KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University standout student-athletes, Brandon Hile (Winfield, Pa./Selinsgrove) and Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) of KU Football, along with Erin Gonzalez (East Earl, Pa./Garden Spot) of KU Field Hockey, were recently recognized as three of just eight recipients of the 2026 Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award, all with noteworthy achievements in athletics. Retter earned gold, while Gonzalez received silver and Hile got copper.

Retter, a native of Quakertown, is graduating in May with a degree in elementary education. Retter, a defensive lineman, is a two-time All-PSAC East First Team and All-Super Region 1 selection. He was voted 2024 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year and D2CCA Super Region 1 Defensive Player of the Year. This past fall, he earned D2CCA All-America Second Team honors as the Golden Bears won a school record 14 games. In 39 career games, Retter totaled 114 tackles, 21 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss. In addition to numerous accolades on the gridiron, Retter is a two-time All-America wrestler and is one of KU's top academic student-athletes.
 
Hile is from Winfield, Pa. and is graduating in May with a degree in criminal justice. In 47 career games, the linebacker amassed 196 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. During KU's record-setting 2025 season, Hile was voted PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year and received All-America honors from multiple organizations. He was an All-PSAC East and D2CCA All-Super Region 1 First Team choice before going on to be named AFCA All-America Second Team, D2CCA All-America Second Team, Associated Press All-America Second Team, Walter Camp Foundation All-America and Don Hansen Gazette Honorable Mention All-America and D2Football.com Elite 100. In addition to his on-field recognition, Hile received College Sports Communicators Academic All-America First Team and Academic All-PSAC honors this past fall.
 
Gonzalez is from East Earl, Pa. and is graduating in May with a degree in business administration. Gonzalez was a three-time All-PSAC selection and two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-American. In her final season with the Maroon and Gold this past fall, Gonzalez was voted PSAC Athlete of the Year, All-PSAC First Team, NFHCA All-Atlantic Region First Team and NFHCA All-America First Team. In 84 career games, Gonzalez had 47 goals, 18 assists, 112 points and 15 game-winning goals. She set new career-highs in all offensive categories in 2025, finishing with 17 goals, eight assists, five game-winning goals and 42 points in 22 games. Gonzalez ranks tied for seventh in program history in career goals scored.
 
About the Chambliss Academic Achievement Awards
 
The Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Awards were established through a generous gift provided by Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss, who served as a member of the Kutztown University faculty from 1970 until 2003. The purpose of the awards is to recognize the exceptional individual achievements of a select group of senior students as their careers at Kutztown University draw to a close.
 
Faculty and staff at Kutztown University are encouraged to nominate students worthy of consideration for this prestigious award. The criterion requires that the nominee exemplify an individual achievement in one or more of the following areas in order to be considered for one of the twelve awards. The areas of achievement are:
 
a) Successfully completed research projects
b) Original artwork of high quality
c) Artistic performances (music, chorus, drama, etc.) of high quality
d) Original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields
e) Noteworthy achievements in athletics
f) Outstanding service to the Kutztown University community
 
Dr. Chambliss has provided the resources for up to 12 medals (1 gold, 4 silver, 7 copper) to be issued annually to the students selected for this award. In addition, each student recipient will receive a certificate acknowledging conferral of the award.