POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Recent Marist University graduate Peyton Pusey was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's Female Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2025-26 school year.
 
Pusey was named MAAC Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the MAAC Championship this season. She led the Red Foxes to a conference championship, their third in the last four seasons. In addition to her on-field accolades, Pusey was named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Second Team Academic All-American this year.
 
"Congratulations to Peyton for this recognition," Marist Director of Athletics Tim Murray said. "She enjoyed an outstanding year and an incredible career at Marist University. At Marist, we embrace the power of 'and', not 'or', and Peyton truly made the most of her collegiate experience academically and athletically. Peyton joins a long list of Marist athletes who have been recognized as the best in the conference!"
 
This season, Pusey led the conference in batting average, runs scored, hits, and triples. She is the conference's all-time leader in runs scored, and she led the MAAC in that category all four years in her playing career. She is Marist's all-time leader in games played while also ranking in the program's top five all-time in batting average, hits, stolen bases, doubles, and triples.
 
Pusey became the first player in program history to be named NFCA All-Region all four years of her career. She was named First Team each of the last three years. In 2025, she led the NCAA in runs scored and runs per game.
 
Academically, Pusey was named to Marist's Dean's List in all eight semesters as a student-athlete. She majored in Media Studies & Production, and she was named CSC Academic All-District each of last three years.
 
Marist has now won nine Student-Athlete of the Year awards since its inception in 2001-02. The Red Foxes' total of eight female award winners is the most in conference history.
 

Marist's Student-Athletes of the Year

2002-03: David Bennett, men's basketball
2006-07: Alisa Kresge, women's basketball
2009-10: Rachele Fitz, women's basketball
2011-12: Corielle Yarde, women's basketball
2012-13: Kate Conard, women's swimming & diving
2018-19: Hailey Wagner, women's lacrosse
2020-21: Willow Duffell, women's basketball (co-winner)
2024-25: Kiley Myers, softball
2025-26: Peyton Pusey, softball