After four weeks the top five is here. The five athletes that appear the rest of the way are some of the best to ever play at Syracuse - not just in the 21st century.
5. Justyn Knight – SU Track & Field, Cross Country (2014-18)
Syracuse has plenty of storied athletes that have called The Hill home. But you can make a case that none were as decorated as Justyn Knight.
You name it, Knight has done it.
ACC Championship… check.
All-American… check.
Team National Championship… check
Individual National championship… check.
Before we completely list Knight’s resume, which would take all day, perhaps the most impressive thing Justyn accomplished during his four years at Syracuse was he made the community pay attention to the sports of cross country and track & field. We’ve talked about the importance Daryl Gross put on the success of non-revenue Olympic sports at SU, and Knight’s accomplishment embody that.
Syracuse had one other Track and Field champion before Knight burst onto the scene. His prowess led to team success in the 2015 cross country team national title. He followed that up with individual titles in 2017 and the 5000 meters championship in 2018.
Knight’s success is more that just at the college level. Even before he stepped foot on campus Justyn ran for his country. The Canadian won the 2015 PAN AM cross country title in 2015. It’s one of the eight times Knight has represented Canada in international competition. He was well on his way to make his Olympic-debut this summer before the IOC postponed the 2020 Olympics due the COVID-19 outbreak.
His individual accomplishment alone would make him an easy choice for the countdown. Tack on the fact he helped put two programs in the spotlight amidst a town crazy for hoops, football and lacrosse … and he’s a slam dunk choice for the top five.
Knight’s Resume
- 2015 Team XC National Title
- 2015 PAN AM XC Gold Medal
- 2016 NCAA XC Runner-Up
- 2017 XC Individual National Champion
- 2018 5000m National Champion
- 8-Time USTFCCCA All-American
- 7-Time USTFCCCA First-Team All-American
- 11-Time All-ACC Member
- 9-Time ACC Champion
- 4-Time Northeast Region Performer of the Year
- 2-Time ACC Performer of the Year
- 3-Time SU Male Athlete of the Year (2016-18)
4. Brittney Sykes – SU Women’s Basketball (2012-17)
Not only is she one of the all-time fan-favorite women's basketball players ever, she's also one of the most accomplished players in SU history despite blowing her knee out NOT once but twice during her career. That's already a good reason for slotting Brittney Sykes at No. 4 on our list of the Top 21 SU athletes of the 21st century, but there are plenty more where that came from.
Sykes finished her career third in program history in scoring (1,846 points), fifth in steals (266), and eighth in rebounds (810), and first in career starts (137). She not only helped Syracuse to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in 2014, she also played the program to its first-ever national title game appearance in 2016.
After tearing her ACL in that 2014 game and playing only 3 games after returning the following season before suffering the same injury, Sykes came back again to help the Orange reach the 2016 Final Four, where SU lost to her former AAU teammate Breanna Stewart and the UConn Huskies. Brittney averaged more than 19 points per game in her final season, which ended with another NCAA Tournament loss to Connecticut.
Sykes went onto become the 7th overall pick (highest in program history) of the 2017 WNBA Draft and finished a close second in the Rookie of the Year balloting that season, averaging 13 points per game for the Atlanta Dream. Oh, and did I mention, she earned both a bachelor's AND a Master's degree at Syracuse? This is one persistent woman!
Sykes’ Resume
- SU All-Time Leader in Starts (137)
- SU 3rd in Scoring (1,846 pts), 5th in Career Steals (266), 8th in Rebounds (810)
- Overcame Two ACL Tears to reach 2016 Final Four
- No. 7 Pick of 2017 WNBA Draft (Atlanta)--Highest Pick in SU History
- 2017 WNBA All-Rookie Team