Cassandra Williams has starred on the State University of New York at New Paltz women's cross country team for the past three seasons, helping the Hawks to a second-place team standing at the SUNYAC meet this past fall, the best in program history. Through three seasons, Williams has earned a place in the SUNYAC Hall of Fame, along with being an All-Region recipient and a national qualifier. Williams has performed just as well in the classroom, being named Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2019 and becoming a two-time SUNYAC Elite-20 Award recipient.
 
Williams talked about her time thus far as a Hawk and why there is only one SUNY New Paltz.  
 

"New Paltz has a beautiful and accepting culture with a deeply rooted connection to nature and kindness. We are a unified family that is still able to embrace the individuality of the people within it. This community has exposed me to all sorts of diverse people and ideas. This has helped me reflect and become a truer version of myself, which is something very valuable that I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

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