UTICA, NY - The Utica College Department of Athletics is pleased to announce its 2021 Senior Student-Athlete Award winners. This year, eight student athletes are being recognized for their dedication to UC athletics and their success on and off the field. The awards are selected by a broad-based departmental committee through an intensive process.
 
Men's ice hockey standout Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) and women's soccer mainstay Kierra Caissey (Gardner, MA/Gardner) are this year's recipients of the Jim "Doc" Spartano Outstanding Senior Athlete awards. The recipients of the Richard "Dick" Miller Most Inspirational Player award are offensive lineman Michael Carr-Johnson (Buffalo, NY/Hutch Tech) of the UC football team, baseball pitcher Griffin Baur (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), women's lacrosse player Stephanie Husnay (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), and softball infielder Sara Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place). The 2021 Greg Roberts Senior Athlete Award winners are men's basketball player Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford), and women's lacrosse player Lauren Wolff (Peabody, MA/Peabody).
 
The Jim Spartano award, which is voted on by a panel of coaches and administrators, honors athletes who have fulfilled the educational goals of the Utica College Athletic Department to the highest degree. The educational goals include: teamwork, leadership, loyalty, perseverance and sportsmanship.  The award is named after Jim "Doc" Spartano, who retired in December 2011 after a 38-year career as a coach and Athletic Director at UC. He truly embodied the mission of the department by ensuring that a positive student experience remained paramount at all times, and his ability to connect with students, faculty and staff has undoubtedly left an impression on the College that will live on for years to come.
 
The Dick Miller Award, which has recognized 78 UC student-athletes since 1987, honors dedication to physical fitness, athletic competition and a commitment to excellence.  It is awarded annually to deserving male and female senior student-athletes who have exhibited excellence, determination, hard work and outstanding athletic achievement over the course of their time spent at Utica College.  The history of the Dick Miller Award, which is voted on by a panel of coaches and administrators, can be found in the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center trophy case.
 
The Greg Roberts Senior Athlete Award is given out annually to a male and female student-athlete that best exemplifies what Greg Roberts stood for: hard work, unselfishness, loyalty, and passion for Utica College athletics.
 
Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) - Men's Ice Hockey - Jim "Doc" Spartano Outstanding Senior Athlete Award
Landrigan leaves the UC men's ice hockey program as arguably its most decorated player. He was a cornerstone of teams that won four regular season championships, two conference tournament championships, and qualified for the 2020 NCAA Division III Ice Hockey Championships with a record of 25-2-2 that season. He is the 2020 and 2021 UCHC Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program or conference history to win the award twice. Landrigan was also a two-time All-Conference selection, and a one-time All-Rookie selection along with being the conference's inaugural Rookie of the Year in 2018. He finished the 2021 season tied for the national lead in points per game, and is third in school history with 114 career points. The prolific forward had a school-record point streak of 25 straight games between his junior and senior seasons. He was a 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree.
 
Kierra Caissey (Gardner, MA/Gardner) - Women's Soccer - Jim "Doc" Spartano Outstanding Senior Athlete Award
Caissey led the UC Women's Soccer program to heights it has never seen before over her four-year career. She led the Pioneers to 29 wins in four years, three Empire 8 finals, and the 2019 Empire 8 Championship, along with the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance. One of the program's most lauded and decorated midfielders ever, Caissey was a four-time All-Conference selection with one honorable mention, two first-team selections, and one Sportswoman of the Year team nod. Her 20 career goals rank seventh in program history. As a senior, she ranked second on the team with 748 minutes played.
 
Michael Carr-Johnson (Buffalo, NY/Hutch Tech) - Football - Richard "Dick" Miller Most Inspirational Player Award
One of the most talented and driven offensive linemen in program history, Michael Carr-Johnson (Buffalo, NY/Hutch Tech) excelled in the roles he earned over his four seasons with the Pioneers. An imposing offensive tackle, he was a 2019 Empire 8 First Team All-Conference selection. That season, the UC offensive line was second in the Empire 8 in fewest sacks allowed, and Carr-Johnson had to be one of the most adaptable members of the unit as he protected left-handed and right-handed starting quarterbacks over the course of that season. He was a team offensive captain, and a member of the UC Football Leadership Council. Carr-Johnson was also part of the 2018 ECAC Bowl Championship team, where he backed up for All-Conference left tackle Pat Gagan and served as part of an offensive line rotation that paved the way for Malcolm Stowe (Coram, NY/Longwood) to become the first 1,000 yard rusher in a single season in school history.
 
