LATHAM, N.Y.- Keystone College field hockey player Vicky Mainero (Francisco Alvarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina/St. Patrick's College) was named United East Senior Scholar Athlete for field hockey announced by the conference Thursday morning.

Embodying the true meaning of a Division III student-athlete, Mainero had a unique college experience that saw her excel across all criteria of this award. On the field, her success was undeniable as she was an All-Conference honoree all four years including First Team the last two. Over that time, she accrued 132 points on 53 goals and 26 assists all over 68 games played.

An international student from Argentina, Mainero did not let that slow down her studies as she maintained a GPA of 3.95 while majoring in Biological Studies and minoring in Public Health. Her work in the classroom earned her President's List honors five times and conference All-Academic honors four times. She was also awarded the 2024 Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Contribution to the Biology Program by Keystone College. Despite being miles away from her own community, she was able to help the community around her during her four years. She organized a 5K which raised over $5,000 for the American Cancer Society and also helped coach local youth in field hockey.

"Vicky is the true definition of the word student-athlete.  She is an exceptional, extraordinary, hardworking, and dedicated person and player, and she did all of this while being an international student.  She was a true asset to our team both on and off the field, and she led by example in everything she did, which made her a wonderful role model." - Erin McGinley, Head Field Hockey Coach at Keystone College

Mainero is the second Keystone field hockey player to receive senior scholar athlete distinction as 2024 alum Casey Stratton was awarded this honor last year.