Reece Barton, Men’s Soccer

Reece Barton burst on the scene last season as a freshman leading the Violets with six goals on 32 shots from the forward position. Now a sophomore in SCPS, Barton will look to expand on his rookie campaign and once again be the team’s primary striking option as they look to improve on a 6-8-3 2013 campaign. Barton will have to work with his midfielders such as Mickey Ingerman and Petter Aasa, a CAS senior and sophomore, respectively, to create dynamic scoring chances by using his speed down the middle of the pitch.

Kaitlyn Read, Women’s Basketball

Hailing from University Park, Texas, CAS sophomore Kaitlyn Read really did do it all for the Violets in her first season at NYU. Averaging just under 28 minutes a game, Read chipped in 13.8 points a contest on 45.8 percent shooting. She led the team with an astounding 75 steals and was second on the Violets with 87 assists and 151 rebounds. A truly dynamic player, Read can keep defenses honest with her abilities in various skill areas. She will be crucial if the Violets are to once again reach the NCAA tournament.

Brandon Jones, Wrestling

CAS junior and wrestling co-captain Brandon Jones brought home a third-place finish at the Division III NCAA championships last season, which is tied for the third highest finish ever for an NYU wrestler. If that was not enough, he was also named a University Athletic Association Outstanding Wrestler and an All-American in the 141-lb. weight class. Jones boasted the best record on last year’s team at 23-3. When wrestling season comes around in November, look for him to lead the team once again through their conference and NCAA schedules with his notable statistics.

Melissa Menta, Women’s Soccer

Melissa Menta, an SCPS junior, spearheaded the Violets’ attack last season and was one of only five players to start all 18 games for the squad. Not only did she rack up a team-leading seven goals, but also four of them were game winners, demonstrating her propensity to come through in the clutch. With a strong returning class, Menta will be at the center of the team’s quest for that elusive NCAA Tournament berth as they look to get consistent goal scoring to pair with solid play in net.

Evan Kupferberg, Men’s Basketball

The trio of Gallatin junior Evan Kupferberg, Stern junior Max Ralby and SCPS junior Costis Gontikas are sure to scare opposing defenses this season. Ralby figures to be the top distributer with the departure of Ryan Tana, and Gontikas will use his 6-foot-9 frame to post up on defenders and block those looking for easy baskets inside. The mark of a good basketball player is being able to majorly contribute in multiple categories. Kupferberg is the team’s prolific scorer, averaging 17.5 points per game last season and was the second leading scorer in the UAA. Kupferberg was also second on the team in blocks behind Gontikas with 18 and also racked up 33 steals. Kupferberg certainly can fill multiple stat categories, and the coaching staff will be leaning on him as the team tries to make the NCAA tournament.