Liberty League commissioner Tracy King has announced that Ruth Hotaling of William Smith College and Jared Fiske of Vassar College have been named the recipients of the 2025-26 Liberty League Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.
Established following the 2012-13 academic year, the recipients of the Liberty League Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are selected in a vote by the Liberty League member institutions. The awards are presented to graduating student-athletes – one female and one male – who have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, and service/leadership throughout their time as student-athletes. Hotaling is the fourth women’s soccer honoree – all of which have played for William Smith. She is also the 11th Hobart and William Smith student-athlete selected in the 14 years in which the award has been presented. Fiske becomes the second men’s soccer honoree and the fourth student-athlete from Vassar College to be honored.
"I am excited to announce that Ruth Hotaling and Jared Fiske have been selected as the Liberty League Scholar-Athletes of the Year," said King. "Ruth and Jared represent the very best of the Liberty League and intercollegiate athletics – individuals who have achieved at elite levels academically and athletically while emerging as leaders on their campuses. Both have earned national recognition for athletic and academic success and are individuals of great character. It is only fitting that we recognize the dedication and commitment that they have demonstrated to their academic and athletic pursuits over the past four years."
Hotaling and Fiske will also be the league's nominees for the Division III Student-Athletes of the Year as selected by the Division III Commissioners Association.
The 2025 Liberty League Player of the Year in women’s soccer,
Hotaling started all 17 matches. She led the Herons and the Liberty League with 12 goals and 25 points. Hotaling produced three multi-goal games and also had four game-winning goals, including wins over Skidmore, Ithaca and Bard in Liberty League play.
A four-year starter, Hotaling was a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American. In 83 career games, she recorded 77 points on 26 goals and 25 assists. Hotaling finished her career 19th in program history in points and seventh in assists. She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team in 2024 after guiding the Herons to the national championship match.
Hotaling was named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Scholar All-America second team, marking the second straight year that she earned Scholar All-America recognition.
A mathematics and music major, Hotaling was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region team for the second straight year. The Delmar, New York, native was also named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. In addition, she is a three-time Academic All-District pick and a three-time Liberty League All-Academic honoree. Off the field, Hotaling was a volunteer at Bethesda – Internationalt Kristent Center where she organized and taught English classes on a
weekly basis to international residents of Copenhagen, Denmark. She served as an HWS CGE Global Ambassador, a volunteer position in the Center for Global Education, where she represented HWS study abroad programs, answered questions,
and offered honest insight into life abroad for prospective students. She was an HWS Day of Service volunteer, a team captain and member of the HWS Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Fiske had a standout year in 2025 earning third team All-America honors from the United Soccer Coaches for the second straight season. Fiske was selected as the Liberty League Player of the Year in men’s soccer, first team All-Liberty League and First Team All-Region III on the way to earning All-America recognition.
Fiske closed out a productive senior season leading the team with 13 goals while ranking second in assists (7), points (33) and game-winning goals (3). He scored multiple goals in a game twice and totaled a season-high five points on two goals and an assist against Bard on Oct. 1. On the Liberty League leaderboard, Fiske led the league in goals and closed the year second in assists and points and tied for third in game-winning goals.
Fiske earned All-Liberty League recognition in each of his four seasons as a Brewer. He is a two-time first team All-Region III selection and a two-time All-American. Fiske finished his career with 68 points on the strength of 28 goals and 12 assists and was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams, including the 2024 Liberty League Championship squad. Fiske graduated fifth all-time at Vassar in goals and tied for fifth all-time in points.
The Livingston, N.J., native was also named a first team Scholar All-American by the United Soccer Coaches. He was also named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team, a First Team All-East Scholar and was recognized as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection.
This past spring, Fiske, a team captain, was honored as the recipient of the college’s Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award winner from a men's team. Off the field, Fiske was a biology lab teaching assistant, a volunteer with Boys and Girls Club of Poughkeepsie, a mentor in Overlook Summer Internship Program, an ambassador with the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation and a representative on Vassar's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Liberty League Scholar-Athletes of the Year
2025-26
Ruth Hotaling, William Smith College, Soccer
Jared Fiske, Vassar College, Soccer
2024-25
Megan Bell, University of Rochester, Track & Field
Luke Aquaro, Hobart College, Ice Hockey
2023-24
Madeline O'Connell, University of Rochester, Track & Field
Artem Buzoverya, Hobart College, Ice Hockey
2022-23
Karson Saunders, Union College, Softball
Matt Lecky, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cross Country / Track & Field
2021-22
Julia Keogh, William Smith College, Soccer
Ryan Puglisi, Union College, Lacrosse
2020-21
Mekayla Montgomery, William Smith College, Lacrosse
Walker Anderson, Hobart College, Tennis
2019-20
Sophie Nick, Vassar College, Women's Basketball
Garrett Renslow, University of Rochester, Baseball
2018-19
Monica Feeley, Vassar College, Field Hockey
Edvinas Rupkus, Skidmore College, Basketball
2017-18
Taryn Cordani, Ithaca College, Cross Country / Track & Field
Matthew Knigge, Vassar College, Volleyball
2016-17
Caroline Conboy, William Smith College, Swimming & Diving
Kent Curran, Union College, Baseball
2015-16
Tara Lamberti, University of Rochester, Field Hockey
Jamie Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Men's Golf
2014-15
Madeline Buckley, William Smith College, Soccer
John Coleman, Clarkson University, Basketball / Baseball
2013-14
Olivia Zitoli, William Smith College, Soccer
Richie Bonney, Hobart College, Basketball
2012-13
Emily D'Addario, William Smith College, Cross Country
Adam Updegrove, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Soccer / Swimming & Diving