10/13/2026
SUNY Cortland men’s track and field athlete Isaiah Brunache ’26 has been named the 2025-26 Division III Commissioners Association Region III Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year.
Representing the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), Brunache was one of 10 men in the country who were regional winners of the award, which was voted upon by the conference commissioners within each of the regions.
The regional student-athlete award winners were graduating seniors from 2025-26 and were selected based on academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership and a personal statement.
“To say I am happy with my decision (to attend Cortland) would be an understatement,” said Brunache as part of his personal statement. “Cortland was a big change for me. I had a full roster of teammates, several coaches, and an athletic department that wanted to see me do well and would invest in me to do so. Along with that, I had an institution that wanted me to leave not just as an athlete, but as a student proud of my academic journey.
“This place truly developed my curiosity and cultivated within me a drive to reach for the unknown, inspiring me to pursue research in my graduate studies. This only happened because I had professors within my college who passionately exposed me to their areas of expertise in the classroom. The dedication to pursue a better version of myself has in large part come from the dedication I have for track. It started before Cortland, but it was honed by it. It is easy to devote oneself to something when you feel you have immense support.”
Brunache, an exercise science major who graduated in May with a 3.91 GPA, earned many accolades while at Cortland. A seven-time All-America thrower, he was the national runner-up in the shot put at both the 2023 and 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, as well as finishing fifth in the weight throw and seventh in the shot put indoors in 2026, seventh in the weight throw indoors in 2025, eighth in the discus outdoors in 2026, and eighth in the shot put indoors in 2025. He also qualified for nationals in events on six other occasions.
He is the school record-holder in the indoor weight throw, the indoor shot put and the outdoor shot put. His success led him to be a three-time USTFCCCA Niagara Region Field Athlete of the Year and an 18-time All-Niagara Region honoree. He was also a five-time All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference champion and two-time runner-up.
Brunache won eight SUNYAC titles, finished as a runner-up six times and placed third twice for a total of 16 All-SUNYAC honors. He was voted as the SUNYAC Field Athlete of the Year three times, was the 2024 and 2025 SUNYAC Outdoor Championship and 2026 SUNYAC Indoor Championship Most Valuable Performer of the Meet, and was named the 2023 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year
Honored as both a 2026 and 2025 CSC First Team Academic All-American, Brunache was a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection. His success led him to b a six-time SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year and five-time SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. In addition, he was the 2025-26 SUNYAC Dr. Sam Molnar Award winner as the conference’s top senior men's student-athlete, the SUNY system’s overall Men’s Division III Scholar Athlete of the Year and was chosen as the SUNY Cortland Athletics Men's Senior Athlete of the Year.