With the conclusion of the winter athletics season at Marist, the Center Field editorial staff voted on All-Marist team selections. Below are the results, along with some analysis from Center Field writers.
First Team Selections
Max Allen II – Sophomore men’s basketball center
Allen II broke out in Poughkeepsie after transferring in from San Jose State. He led the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game and shot an efficient 52% from the field. His efforts leading Marist to a top-three regular season finish placed him on the All-MAAC second team. The Las Vegas native is the first name on the opponents’ scouting report because he combines power and agility in the paint to score with both hands. Allen II finished third on the team in assists, displaying his ability to pass from the block and make plays for others. On April 3, 2024, Allen II announced his entry into the transfer portal, likely marking the end of his time at Marist. The young center will use his first full season in college to take a step in his career.
-Marley Pope, Men’s Basketball Beat Writer
Zaria Shazer – Senior women’s basketball forward
Throughout the season, it was evident that Shazer would need to do heavy lifting for the Red Foxes. She did just that through her offensive abilities and her ability to stay on the floor, as she finished third in the MAAC conference with 1,022 minutes played. On offense, Shazer led the team averaging 13.7 points per game and the senior forward notched 10 double-doubles on the season, seven of them coming in her final 14 games. She also led the team in rebounds per game, grabbing 8.2 on the season. One of Shazer’s best performances came early on in the season, where she put up a performance of 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in an overtime victory over Lafayette.
Shazer played heavy minutes throughout the year, averaging 35 minutes per game to earn All-MAAC third-team recognition. Her second consecutive All-MAAC team reaffirmed her status as one of the top players in the conference over the past two seasons. Similar to Allen II, Shazer entered the transfer portal, and she will look to finish out her college career at a new destination.
-Mike Burns, Contributor
Kevin McNamara – Sophomore men’s swim and dive distance swimmer
The sophomore from Kinnelon, N.J. was an integral part of the men’s swimming and diving team’s MAAC Championship this season. McNamara earned two gold medals at the MAAC Championship for his performances in the 1650-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly. His impressive 1:48.75 time in the 200-yard butterfly event set a new school record. He also earned a silver medal in the 400-yard individual medley.
The former MAAC Championships Swimming Rookie of the Meet winner is building an impressive resume and has a chance to bring home more accolades as his career continues.
-Josh Crysler, Contributor
Nellie Thompson – Senior women’s swim and dive sprint free swimmer
Thompson broke records and took names during her senior campaign. On day one of the MAAC Championships, she teamed up with sophomore Milena Judge, freshman April Avila and senior Sophia Swanson to set a school record in the women’s 200-yard medley relay with a 1:43.62 time. On day two, she placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle with a 23.67 finish, earning 14 points. Thompson earned 28 more points in the 200-yard relay team with a 1:35.45 fifth-place finish.
She then helped the 400-yard medley relay team earn a bronze medal, posting a time of 3:48.72. On the final day of the MAAC Championships, Thompson placed fifth alongside sophomore Rian Dickman, junior Margaret Hartman and sophomore Charlotte Lepis in the 400-yard freestyle relay, posting a time of 3:29.64. Thompson then shattered the 100-yard freestyle MAAC record, earning herself gold with a time of 50.35. On top of all her senior-year success, she was acknowledged as a part of the MAAC’s All-Academic team. Thompson’s stellar senior season with Marist etched her name into the school’s history books.
-Nate Babcock, Contributor
Easton Eberwein – Senior men’s track and field sprinter
Hailing from Dalton, Massachusetts, Eberwein put his name on the map during the 2024 indoor track season. He broke a 17-year-old record 400-meter time at the IC4A Championships (49.1 seconds) becoming the best in Marist history. Eberwein earned an All-MAAC Academic team nod, displaying his ability to balance collegiate athletics and academics.
