Region III Male Athlete of the Year honors for Polk

(Ben Polk scores his nation leading 33rd goal of the season against Cayuga in the 2014 national tournament).

HERKIMER, NY – Herkimer men’s soccer player Ben Polk completed his impressive calendar year on the field and in the classroom Monday (7/13) when he was nominated as Region III Male Athlete of the Year in the NJCAA DIII.

Polk - who is from Banbury, England - led the nation in goals with 33, scoring in every game but two. The sophomore headed an offensive attack which accumulated 110 goals in 20 games, with the forward accumulating two or more goals in 11 contests, adding four hat tricks and eight game winners for Herkimer in the process. Polk led the Generals to a third place finish at nationals in 2015 and received honors as Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year, Region III Player of the Year and first team All-American by the NJCAA and NSCAA.

That wasn’t it however as Polk also maintained a 4.0 GPA as a Liberal Arts & Sciences: General Studies major at Herkimer, making it to the President’s list in both semesters attended. His acumen helped the sophomore receive a scholarship to Syracuse University where he will major in Business Administration and play for the Orangemen at forward in 2015.

“As the Director of Athletics it was our honor and privilege to have a student-athlete like Ben Polk attend our institution and compete at the highest level,” said Donald Dutcher. “He has set the standard for future student-athletes attending Herkimer. To be voted as the best male athlete in Region III by opposing athletic directors says it all!”

"Ben is truly deserving of this award,” added Head Men’s Soccer Coach Pepe Aragon. “He exemplifies what a true student-athlete should be. Ben excelled both on-and-off of the field. For all of his hard work he received a scholarship to nationally ranked Syracuse University to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) which is the best soccer conference in the country! Ben is one of the best strikers that I have ever coached. He is an absolute class act and I feel blessed to have coached him!"

-Giorgio Varlaro