SUNY Canton's Megan Mydosh Receives Prestigious Ronald LaValle Leadership Award

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Megan M. Mydosh with her coaches and the SUNY Canton athletic director (full caption is included in the body of the release).

CANTON, NY (03/03/2014)(readMedia)-- SUNY Canton junior Megan M. Mydosh of Warwick is the first woman to receive the Ronald LaValle Leadership Award, a SUNY system-wide accolade.

Mydosh was chosen out of thousands of eligible SUNY student-athletes due to her numerous accomplishments in leadership, sportsmanship, as well as her role as an ambassador for the campus and SUNY.

Mydosh has been the captain of her cross-country team at SUNY Canton for three years. Her athletic achievements include a host of top-ten finishes, a first-place finish at Southern Vermont College in 2012 and numerous top-20 finishes in national competition for three consecutive years. Mydosh was also the first in SUNY Canton Athletics history to earn the Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Week Honors.

"Megan is an extraordinary person in so many ways," said Women's Cross Country Coach Katie Kennedy. "She is an exceptional runner, student, volunteer, teammate, worker and leader. She is truly one of the most accomplished and well-rounded students in SUNY Canton history."

Aside from her role as an athletics leader, she works part time in the SUNY Canton Admissions and Public Relations offices and has maintained a 3.96 GPA. Mydosh is also actively involved in volunteering in community events and fundraisers, including the Roos Hop to Help Day, the Special Olympics, the annual Lake-to-Lake Relay and the annual Nicole Fleury Run.

In May 2013 Mydosh received SUNY Canton's Outstanding Associate Graduate Award when she received her degree in Business Administration. She is continuing her studies to earn a bachelor's degree in Management and will be eligible to graduate early in December 2014.

"I owe a lot of my success to the support I have received from the entire campus - it's such a nice feeling to be welcomed to SUNY Canton by my coaches, teammates, faculty and staff," Mydosh said. "It really keeps me motivated to do the best I can and makes me want to encourage others as well."

Ronald LaValle was active in leadership development of student-athletes at Stony Brook University, and by extension, all of SUNY. LaValle placed great emphasis on mentoring and supporting all students, especially student-athletes. He was heralded as being an outstanding administrator and coach.

"This is one of the most prestigious awards ever won by a SUNY Canton student-athlete," said Athletic Director Randy B. Sieminski. "There were finalists for this award from NCAA Division I programs as well as Division III powerhouses. We're extremely proud of Megan and all of her accomplishments during her time here at SUNY Canton. It's been an honor to have her represent her team, her academic program, our athletic department and our school."

Photo Caption

Pictured are SUNY Canton Athletic Director Randy B. Sieminski, Ron LaValle Leadership Award winner and Management major Megan M. Mydosh, Head Women's Cross Country Coach Kathryn Kennedy and Head Men's Cross Country Coach John M. Kennedy shortly after Mydosh received her award at SUNY Canton's Faculty Assembly.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier College for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The College delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management, and public service to students in the North Country, New York State, and beyond. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The College's 14 athletic teams compete in state-of-the-art facilities as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

-www.canton.edu-