SUNY Brockport senior Megan Gerber excels in both soccer and women’s flag football. A standout competitor, she has earned multiple awards and played a pivotal role in leading both teams to postseason success.   

Gerber only recently became a dual-sport athlete, joining Brockport’s inaugural women’s flag football season. Despite it being her senior year, she said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.   

“I love flag football,” Gerber said. “I played it in high school, and I knew if I had the chance to do it again at the collegiate level, I would.”  

She made her on-field presence known and became one of the team’s most impactful players, earning Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week twice and being named Tournament MVP as Brockport won its first Empire 8 Women’s Flag Football championship.    

But for Gerber, the experience goes beyond the awards.   

“It’s been such a cool experience meeting new people and being part of something new,” Gerber said. “I’m really happy I made the decision to do it.”  

In soccer, Gerber was a leader and helped set the standard and build the culture the team has today. Brockport Women’s Soccer head coach Mike Idland said that she leads by example.  

“An example is the first word that comes to mind,” Idland said. “She sets the standard every day for how to be a student-athlete.”  

Gerber has been awarded ‘The Standard Award’ by her team for three years in a row now. It is given to the player who maintained the highest standards in practice each day. For the senior, leadership has come naturally to give the same effort each day.  

“I was made a captain early, and I just grew into it,” Gerber said. “I just try to show up the same way every day.”  

Coach Idland talked about how she is never afraid to step up in big moments, and about a game early in her career in a semifinal match against Geneseo. In the match she took a penalty kick when others wouldn’t, which brought Brockport to the championship.   

“She didn’t shy away from it,” Idland said. “It speaks to what she’s made of, how strong her character is, and how poised she is in those pressure moments.”   

Gerber discussed how she handles pressure and her mindset during the game to help stay focused.   

“You can’t dwell on what just happened,” Gerber said. “It’s always about the next play.”  

This season Gerber finished with five goals and two assists for 12 points, the third highest on Brockport. She started in all 21 games as a senior and earned an Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week with a seven-point performance in a 9-0 victory over SUNY Poly. With the season, Gerber was named to the All-Conference Empire 8 1st Team and United Soccer Coaches 3rd Team All-Region.  

On her career, Gerber garnered 11 goals and three assists for 25 points including four game-winners. On top of that, the senior earned an Empire 8 Second Team nod in 2024 and a SUNYAC Third Team recognition in 2023.  

Brockport Women’s Flag Football head coach Charisse Everett shared similar sentiments: that Gerber just keeps going and pushes through. She said she has an “internal motor” that won’t stop. 

“Her resilience is unmatched,” Everett said. “She has the ability to keep going, play after play, after play. She had a significant impact right away. She showed the girls what they’re capable of in a short amount of time.”  

Everett discussed how Gerber helped guide her teammates and showed how it is possible to succeed no matter where you are.   

“She was able to provide that guidance and assistance to them to help build their confidence,” Everett said. “She leads by her actions and showed that no matter where you are or what position you’re in, you can always excel and achieve more.”  

Gerber is glad she was able to be part of something new and watch it succeed, and she wanted to take every opportunity she could while still in college.   

“To be part of something at its start and see it succeed is really special,” said Gerber. “I just wanted to experience everything I could in college, and I’m really glad I did.” 

To go along with her stats and accolades as a soccer athlete, Gerber earned Tournament MVP along with notching an All-Tournament and All-Conference First Team. On the season, Gerber finished with 2,373 yards (1,249 Rushing, 915 Passing, 110 Receiving, 99 Punt Return) and 31 touchdowns (14 rushing, 15 passing, 2 Receiving). Gerber then capped it off with her first Empire 8 championship as a Golden Eagle. 

As her senior season comes to a close, Gerber may not be a Golden Eagle uniform again next year, but the legacy that the dual-sport athlete leaves behind will go down in Brockport history.