Herkimer College Student-Athlete and Athletic Director honored by NJCAA Region III

The National Junior College Athletic Association Region III has named Herkimer County Community College men’s basketball standout Derrick Felder Male Student-Athlete of the Year for 2018-19. Additionally, Donald Dutcher has been named Region III Athletic Director of the Year for 2018-19.

Felder, a 2019 graduate from Yonkers, NY, was a guard on the men’s basketball team. He helped lead the Generals to their 2019 national championship win—the first since 1991—posting a game-high 23 points. He is the eighth student-athlete from the College to win the top Region III honor since its inception in 2001.

Felder was also named the 2019 Spalding NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Player of the Year, NJCAA All-American, two-time First Team All-Region player, Region III Player of the Year, the 2019 NJCAA National Tournament Most Valuable Player, and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York’s Player of the Year. He also received the 2019 SUNY Chancellor's Scholar Athlete Award, which recognizes outstanding academic excellence and athletic achievement. Felder will be attending the University of Tampa in fall 2019, where he will be starting point guard for the men’s basketball team.

Dutcher, a 1990 graduate of Herkimer College, served as athletics director from 2005 until earlier this year when he was appointed dean of students/director of athletics. Dutcher will be the NJCAA Region III men’s director in the upcoming season. He also chairs the Swimming and Diving Committee and serves on the region’s Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Soccer, Softball, Track and Field and Standards & Ethics committees. On the national level, Dutcher chairs the Men’s Basketball DIII Committee and is vice chair of the Lacrosse Committee.

Herkimer has won 32 national championships, 35 regional championships and 53 conference championships during Dutcher’s tenure. The College also placed first nationally, among non-scholarship Division III community college athletic programs, in the NATYCAA Cup competition in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Herkimer placed third in the NATYCAA/Daktronics Cup for 2019.

Under Dutcher’s leadership, the Generals have won several NJCAA Academic Team of the Year awards and Academic All-Region awards. Additionally, many student-athletes were named Academic All-Americans, Distinguished All-Americans and—like Felder—have received the SUNY Chancellor's Scholar Athlete Award.