IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Seven Student-Athletes Honored as Sport Excellence Award Winners.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast 10 Conference announced its Sport Excellence Award winners for the 2018 fall season on Tuesday afternoon, honoring seven exceptional student-athletes for their contributions on the playing surface and in the classroom.
Last week, the NE10 released its Academic Honor Roll for the fall semester and the Academic All-Conference Teams for fall sports. Of the 88 student-athletes earning Academic All-Conference status, seven were chosen – one from each respective sport – as the top selections among the group.
To be qualified for Academic All-Conference and Sport Excellence honors, a student-athlete must have started at least half or played in two-thirds of all contests while making significant contributions and maintaining a 3.3 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
One of the league’s most prestigious awards, the Sport Excellence Award winners come from six different schools. Merrimack was the only institution with multiple winners, as both Katherine Ferrara (women’s cross country) and Katharina Ohmen (field hockey) were honored.
Rounding out the group was Bentley’s Jack Hansbury (football), Stonehill’s Alexander Demeule (men’s cross country), Franklin Pierce’s Marta Turmo (women’s soccer), Le Moyne’s Niklas Breunung (men’s soccer) and American International’s Jana Potic (volleyball).
| Sport Excellence Award | Sport | GPA | Major | Notes |
| Alexander Demeule | Men’s XC | 3.82 | Finance | Six top-20 finishes. Competed in his third-career NCAA Division II Championship. NE10 All-Conference First Team and All-New England Team. Team was runner-up at the NE10 Championship. Helped team earn 16th-straight trip to NCAA Division II Championships. |
| Katherine Ferrara | Women’s XC | 4.00 | Mathematics |
Placed 30th in the NCAA Championship with a time of 23:21.6. Post two first-place finishes and four top five finishes. USTFCCCA All-American honor. Member of the NE10 All-Conference First Team. NE10 Elite 24 Award winner. |
| Katharina Ohmen | Field Hockey | 3.95 | Criminology | Ranked in the top five in goals against average, save percentage (ranked fifth nationally), and total saves. NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team player. NFHCA Second Team All-American. NE10 Elite 24 Award winner and named to NE10 Championship All-Tournament Team. |
| Jack Hansbury | Football | 3.94 | Corporate Finance & Accounting | Started every game for the third straight season and played in every consecutive season. Helped Bentley average 323 yards and 21.7 points per game. Google Cloud Academic All-America First Team. Semifinalist for NFF Campbell Award. |
| Niklas Breunung | Men’s Soccer | 3.89 | MBA | Recorded five points on two goals and one assist. Anchored a defense that allowed just 1.13 goals per game in NE10 action. NE10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team player. United Soccer Coaches East Region First Team. Google Cloud Academic All-America First Team. |
| Marta Turmo | Women’s Soccer | 3.77 | Management | Two goals, three assists and seven points with 15 shots in 20 games played. NE10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team. United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team. CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team. |
| Jana Potic | Volleyball | 3.60 | Finance | NE10 Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team. AVCA First Team All-Region and All-American Honorable Mention. Fourth place in program history in kills. Led conference in total kills (456). |
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.