FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sport Excellence Awards Handed Out for 2018-19 Winter Season.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast 10 Conference released its Sport Excellence Award winners for the 2018-19 winter season on Wednesday afternoon, as seven student-athletes were honored for their outstanding achievements on the playing surface and in the classroom.
Of the 72 student-athletes that were named to Academic All-Conference Teams on Tuesday, seven were voted – 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. Bentley was the only institution with multiple winners, as both Ryan Richmond (men’s basketball) and Frank Elenio (swimming and diving) were honored.
Rounding out the elite group is New Haven’s Michael Kandolin (men’s indoor track and field), Pace’s Jana Ciric (women’s swimming and diving), Saint Rose’s Christine Myers (women’s indoor track and field), Southern New Hampshire’s Kylie Lorenzen (women’s basketball) and Stonehill’s Billy Palmer (men’s ice hockey).
| Sport Excellence Award | Sport | GPA | Major | Notes |
| Ryan Richmond | Men's Basketball | 3.41 | Finance |
NABC Division II All-American. Google Cloud Academic All-America Second Team. NCAA Division II All-District and D2CCA All-Region. Leading scorer in the NE10 during 2018-19 season. Finished as No. 3 scorer in Bentley history with 2,181 points. 12th in Division II in scoring and tied for second in the East Region. Eighth among active Division II players in total points. |
| Kylie Lorenzen | Women's Basketball | 3.71 | Environmental Science |
Ranked third in the East Region in scoring and field goals made. Also ranked third in the NE10 in scoring and field goals made. In SNHU’s single-season record book, 283 rebounds are tied for first and 545 points rank second. WBCA All-America Honorable Mention. D2CCA All-East Region Second Team. NE10 All-Conference First Team. Google Cloud Academic All-District Team. |
| Billy Palmer | Men's Ice Hockey | 3.74 | Marketing & Graphic Design |
Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. NE10 Academic Honor Roll. One-time NE10 Goaltender of the Week. NE10 all-time leader in saves, finishing his career with 2,560. Played in 17 of 26 games, making 523 saves and posting a save percentage of 0.900. |
| Michael Kandolin | Men's Indoor Track & Field | 3.74 | Finance/Economics |
Top performer in the weight throw in the East Region. Hit NCAA provisional marker at Yale Season Opener, throwing 18.16m. Improved NCAA provisional mark at the NE10 Championships, throwing 18.21m. Set a new school record and personal best with an 18.29m throw at the Boston University Last Chance Meet. Finished the season ranked 28th in the nation in the weight throw. USTFCCCA All-Region in the weight throw. |
| Christine Myers | Women's Indoor Track & Field | 3.91 | Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law |
NE10 Indoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. Won the 5000m at the NE10 Championships with a school record of 17:42.93. Also won the 3000m run with a time of 10:18.55. Part of the distance medley relay that lowered the school record by more than 27 seconds at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Established facility, meet and school records in the 5000m at the Utica College Blue and Orange Invitational with a time of 17:51.80. |
| Frank Elenio | Men's Swimming & Diving | 3.52 | Accounting |
2019 NE10 champion in 200 IM, 400 IM and 800 free relay. Placed third in the NE10 Championship in 200 butterfly, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay. Broke school records in all six events where he medaled. Team captain and two-time NE10 Swimmer of the Week. Posted NCAA "B" cuts in 400 IM and 200 IM. |
| Jana Ciric | Women's Swimming & Diving | 3.98 | Computer Science |
Won gold medal in the 200 free at the NE10 Championships. Took home a pair of silver medals and two bronzes at the NE10s, as well. Two-time NE10 Women’s Swimmer of the Week and two-time NE10 Women’s Relay of the Week member. Recognized on the NE10 Fall Academic Honor Roll. |
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.