For Immediate Release
June 7, 2011
South Easton, Mass. – University of New Haven graduate student Shannon Gagne and Le Moyne College senior Jack Venditti (pictured) were named the 2010-2011 Northeast-10 Conference Outstanding Scholar-Athletes of the Year by a committee comprised of faculty members and athletic administrators.
They were recognized at the Northeast-10 end of the year banquet, which took place Tuesday night in Providence, R.I.
Gagne finished her athletic career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in the conference's history. A member of the cross country and track and field teams at New Haven, she recently won two individual national championships at the NCAA Outdoor Championship Meet in the 200 and 400 meter dashes. Earlier this year, Gagne won three national titles at the NCAA Indoor Championship Meet in the 200, 400, and the long jump. Her five national titles make her one of just three student-athletes at the Division II level to ever accomplish the feat in one year.
Gagne was also recognized this year as the Northeast-10 Conference's Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, as well as being named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
She is pursuing her master's in national security and currently has a 3.95 grade point average and received her undergraduate degree, majoring in criminal justice, with a 3.93 GPA. Gagne was named to the Dean's List each semester at New Haven, and was the school's Hatfield Scholar Recipient, which is awarded for competitive scholarship for honors students only. Gagne was named to the NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll each semester she was eligible, and was the Northeast-10 Scholar Athlete Excellence Award recipient in 2011. She is the head volunteer for the school's legal society and volunteers at the West Haven Community House, serving as a student mentor.
Le Moyne's Venditti recently completed his career as a member of the men's lacrosse team, which saw him make three NCAA Championship appearances. Venditti helped lead the team to an overall record of 58-7 in his four years at Le Moyne. He was named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year as a senior, and was a three-time All-Conference selection.
Off the playing field, Venditti has a 3.709 GPA, and is majoring in finance. He was awarded the Rev. J.J. O'Brien Senior Award at Le Moyne, which recognizes one male and one female senior student-athlete who excels in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. He has been named to the conference's All-Academic team each of the past two years, and was named to the college's Dean's List seven times.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that are committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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