ALL-TIME MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR WINNERS
Ferrando Felis is the Second Franklin Pierce Athlete to Earn the Award.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference put a bow on 2021-22 on Thursday night, as the league hosted its annual awards show, which was once again held in a virtual format. It was a banner night for the Franklin Pierce University Department of Athletics, as the Ravens took home two of the NE10's five major awards, including men's soccer graduate student Carlos Ferrando Felis being named as the NE10 Outstanding Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Felis is the first Raven in over a decade to take home one of the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, which is the league's premier award recognizing both academic and athletic prowess. Per the NE10, the awards are presented to "a male and a female graduating student-athlete who have each exhausted their athletic eligibility and who have exhibited sustained excellence in both academic achievement and athletic competition." Nominees are required to carry a minimum grade-point average of 3.3, and the award is voted on by institutional faculty members and athletic administrators.
Felis is just the second Franklin Pierce student-athlete to ever win the award, as he joins baseball's Bryan Duplissie, who was honored in 2005-06. Felis is only the third men's soccer player in NE10 history to take the award, which was established in 1999-2000.
The award capped a year full of hardware for Felis, who has been honored numerous times in the last seven months for his work both on the field and in the classroom. In November, he took home his sport's most prominent national award for academics and athletics, as he was named Academic All-America Team Member of the Year by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Shortly thereafter, he collected men's soccer Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence accolades from the NE10, in conjunction with his selection to the Academic All-Conference Team. Meanwhile, he was also NE10 Player of the Year, an All-NE10 First Team pick, an All-Region First Team honoree and an All-America First Team selection on the pitch this fall for the Ravens.
"It has been an honor to represent Franklin Pierce University, and I couldn't have reached this point without unconditional love and support from the important people in my life," said Felis in his acceptance speech, before thanking his coaches, teammates, family and friends. "It was a privilege to compete in the NE10 Conference and represent the school with dignity."
-Release provided by Franklin Pierce athletic communications staff-
ABOUT THE NE10
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 student-athletes compete in conference championships, 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.