Griffin Baur (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) - Baseball - Richard "Dick" Miller Most Inspirational Player Award
Baur was one of the area's best high school pitchers at New York Mills prior to attending UC, and he certainly lived up to his billing over his career with the Pioneers. Baur is the program's career leader in career starts, and career victories. He also stands second in career strikeouts. He has been part of two teams that have qualified for the Empire 8 Conference tournament. In his final season, the imposing power pitcher has been especially dominant with three Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week awards. He is currently 5-1 with a 2.97 ERA, and opponents are hitting a lowly .228 against him in 2021. He recently led UC to its first win over national power St. John Fisher in five years. His 54 strikeouts this season mark the seventh-highest single season total in school history entering E8 tournament play.
 
Stephanie Husnay (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) - Women's Lacrosse - Richard "Dick" Miller Most Inspirational Player Award
Husnay has been a mainstay during the recent run of success for the UC Women's Lacrosse program. The senior has played in all three Empire 8 Conference Lacrosse tournaments held during her career. The Pioneers won 36 games during her career, including the two highest single season win totals in program history. She was the 2018 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, and a 2021 Empire 8 Third Team All-Conference selection. Her 150 career points rank sixth in program history, and her 71 career assists are second in school history. She also posted 79 goals, 82 ground balls, and 44 caused turnovers during her tenure. She has been selected to the Empire 8 Presidents' List for her work academically.
 
Sara Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) - Softball - Richard "Dick" Miller Most Inspirational Player Award
Stransky has been a stable presence in the UC lineup during her three seasons of softball with the Pioneers. The reliable corner infielder is a career .330 hitter with 39 career RBI, 17 career doubles, and 56 runs scored. Her senior season featured a career-best .387 average along with a virtually spotless 97.6 percent fielding percentage at third base, and she also was a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts. She is a two-time All-Conference selection with a first team nod in 2019, and a third team nod in 2021. She has also been part of two conference tournament teams, including the 2018 team that played for the championship.
  
Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) - Men's Basketball - Greg Roberts Senior Athlete Award
Remley has been a leader during a new era of Utica College basketball, as he has played a significant role in revitalizing the program under head coach Sean Coffey over the last five years. He is the first and only player in school history to appear in four different Empire 8 tournaments, including as a member of the 2021 E8 Championship Team. UC has won 69 games in the five seasons Remley has been involved with the program. He has made 140 3-point field goals to rank sixth in school history, and has made 40 or more in three different seasons. He is also eleventh in program history with 71 career starts. He has also played an integral role in two landmark wins in the program's recent history. He poured in 27 points as a freshman to help UC beat Hartwick and give Coach Coffey his first win with UC, and also had 17 points and went 8-of-9 from the foul line as the Pioneers beat nationally-ranked Hamilton in the 2019-20 season.
 
Lauren Wolff (Peabody, MA/Peabody) - Women's Lacrosse - Greg Roberts Senior Athlete Award
Wolff has been an important part of the UC Women's Lacrosse program from the day she arrived on campus. She is a three-time E8 tournament qualifier and made every tournament held during her career. The senior has played in all 54 games during her career, and would be very much on pace to break the school record for games played if not for the shortening of the 2020 season. Utica won 36 of those games, and the Pioneers have had four winning seasons and its two highest single season win totals with Wolff on the roster. She is a 2021 Empire 8 3rd team selection after posting 21 goals and 17 assists for 38 points. In her career, Wolff has logged 125 points on 62 goals and 63 assists, and she is third in school history in career assists. She also has scooped 78 ground balls and caused 31 turnovers.