Union College Athletics

Steve Ciesinski was a three-year letterwinner for the Union football and men’s lacrosse teams in the late 1960s, leaving his mark on both programs and later on the College as a whole. 
 
On the gridiron, Ciesinski was a three-year varsity starter and two-time Independent College Athletic Conference All-Star selection in the defensive backfield. He was named an Associated Press Little All-America honorable mention as a junior, when he intercepted a program single-season record 10 passes – just two shy of the then-NCAA record of 12 – in just eight games during the 1968 season, including a then-program-record three in a game against Rensselaer. He led the team to a 7-1 record in that 1968 season, the team’s best record in two decades. In three seasons with the varsity team, Ciesinski intercepted 17 passes in 25 games, a mark that still stands as the program’s all-time record 56 years later despite players playing more games and more seasons at the varsity level. 

In addition to his time on the football field, Ciesinski also spent three years in the midfield for the men’s lacrosse team and captained the team in his final two seasons, guiding the team to a 23-14 record in his time on the squad.
 
In the years after graduation, Ciesinski served on Union’s Board of Trustees and was the board chair from 2002-07. He endowed the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of the Faculty position in 2007 and has given back to the College in many other ways since leaving his native Schenectady.