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Tupy and Breña Selected as St. Cloud State Senior Athletes of the Year
7/15/2024 11:00:00 AM | Baseball, General, Women's Track & Field
Tupy and Breña join long list of SCSU athletes to earn top department honor annually given since 1996-97
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Athletics has named baseball player Luke Tupy (New Prague, Minn.) and track & field athlete Paola Breña (Queretero, Mexico) the 2023-24 St. Cloud State Athletes of the Year. The award is annually given to the top male and female Husky with the most impressive comprehensive collegiate career who exhausted or concluded his or her collegiate eligibility. Both athletes earned All-America and multiple All-Conference honors while helping their respective team succeed at the conference and national levels.
"Luke and Paola have been outstanding members of the Huskies Family and have contributed to success in both of their programs," said Director of Athletics Holly Schreiner. "In addition to what they have accomplished on their teams they have both been amazing students and teammates. They define what it means to be a student-athlete at St. Cloud State and we look forward to watching both of them continue to do amazing things. We are so proud that they chose to wear the Red and Black."
A two-time All-NSIC First Team selection, Luke Tupy was a go-to option on the mound for the Huskies over his four seasons in the black and red. After a brief appearance in 2021 where his season was cut-short, Tupy burst onto the scene in 2022 where he registered a 6-1 mark on the bump with a 1.37 ERA, .154 opponent batting average and 76 strikeouts en route to NSIC Freshman of the Year honors, All-Region honors by three publications and an All-America Third Team recognition by the D2CCA. During his All-America campaign, Tupy logged back-to-back no-hitters on April 21 at Northern State and April 29 vs. Minnesota Crookston to earn NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week honors. In 2023, Tupy helped the Huskies capture the NSIC Tournament title and return to the NCAA Tournament after logging a 4-1 mark with a 4.63 ERA over nine starts and 44.2 innings pitched. His final season as a Husky proved to be elite, as Tupy earned a 7-2 mark with a 2.98 ERA, .202 opponent batting average and 82 strikeouts in 11 starts and 63.1 innings pitched while earning All-NSIC First Team honors and All-Central Region Second Team honors by the NCBWA and D2CCA.
Tupy logged 33 starts in 34 appearances in his SCSU career with a 18-5 mark, 2.95 ERA, .196 opposing batting average and 237 strikeouts over 171.0 innings pitched. His name will be itched all over the SCSU record book, as he finished his career ranked fourth in strikeouts (237), eighth in starts (33) and tenth in shutouts (three). Among single season marks, Tupy ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (14.87 in 2022), fourth in WHIP (0.804 in 2022), eighth in strikeouts (82 in 2024) and ninth in ERA (1.37 in 2022). In the classroom, Tupy earned NSIC All-Academic honors in 2022.
A two-year standout on the track & field team, Paola Breña jumped her way to a trio of All-NSIC honors and an All-America finish in 2023. Breña won the high jump at eight regular season meets in her two seasons as a Husky and finished runner-up in the event three times at NSIC meets, posting marks of 1.74m (5-8.5) at the 2023 NSIC Indoor Championships, 1.75m (5-8.75) at the 2023 NSIC Outdoor Championships and 1.71m (5-7.25) at the 2024 NSIC Outdoor Championships. She advanced to the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships where she earned NCAA D-II First Team All-America honors with a fifth-place finish with a clearance of 1.75m (5-8.75). Her finish was just the second outdoor high jump All-America finish in program history, the first since 1991 and the 68th overall All-America finish (indoor or outdoor) in women's program history.
Her collegiate personal-best marks of 1.76m (5-9.25) in the indoor high jump and 1.75m (5-8.75) in the outdoor high jump both rank as the second-best marks in program history. In the classroom, Breña earned 2024 NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors and was awarded the 2023-24 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Athletics, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Purchase tickets at www.scsutickets.com, downloading the St. Cloud State Huskies app or by calling 1-877-SCSUTIX / 320-308-2137.
