HILTON, NY. (nazathletics.com) - Nazareth Men's Basketball senior
Jaylen Savage was named the 2025-26 Empire 8 Male Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, based on a vote by the conference Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs). The award honors a male student-athlete who best exemplify what it means to be a dedicated scholar and athlete over the course of their collegiate careers.
Savage follows in the footsteps of teammate
Luke Insley, who took home the same honor last season. He is the fifth student-athlete at Nazareth to win the award.
A 2024-25 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) First Team All-American, NABC All-District Player of the Year and Finalist for National Player of the Year, Empire 8 Player of the Year and two-time United States Basketball Writers Association Rochester Area Player of the Year, Savage helped lead the Golden Flyers to a 75-32 record and two trips to the Empire 8 Championship game in his four seasons played. Savage, the 2022-23 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, was a two-time All-Empire 8 second team selection (2022-23 and 2023-24) and two-time All-E8 first team pick (2024-25 and 2025-26).
Savage, a shooting guard, played 107 in games over four seasons for the Golden Flyers, averaging 16.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 83.4 percent from the foul line. He scored 1,736 career points, sixth all-time in Nazareth's storied program history and tied for eighth all-time in Empire 8 history. A model of consistency, Savage scored in double figures in 91 of his 107 career games, including all 26 in 2025-26 and the final 34 straight games of his collegiate career.
In 2026, Savage won Nazareth's prestigious Jeff Van Gundy Award. Named for former Nazareth basketball standout and Sports Hall of Famer Jeff Van Gundy, who was renowned for his work ethic and passion for his team and for his school. The award recognizes those characteristics as well commitment to Nazareth athletics in and out of season.
"
Jaylen Savage demonstrated for four years what being a true student-athlete is all about," said Men's Basketball Head Coach
Kevin Broderick. "He was a caring and unselfish teammate, an inspiring leader by example, a serious determined student and an elite athlete and competitor. His record setting All-American career at Nazareth is to be admired but most importantly he earned the respect of all by setting a new standard of competing with class."
A native of Elmsford, NY, Savage earned his bachelor's degree in ethical data science from Nazareth, while carrying a 3.66 cumulative grade-point average. Savage was a two-time member of the Empire 8 President's List for student-athletes with GPAs of 3.75 and a three-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Men's Basketball Academic All-District selection in 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26. In addition, Savage was named to the NABC Honors Court in 2024-25.
As a freshman, Savage made an immediate impact for the Golden Flyers, averaging 13.0 points per game, helping lead the Golden Flyers to 21 wins and a trip to the Empire 8 Championship game, while earning E8 Rookie of the Year accolades and USBWA Rochester Area Freshman of the Year honors.
Savage's breakout came during the 2024–25 season, when he put together one of the most impressive seasons in league history. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, leading the E8 in scoring, while setting an Empire 8 record for field goals made in a single season with 217, highlighting his scoring ability and consistency. His performance earned him numerous honors, including Empire 8 Player of the Year, All-Empire 8 First Team, NABC First-Team All-American, NABC District III Player of the Year, D3Hoops.com First Team All-Region, and USBWA Rochester Player of the Year. He was also named a finalist for the NABC Division III National Player of the Year award, placing him among the top players in the country.
As a senior, Savage averaged 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and career-best 2.7 assists per game, while also adding 1.3 steals per game and playing 34.3 minutes per game. He shot a career-best 48 percent from the floor and 85 percent from the foul line. Savage earned All-Empire 8 first team honors, NABC All-District second team accolades and D3hoops.com All-Region third team accolades, while earning his second straight USBWA Rochester Area Player of the Year honor in addition to his fourth straight USBWA first team nod.
Savage also competed three seasons for Nazareth in outdoor track and field as a standout sprinter. He helped lead Nazareth to back-to-back Empire 8 4x400-meter championships in 2023 and 2024 and was the runner-up in the 400-meters in 2023. He recorded career-best times of 11.16 seconds in the 100-meters, 22.78 seconds in the 200-meters and 49.47 seconds in the 400-meters.
"Jaylen was a joy to watch on both the basketball court and the track," said Joe Venniro, Empire 8 Senior Associate Commissioner. "I was continually impressed with his demeanor and development on the court, becoming an All-American and one of the best guards in Division III over the last few seasons. More impressively, what Jaylen has accomplished in the classroom, as a leader on the Nazareth campus and the respect he commands from his teammates and peers is impressive."
In addition, Savage served in a variety of community service roles in his four years at Nazareth, serving as a volunteer at Feeding the homeless and at Pencils and Paper. He also served as a referee for Special Olympics Basketball at Nazareth, practiced with the Best Buddies program and is a member of the Westchester County Sigma Gamma Rio. Savage also was a volunteer at Nazareth's Black Excellence Expo and Fashion Show.
"Jaylen demonstrates all of the qualities that I see in the most outstanding undergraduate students: resolute, creative, thoughtful, and self-motivated," said Wendy Norris, Founding Faculty and Director of Ethical Data Science at Nazareth. "His insights into team dynamics and how to effectively lead others through adversity were incredibly impressive to see play out in the boardroom where our class met each week. I am confident that Jaylen's success at Nazareth as an accomplished student athlete will inform his future professional life in meaningful ways going forward."
2025-26 Empire 8 Male Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalists
Franlys Valenzuela, Alfred University – Basketball
Alex Rivara, SUNY Brockport – Soccer
Pietro Gallina, Elmira College – Soccer
Jacob Miller, SUNY Geneseo – Track and Field
Collin August, Hartwick College – Lacrosse
Amos Bixler, Houghton University – Cross Country/Track and Field
Josh Slater, SUNY Poly – Baseball/Golf/Volleyball
Max Schneider, St. John Fisher University – Basketball
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