DELHI, NY (June 10, 2022) - The first edition of our summer student-athlete spotlight’s is designated to Witchney Clersainville. Withcney just recently graduated from SUNY Delhi with a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management. Witchney was a member of the volleyball team all four years and joined the indoor and outdoor track and field team this year as a senior. She served as a captain on the volleyball team as a senior and earned first team all-conference. In the fall of 2019, she was recognized as a first team USCAA All-American and this year was honored as the SUNY Delhi WOmen's Athlete of the Year!
Student-Athlete: Witchney Clersainville
Major: Healthcare Management
Hometown: Spring Valley, NY
Why did you choose Delhi?
The staff here was extremely welcoming and the campus and setting around it are beautiful. Delhi had a great program for undecided students to explore academic options. I did not decide that I wanted to play volleyball in college until the summer after my senior year and Coach Bracchy was willing to let me walk on to the team at the last minute. Everything just came together to make it the right place for me.
What is your favorite thing about your major?
The major gives you a variety of exposures to different areas relevant to health care such as business administration, accounting and health administration. The well-rounded offerings help to prepare us more practically for the world we will be in when we start our career.
What is your most memorable moment as a student-athlete?
My sophomore year we had a great season. We were not full members of the NCAA yet, so we were competing in the USCAA. At the end of the season, Coach Bracchy called me to his office and handed me a trophy, telling me I had been selected as a first-team All-American. At the time, I did not think much of it as I was looking forward to all the coming things our team was going to accomplish over the next two years. However, when Covid hit and cancelled my entire junior year, I had more time to reflect on the experience from my sophomore season and appreciated it more. That energy led into my senior season where we had another great year and went undefeated in our division during the regular season.
Why should a high school student thinking about college choose Delhi?
They will get a great, supportive atmosphere both academically and athletically as well as from the community. They will have coaches and staff that are more invested in their development as students and as people than in win/loss records. Finally, they will find an atmosphere where there is always an open door for someone if they need it.
Advice from Witchney:
Being an athlete has been a fun and unique experience. In addition to teaching me a deeper sense of time management and prioritization, it also comes with many great things, such as teammates, experiences and coaches. Although there can be bitter sweet moments, I advise every single student-athlete to cherish each and every moment of this journey because it’ll be over before you know it.
Coach Bracchy’s Take on Witchney:
I enjoyed every moment that I spent coaching Witchney Clersainville during her time at SUNY Delhi, and it’s going to be very different not having her around next season. One thing that won’t be different is how Witchney approaches life. She’s got a ton of faith and a great work ethic that will take her very far. She has made me a better coach and her teammates better people, and we are all blessed for that! I can only imagine what her future will be like and how she will touch the lives of all those she encounters moving forward.