PAST SCSU SENIOR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
1996-97: Andrew Reigstad (Wrestling) & Sandra Dingham (Track & Field)
1997-98: Jon Hinzman (Basketball) & Carey Meinert (Track & Field)
1998-99: Michael McKinney (Baseball / Football) & Michelle Lechner (Softball)
1999-00: Mike Wencl (Swim & Dive) & Karissa Hoehn (Softball)
2000-01: Scott Meyer (Hockey) & Mary Ahlin (Swim & Dive)
2001-02: Mark Hartigan (Hockey) & Tina Schreiner (Basketball)
2002-03: Forrest Witt (Basketball) & Tesia Zuba (Swim & Dive)
2003-04: Keith Heckendorf (Football) & Brooke Gentzler (Softball)
2004-05: Nathan Miller (Basketball) & Abby Velta (Softball)
2005-06: Ryan Koch (Football / Track & Field) & Sascha Hansen (Basketball)
2006-07: Bobby Goepfert (Hockey) & Erika Quigley (Basketball)
2007-08: David Dreas (Hockey), Jenny Gensch (Softball) & Amanda Kunkel (Track & Field)
2008-09: Ryan Kees (Football), Brad Padgett (Wrestling) & Katie Tacheny (Basketball)
2009-10: Matt Schneck (Basketball) & Heather Miller (Track & Field)
2010-11: John Sundgren (Wrestling) & Talisha Barlow (Basketball)
2011-12: Derek Skala (Wrestling) & Emily Kerber (Golf)
2012-13: Drew LeBlanc (Hockey) & Stephanie Crandall (Swim & Dive)
2013-14: Phillip Klaphake (Football) & Jessica Benson (Basketball)
2014-15: Alex Bryson (Swim & Dive) & Carley Jeffery (Basketball)
2015-16: Clint Poster (Wrestling) & Brianna Stamer (Volleyball)
2016-17: Austin Goergen (Wrestling) & Sam Sunstrom (Track & Field / Cross Country)
2017-18: Larry Bomstad (Wrestling) & Andrea Bryson (Swim & Dive)
2018-19: Brett Velasquez (Wrestling) & Kate Kopeck (Softball)
2019-20: James Pleski (Wrestling) & Clara Krenz (Volleyball)
2020-21: Devin Fitzpatrick (Wrestling) & Maya Keating (Softball)
2021-22: Nick Perbix (Hockey) & Madeline Torve (Volleyball)
2022-23: Joey Bianchini (Wrestling) & Linsey Rachel (Volleyball)
"Luke and Paola have been outstanding members of the Huskies Family and have contributed to success in both of their programs," said Director of Athletics Holly Schreiner. "In addition to what they have accomplished on their teams they have both been amazing students and teammates. They define what it means to be a student-athlete at St. Cloud State and we look forward to watching both of them continue to do amazing things. We are so proud that they chose to wear the Red and Black."
A two-time All-NSIC First Team selection, Luke Tupy was a go-to option on the mound for the Huskies over his four seasons in the black and red. After a brief appearance in 2021 where his season was cut-short, Tupy burst onto the scene in 2022 where he registered a 6-1 mark on the bump with a 1.37 ERA, .154 opponent batting average and 76 strikeouts en route to NSIC Freshman of the Year honors, All-Region honors by three publications and an All-America Third Team recognition by the D2CCA. During his All-America campaign, Tupy logged back-to-back no-hitters on April 21 at Northern State and April 29 vs. Minnesota Crookston to earn NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week honors. In 2023, Tupy helped the Huskies capture the NSIC Tournament title and return to the NCAA Tournament after logging a 4-1 mark with a 4.63 ERA over nine starts and 44.2 innings pitched. His final season as a Husky proved to be elite, as Tupy earned a 7-2 mark with a 2.98 ERA, .202 opponent batting average and 82 strikeouts in 11 starts and 63.1 innings pitched while earning All-NSIC First Team honors and All-Central Region Second Team honors by the NCBWA and D2CCA.
