Three Maxwell School alumni are among the five legendary Syracuse University athletes who were honored at the 58th Annual Letterwinner of Distinction Awards held at Drumlins Country Club earlier this month.

Kristyn Cook ’97 B.A. (PSt)/’98 M.P.A., Clothilde “Clo” Ewing ’00 B.A. (PSc) and John Wallace ’96 B.A. (Soc) were joined by fellow honorees Mary Ann Hopkins ’87, G’89 (field hockey) and Brett Jefferson ’88 (men’s lacrosse). Those in attendance included Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke, University athletics staff and coaches, former men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim ’66 B.A. (Hist)/’73 M.S.Sc. and numerous alumni and friends.

The 1997 Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Cook served as a captain of the women’s basketball team as a senior in 1996-97. She was a member of the 1995-96 team that won the conference co-championship. Cook tallied 963 points, grabbed 324 rebounds, and had 131 assists and 91 steals in 91 career games at Syracuse. She is currently chief agency, sales and marketing officer for State Farm. She has volunteered as a member of the Teach For America Board of Directors and serves on the Member Board of Directors for The American College of Financial Services.

A three-time women’s lacrosse captain and goaltender during the first three seasons of the program's existence, Ewing still holds Syracuse records for save percentage and goals against average in a season and career, and the single-game saves record. The 1999 Orange won the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, and the 2000 squad earned the program's first NCAA Tournament invitation. Ewing earned recognition for her work in the classroom with a spot on the 2000 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division I Academic Squad and won the 1999-2000 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award. She has published two picture books and serves as vice president of strategic communications for The Chicago Community Trust.

Exceptional throughout his tenure with the men’s basketball team, Wallace earned All-Big East honors each of his four seasons and scored 845 points as a senior, setting the Syracuse record for most points in a single season. A first-round selection in the 1996 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft by the New York Knicks, he played in the league for seven seasons. In 2020, his Syracuse #44 jersey was retired. He’s still involved with the Knicks and several other professional endeavors, including work with textile and solar firms and occasional analysis for MSG Networks. He is also involved with Heavenly Productions Foundation, a charity based in Armonk, New York, whose mission is to help children in need.

By Jessica Youngman