-Hayden Shapiro, Contributor
Kayla Hawkins – Freshman women’s track and field middle-distance runner
Hawkins burst onto the scene this indoor season at the MAAC Indoor Championships. She posted a personal best of 2:17.49 in the 800-meter run, good enough for third place in the event. The week prior, she led the way for the Red Foxes in the 400-meter race at the Cornell Marc Deneault Invitational, picking up a top-10 finish with a time of 1:02.97. After a fantastic high school career for Our Lady of Mercy on Long Island and a solid start to her collegiate career, Hawkins will look to climb even further over her next three years at Marist.
-Max Rosen, Contributor
Second Team Selections
Josh Pascarelli – Freshman men’s basketball guard
Pascarelli solidified himself as one of the top shooters in the MAAC after a terrific freshman campaign where he averaged 10.7 points per game while shooting 38% from behind the arc. Pascarelli displayed his big-performance ability by with four games in which he scored 20 or more points and 12 games with three or more 3-point makes. His season earned unanimous All-MAAC rookie team honors; he also made the most 3-pointers on the team with 62. Pascarelli also showed solid midrange skills and possesses strength to drive to the rim, keeping defenses off-balance.
-Marley Pope, Men’s Basketball Beat Writer
Morgan Lee – Sophomore women’s basketball center
This season, Lee was presented with a starting opportunity, one that she took full advantage of by starting 30 of Marist’s 31 games at the five. The sophomore center showed flashes throughout the season, especially from long range where she shot 35.8%.
When her minutes increased in March, Lee showed what she was capable of. Marist entered their senior night game against Manhattan on a 12-game losing streak and without two of their best players in Shazer and senior point guard Kiara Fisher, yet Lee filled the void and up 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in a one-point win. She finished out the season with eight or more rebounds in her final four games played while posting another 20-point performance in the first round of the MAAC tournament against Niagara.
With Marist losing some important players heading into next season, Lee will have an opportunity to solidify a big role with the team.
-Mike Burns, Contributor
Ethan McCormac – Graduate student men’s swim and dive sprint/free swimmer
McCormac has had a prolific swimming career, dating back to his time as a captain for his hometown team in East Hampton, New York. McCormac is a highly decorated and successful swimmer, so it was no surprise to see him earn more accolades and success this season.
McCormac placed gold in the 100-yard butterfly event at the MAAC Championships, posting a time of 47.94 and breaking his own existing school record in doing so. He also set a new school record in the 200-yard freestyle event, posting an impressive time of 1:36:55. The graduate student will finish his illustrious career on a high note, leaving with a gold medal, two school records, and a MAAC Championship.
-Josh Crysler, Contributor
Maddie Healey – Junior women’s swim and dive distance swimmer
Junior distance swimmer Maddie Healey has provided Marist a crucial boost in MAAC competition. She capped off her junior season with a sixth-place finish as part of the 800-yard relay team that recorded a time of 7:39.60, ultimately earning Marist 26 points in the MAAC Championships. She tallied 17 more points for the Red Foxes with a silver medal in the 500-yard freestyle, posting a time of 4:57.94.
Healey also posted a time of 17:17.93 in the 1650-yard freestyle and received her second silver medal of the MAAC Championships in doing so. She would also go on to be selected to the MAAC All-Academic team and will attempt an encore performance as a senior next year.
-Nate Babcock, Contributor
Amari Mathis – Sophomore men’s track and field sprinter
The sophomore sprinter placed sixth in the 60-meter dash at the indoor MAAC Championships, a remarkable feat for an underclassman runner. Mathis also broke the Marist College record in the 300-meter race, recording a time of 36.01. The previous record was set by Tim Johnson back in 2016, with a time of 36.26. Not only did Mathis break the record, he did it by over 2/10 of a second. The Wilmington, DE native will look to build on his accolades and achievements in the coming years in Poughkeepsie.
-Hayden Shapiro, Contributor
Grace O’Neill – Redshirt junior women’s track and field jumper
O’Neill looked to continue trending upwards into her redshirt junior year after setting a Marist school record in the women’s high jump last year. She did just that, turning in another strong season highlighted by her performance at the ECAC Championships, where she finished fifth in the women’s high jump and earned All-ECAC Honors. With one year to go, O’Neill will look for more success; and maybe even to break her own record.
