AMHERST, N.Y. -- Three Daemen University student-athletes earned Athletic Solutions 2025-26 East Coast Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year, recognizing their combined success in the classroom and on the court and course, the league announced on Monday. Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) was named both the ECC Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's basketball as well as the Athletic Solutions 2025-26 ECC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Ethan Keating (Wooster, Ohio) and Patsy Oberholzer (Greece, N.Y.) were named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's cross country and women's cross country, respectively.

All ECC Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients hold at least a 3.30 GPA, are a starter or key reserve, and have reached at least sophomore standing both athletically and academically.


ZACH PHILIPKOSKI | JR. | NEW HARTFORD, N.Y.

ATHLETIC SOLUTIONS 2025-26 ECC MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | ATHLETIC SOLUTIONS 2025-26 ECC MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Zach Philipkoski concludes his outstanding junior campaign becoming the first Daemen player to earn ECC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Andrew Sischo in 2020-21. In his third season with the Wildcats, Philipkoski earned All-American honors from both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Division II Commissioners Conference Association (D2CCA) as well as becoming the second player in program history to be named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) NCAA Division II Academic All-America Team. Philipkoski also was named the 2026 East Coast Conference Player of the Year, NABC First Team All-District, D2CCA First Team All-East Region, East Region Tournament Most Outstanding Player and ECC All-Tournament Team honors this season. Philipkoski led the Wildcats with 17.8 points per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 41.9 percent beyond the arc. He ranked fourth in the ECC in points (17.8), seventh in rebounds (7.1) and assists (3.8), and eighth in steals (1.5). He led the team with 623 total points, marking the first 600+ point season for a Daemen player since Sischo's 665 in 2021-22. He finished the 2025-26 campaign with 213 field goals, moving himself into 10th all-time in the Daemen record books for single-season field goals. His 91 triples ranks third all-time. Philipkoski also set the single-season program record for free throw percentage (.876). He became just the fourth player in program history to total at least 500 points and 250 rebounds in a season, as well as becoming the eighth player in program history with at least 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 200 assists. A Business Administration major, Philipkoski has maintained a 3.86 cumulative GPA. 


ETHAN KEATING | JR. | WOOSTER, OHIO

ATHLETIC SOLUTIONS 2025-26 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Ethan Keating put together a breakout junior cross country season, earning USTFCCCA All-East Region and First Team All-ECC honors for the first time in his collegiate career. He put together a standout junior campaign to finish as Daemen's No. 2 runner throughout the season, setting a PR in four meets. Keating opened up the year with a 6K PR time of 19:53.5 as he placed ninth out of 109 runners and second on the team at the Doug Watts Open on Sept. 6 and followed up with an 8K PR time of 25:57.6 the following meet, finishing 31st out of 249 and second on the team at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational on Sept. 27. He shaved one second off his 8K personal best at the very next meet as he finished 22nd out of 214 and second on the team with a PR of 25:56.2 at the Highlander Invitational on Oct. 11. Keating earned First Team All-ECC honors at the ECC Championships on Oct. 25 where he finished fourth out of 67 runners with a time of 27:03.3. He helped the Wildcats to a sixth place finish at regionals where he earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors, posting a PR at the NCAA Division II East Region Championships while finishing 16th out of 112 runners with a personal best 10K time of 32:56.2. A Physical Therapy major, Keating has maintained a 3.94 cumulative GPA. 


PATSY OBERHOLZER | GR. | GREECE, N.Y.

ATHLETIC SOLUTIONS 2025-26 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

In her fourth and best season at Daemen, Patsy Oberholzer was Daemen's top runner in all six meets this year, earning USTFCCCA All-East Region and First Team All-ECC honors for the first time. Oberholzer set two personal records and finished in the top-20 in five of the six races. She placed 19th out of 113 and first on the team with a time of 19:30.3 at the Doug Watts Open on Sept. 6 and followed up by setting a 5K PR time of 18:58.0 as she finished 14th out of 183 runners and first on the team on Sept. 27 at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational. Oberholzer paced the Wildcats with a 6K PR time of 22:34.2 as she finished 12th out of 188 runners at the Highlander Invitational on Oct. 11 and finished 85th overall with a time of 21:00.7 at the Canisius Alumni Classic. She earned First Team All-ECC honors for the first time as she posted a career-best sixth place finish out of 67 runners at the ECC Championships, finishing with a team-best time of 19:25.2 on Oct. 25. Helping the Wildcats finish fourth as a team, Oberholzer earned USTFCCCA All-East Region honors as one of the top 25 finishers for the first time in her career as she placed 13th out of 116 with a 6K time of 22:48.7 at the NCAA Division II East Region Championships. A Physical Therapy major, Oberholzer has maintained a 3.97 cumulative GPA.