto Queens College to further her educational and playing career!
 
At Number 4 is Women's Bowler Jessica Kasper being named an All-American!
Kasper, who has made a name for herself here at SUNY Westchester Athletics, finished out the NJCAA National Championships in style back on Saturday March 4^th finishing 8^th overall and earning her All-American Status. Her finish in All-Events, with 2260 total pins, marked the highest place for a women's bowler in recent history! On top of that, Jessica would take home the team MVP at this years Athletics Awards Ceremony as well as earning the departments Female Scholar-Athlete of the year for the second year in a row. She has appeared on the President's List twice and the Dean's List once here at SUNY WCC.
 
At Number 3 is the SUNY WCC eSports team winning the SUNY Grand Finals Championship in Valorant!
By far the most successful program to date in the department, the Vikings eSports team have done nothing but win championship after championship since their inception back in 2020. The team would take home the Valorant SUNY Championship back on Saturday March 29^th in Brooklyn at the BrookLAN eSports Arena against Suffolk Community College. This would be the first time in program history that the team would compete in-person against another school. Westchester would defeat the Sharks 3-2 as the contest came down to match point for Suffolk when the Vikings squad came back to win the second series in triple overtime. They would make up another deficit in the 3^rd segment to come home with the victory. This would become the programs second SUNY eSports title and 5^th overall adding three National Titles.
 
At Number 2 is the Women's Cross-Country team winning its first ever Region 15 title!
In October of 2022, the Vikings would best Queensborough Community College in the Region 15 Championship hosted at Sunken Meadow State Park. Westchester ran 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 10^th in the region to take home the title. Head Coach Karim McFarlane would be named Coach of the Year for his efforts. The team would return to action at the NJCAA National Championship meet back on November 5^th at Holyoke Community College.
 
Coming in at the Number 1 top moment of the 2022-2023 year is Emilio Jose Torres winning his second NJCAAe National Championship in FIFA!
Winning a National Championship is a goal ANY Athletic program would love to achieve. Winning a National Championship within the first year of your program's inception is stunning. Winning not only one, but TWO National Championships in the same sport, in this case in the same game, but the same student-athlete, unheard of! Torres captured that back in December 2022 entering the NJCAAe National Championship Tournament as the 9^th seed. Emilio would go on to upset the top seeded player from Coastal Bend College and sweeping the 12^th seeded player from Hudson Valley Community College to put him in contention for the title against the 2^nd seeded Lakeland Community College. Torres would go on to defeat the 2^nd seeded player by the score of 3-1 to take home his second title in as many seasons, his first coming from the Spring 2022 season.
 
With that, the 2022-2023 year concludes. Groundwork has been laid for future Student-Athletes to come and go from our fantastic programs. The bonding, the hard work, the dedication, the laughs, the tears, all have come and gone. Being a Viking is more than just a name across the jersey, it's a commitment and a family!