-Max Rosen, Contributor
Third Team Selections
Jadin Collins – Freshman men’s basketball guard
Another freshman who contributed big-time this season, Collins quickly became a floor general for the Red Foxes by facilitating the offense and being a point-of-attack defender on the other end. Collins filled the stat sheet averaging nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals a night, demonstrating his all-around impact on the court. His best performance came with the highest stakes in the MAAC quarterfinals, as Collins poured in 20 points to lead the Red Foxes to a comeback win over Niagara. The only aspect missing from his game is perimeter shooting, as Collins made just 24% of his 3-point attempts. If Collins can improve from deep, the sky is the limit for the young point guard.
-Marley Pope, Basketball Beat Writer
Catie Cunningham – Junior women’s basketball forward
Not many players in the MAAC make more of an impact in the rebounding game than Catie Cunningham, both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. The junior forward from Syracuse, N.Y. had nine games this season where she grabbed 10 or more rebounds. Cunningham also picked up six double-doubles throughout the season, including a 12-point, 17-rebound effort against Quinnipiac.
Her role on defense as an on-ball defender should not go unnoticed, as she averaged 1.1 steals this past season and made hustle plays all over the floor. Cunningham parlayed a heads-up steal into a layup in the final minute of Marist’s victory over Manhattan back in March, a play that speaks to the overall player she is on the court.
Marist will look to continue to lean on that gritty playstyle from Cunningham next season, one that can significantly elevate the team as a whole.
-Mike Burns, Contributor
James Conable – Junior men’s swim and dive distance/IM swimmer
The junior from Alameda, Calif. delivered a standout performance at the MAAC Championships to end Marist’s 16-year title drought. Conable earned gold in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 3:52.56, setting a new Marist record for the event.
He also placed second in the 200-yard individual medley race, behind only his teammate, senior breast/fly/IM Christopher Dauser. Conable’s impressive showing helped Marist to dominate the podium and finally bring home an elusive MAAC Championship.
-Josh Crysler, Contributor
Genevieve O’Neil – Sophomore women’s swim and dive back/IM swimmer
The sophomore from Buzzards Bay, Mass. looked to build off the success she experienced during her freshman year and at last year’s MAAC Championships. She ultimately picked up right where she left off, snatching gold in the 400-yard IM with a blistering time of 4:29.99. She also earned bronze in the 400-yard medley relay with April Avila, Sophia Swanson and Nellie Thompson with a time of 3:48.72.
O’Neil finished off her MAAC Championships performance by placing fourth in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:05.43. She was selected to the MAAC All-Academic team alongside 14 of her teammates. Still only a sophomore, O’Neil has much to look forward to in her remaining time with the Red Foxes.
-Nate Babcock, Contributor
Chris Paxis – Senior men’s track and field distance runner
The senior from Staten Island, NY placed third in the 800-meter MAAC indoor championships. Paxis holds three school records and his jump in production from his junior to senior year was immense. This season should not have come as a surprise, as he showed flashes of super-stardom in each of his first three years as a Red Fox, but it fully came to fruition this time around. Like Eberwein, he also paired his athletic accomplishments with an All-MAAC academic team selection.
-Hayden Shapiro, Contributor
Parker O’Brien – Sophomore women’s track and field mid-distance runner
An up-and-coming star, the sophomore O’Brien put together a fantastic year for the Red Foxes. She set numerous personal records, including a 4:59.48 mile at the indoor MAAC Championships, good enough for fifth place. She also opened her outdoor season last month by obliterating her personal best time in the 1,500-meter race by almost 10 seconds, earning a top-10 finish. O’Brien will look to finish this year strong as she moves towards the second half of her collegiate career.
-Max Rosen, Contributor
Edited by Luke Sassa and Aidan Lavin
Graphics by Jaylen Rizzo; Photos from Marist Athletics and Jaylen Rizzo
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