Tupy logged 33 starts in 34 appearances in his SCSU career with a 18-5 mark, 2.95 ERA, .196 opposing batting average and 237 strikeouts over 171.0 innings pitched. His name will be itched all over the SCSU record book, as he finished his career ranked fourth in strikeouts (237), eighth in starts (33) and tenth in shutouts (three). Among single season marks, Tupy ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (14.87 in 2022), fourth in WHIP (0.804 in 2022), eighth in strikeouts (82 in 2024) and ninth in ERA (1.37 in 2022). In the classroom, Tupy earned NSIC All-Academic honors in 2022.
A two-year standout on the track & field team, Paola Breña jumped her way to a trio of All-NSIC honors and an All-America finish in 2023. Breña won the high jump at eight regular season meets in her two seasons as a Husky and finished runner-up in the event three times at NSIC meets, posting marks of 1.74m (5-8.5) at the 2023 NSIC Indoor Championships, 1.75m (5-8.75) at the 2023 NSIC Outdoor Championships and 1.71m (5-7.25) at the 2024 NSIC Outdoor Championships. She advanced to the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships where she earned NCAA D-II First Team All-America honors with a fifth-place finish with a clearance of 1.75m (5-8.75). Her finish was just the second outdoor high jump All-America finish in program history, the first since 1991 and the 68th overall All-America finish (indoor or outdoor) in women's program history.
Her collegiate personal-best marks of 1.76m (5-9.25) in the indoor high jump and 1.75m (5-8.75) in the outdoor high jump both rank as the second-best marks in program history. In the classroom, Breña earned 2024 NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors and was awarded the 2023-24 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Athletics, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Purchase tickets at www.scsutickets.com, downloading the St. Cloud State Huskies app or by calling 1-877-SCSUTIX / 320-308-2137.
PAST SCSU SENIOR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
1996-97: Andrew Reigstad (Wrestling) & Sandra Dingham (Track & Field)
1997-98: Jon Hinzman (Basketball) & Carey Meinert (Track & Field)
1998-99: Michael McKinney (Baseball / Football) & Michelle Lechner (Softball)
1999-00: Mike Wencl (Swim & Dive) & Karissa Hoehn (Softball)
2000-01: Scott Meyer (Hockey) & Mary Ahlin (Swim & Dive)
2001-02: Mark Hartigan (Hockey) & Tina Schreiner (Basketball)
2002-03: Forrest Witt (Basketball) & Tesia Zuba (Swim & Dive)
2003-04: Keith Heckendorf (Football) & Brooke Gentzler (Softball)
2004-05: Nathan Miller (Basketball) & Abby Velta (Softball)
2005-06: Ryan Koch (Football / Track & Field) & Sascha Hansen (Basketball)
2006-07: Bobby Goepfert (Hockey) & Erika Quigley (Basketball)
2007-08: David Dreas (Hockey), Jenny Gensch (Softball) & Amanda Kunkel (Track & Field)
2008-09: Ryan Kees (Football), Brad Padgett (Wrestling) & Katie Tacheny (Basketball)
2009-10: Matt Schneck (Basketball) & Heather Miller (Track & Field)
2010-11: John Sundgren (Wrestling) & Talisha Barlow (Basketball)
2011-12: Derek Skala (Wrestling) & Emily Kerber (Golf)
2012-13: Drew LeBlanc (Hockey) & Stephanie Crandall (Swim & Dive)
2013-14: Phillip Klaphake (Football) & Jessica Benson (Basketball)
2014-15: Alex Bryson (Swim & Dive) & Carley Jeffery (Basketball)
2015-16: Clint Poster (Wrestling) & Brianna Stamer (Volleyball)
2016-17: Austin Goergen (Wrestling) & Sam Sunstrom (Track & Field / Cross Country)
2017-18: Larry Bomstad (Wrestling) & Andrea Bryson (Swim & Dive)
2018-19: Brett Velasquez (Wrestling) & Kate Kopeck (Softball)
2019-20: James Pleski (Wrestling) & Clara Krenz (Volleyball)
2020-21: Devin Fitzpatrick (Wrestling) & Maya Keating (Softball)
2021-22: Nick Perbix (Hockey) & Madeline Torve (Volleyball)
2022-23: Joey Bianchini (Wrestling) & Linsey Rachel (Volleyball)
Players Mentioned
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
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