DIVISION II AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
AIC, Saint Rose Recognized for Community Initiatives.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – American International and Saint Rose, in step with the Northeast-10 Conference’s commitment to serving local communities, have both been nominated for the Division II Award of Excellence – an honor that recognizes institutions or conferences for their community engagement efforts.
The AIC baseball team, in conjunction with Rex’s Pantry, participated in Home Run for the Hungry for the fourth-straight year. The Yellow Jackets collected over a ton of food – amounting to 2,672 pounds in total – to donate to two local nonprofit organizations: Square One in Springfield, Mass., and Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry in Chicopee, Mass.
Saint Rose women’s soccer further strengthened the NE10’s partnership with Team IMPACT by signing eight-year-old Ella to its program in November. Even in the midst of a pandemic, the Golden Knights were able to conduct a socially-distanced draft day for Ella at the Plumeri Sports Complex. Team IMPACT is a nonprofit that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams.
Finalists for the Division II Award of Excellence will be announced the week of Jan. 4. The DII National SAAC’s Community Engagement Subcommittee and Honors, Awards and Recognition Subcommittee will review the finalists.
The overall award winner, first place runner-up and second place runner-up will be announced during the DII business session on Friday, Jan. 15, as part of the NCAA Convention. Monetary prizes are awarded to recipients of the honor, both nationally and within each conference, to be used toward future community engagement initiatives.
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 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.
