Mount Saint Mary College Athletics

NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Former men’s basketball standout Michael Hoyt will be inducted as an inaugural member of the Mount Saint Mary College Hall of Fame on April 13, 2013.

A native of Florida, N.Y. and a graduate of the S.S. Seward Institute, Hoyt is the all-time leading scorer at the Mount with 2,586 career points and is the only student-athlete in school history to be named a first-team All-American.  He led all of NCAA Divisions I, II, and III in scoring as a senior in 2006-07, pouring in a total of 898 points for an average of 34.5 per game.  Named a D3hoops.com first-team All-American in 2006-07, Hoyt also earned recognition as the Skyline Conference Player of the Year, the D3hoops.com Atlantic Region Player of the Year, a D3 News second team All-American, an NABC second team All-American, a Bob Cousy Award nominee, and a Jostens Trophy finalist.

A three-time first team all-conference selection in the Skyline, Hoyt was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2003-04.  The Knights were 67-45 during Hoyt’s four years on campus and he helped the program to a Skyline Conference Championship as a sophomore in 2004-05.

He graduated in 2007 with every major scoring record at the College, some of which may never be broken.  In addition to the all-time scoring record, Hoyt also holds career Mount records for field goals (817), three-pointers (376), and free throws (576).  His record of 59 points in a single game, as well as his record of 898 points in a season, may be on the books for a long time to come. 

In the NCAA Division III record books, Hoyt holds the record for 50-point games in a season (4, set in 2006-07).  His average of 34.5 points per game is the sixth highest single-season average in Division III history and his total of 2,586 points ranks him 10th all-time.  Hoyt also ranks 6th all-time in career three-pointers with his 376.

Upon graduating from the Mount with a degree in English and a concentration in childhood education in 2007, Hoyt went on to complete a master’s degree in instructional technology at the New York Institute of Technology in 2012.  He is currently teaching second grade at Golden Hill Elementary School in the Florida Union Free School District.

Favorite moments at the Mount: “I have a few…winning the Skyline Conference Tournament my sophomore year; when my brother, Joe, also decided to come to the Mount; and being close enough to home to have my parents and grandparents at every one of my basketball games.”

How did your time at the Mount prepare you for your career: “I learned the qualities of hard work, teamwork, preparation, and determination throughout my four years at the Mount.  I really try to incorporate all of these into my classroom each year and it seems to have a positive effect on my second graders.  I also try to pass on what I learned in my basketball career and how what I’ve learned means a whole lot more than playing a sport.  Hopefully, as my students move on from my classroom, they take some of these qualities and teachings with them.  My coaches, my teammates, even my opponents, have helped to mold me into the man I am today.  The relationships are what I miss and cherish the most.  All the awards, wins, losses, and stats don’t even come close.”