SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - First-years Brody Richardson of the men's cross country team and Madi Gaines of the women's hockey team have been named the Highmark Student-Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 27.

Richardson placed 15th in the field of 216 runners and second among all first-years at the RPI Fairgrounds Showdown by finishing the 8K course in a school-record time of 24:37.4, a time that placed him just one-tenth of a second ahead of the previous program standard set in 2024. The first-year slowly increased his standing over the course of the race, moving from 33rd after the first 1000 meters to 25th at the 2K mark, then up to 18th with 3K left and incrementally moving closer to the front of the pack after that.

Gaines started her collegiate career with a goal and an assist in a weekend sweep of Franklin Pierce over the weekend. The first-year recorded the primary assist on the game-tying goal midway through the third period in Union's eventual 4-3 (OT) win on Friday, and her first collegiate goal early in the second period was the game-winner in Saturday's 2-0 victory.