FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scholarship Recipients Will Be Announced on Monday, May 20.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - The Northeast-10 Conference recently had four student-athletes named as finalists for the NCAA Division II 50th Anniversary Scholarship, as the Division continues to celebrate this milestone by recognizing outstanding student-athletes from each of its 23 conferences.
The scholarship opportunity is intended for student-athletes from active member institutions who exhibit the core values of Division II and have not yet exhausted their athletics eligibility. Each conference was asked to provide up to four finalists - two males and two females - for further review. Among the 89 finalists, 46 will be selected, two from each conference, by the NCAA Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee to earn $1,000 scholarships.
The Division II 50th Anniversary Scholarship recipients will be announced on Monday, May 20 with a release on ncaa.org at 6:30 p.m. The timing of the release coincides with the announcement of the recipients at the DII Spring Festival opening ceremonies in Orlando, Fla.
New Haven's Joe Vitale, Pace's Brianna Shea, Saint Anselm's Josie Pecor and Brandon Potts will be the NE10 representatives for the scholarship opportunity, following a selection process at the conference level. Each of the four were chosen among a group of 16 student-athletes nominated by NE10 institutions. Overall, Division II schools provided 196 nominations - with each school being asked to nominate one male and one female individual. From there, conferences could advance up to four individuals among their institutional nominations for final consideration.
Vitale, a linebacker on the New Haven football program, is a Health Sciences major and a six-time Dean's List recipient. He began his Master's program in the 2024 spring semester in Healthcare Administration, Population Health & Leadership. A Second Team All-Conference selection, Vitale earned a spot on the NE10 Academic All-Conference Team in 2023. He is a member of the New Haven Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Shea, an infielder on the Pace softball team, is an Applied Psychology and Human Relations major with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies. She was named an NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete in each of the past two seasons and has been named to the Dean's List on four occasions. Shea was named Second Team All-Conference in her freshman season in 2022. Among her many service initiatives, Shea is a member of the Pace SAAC, serves as an Athletic Diversity Committee Representative and is a peer mentor who oversees academic progress.
Pecor, one of two student-athletes from Saint Anselm to be named a scholarship finalist, is a double major in Social Work and Criminal Justice. A forward on the women's soccer program, Pecor is a two-time NE10 Academic All-Conference selection and a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team selection. She was a Second Team All-Conference pick last season. Pecor has participated in community service events with the Saint Anselm Meelia Center, Liberty House and Selma Deitch Early Learning Preschool.
Potts, a defensive back on the Saint Anselm football team, is a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology. He is a two-time NE10 Academic All-Conference selection and a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team selection. Potts has earned Dean's List status on five occasions and was named Second Team All-Conference in 2022. He serves on the Student Engagement Committee on the Saint Anselm College Board of Trustees, as well as on the Leadership Council for the football team and as a Resident Assistant on campus.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 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.
