CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Nine institutional nominees for the inaugural America East Man of the Year award have been announced by the conference office. University at Albany's Cody Futia (lacrosse), Binghamton University's Ben Nicholson (Soccer), University of Hartford's Anthony Santaga (Soccer), University of Maine's (Kelton Cullenberg), UMBC's Pete Caringi III (Soccer), UMass Lowell's Keith Lewis (Track & Field), University of New Hampshire's Jeff Turner (Soccer), Stony Brook University's Brandon McNitt (baseball) and University of Vermont's Luke Apfeld (basketball) have been chosen as the senior male student-athletes on their respective campuses that best exemplified a commitment to service, leadership, athletics and academics during their collegiate careers.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2014 spring season or received her undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2014 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).
The nominees will be narrowed down to three finalists on Tuesday, May 20 via a release on the conference web site with the America East Man of the Year being announced at the conference’s Annual Meeting in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire on Tuesday, June 3.
This is the first year the conference will hand out the Man of the Year award. The America East has awarded a Woman of the Year since 2006 with the winner moving forward for a chance to be named the NCAA Woman of the Year. Athletic Directors and administrators at the nine America East institutions voted to begin awarding a Man of the Year beginning with the 2013-14 academic year.
| Nominee |
School |
Sport |
| Cody Futia |
Albany |
Lacrosse |
| Ben Nicholson |
Binghamton |
Soccer |
| Anthony Santaga |
Hartford |
Soccer |
| E Kelton Cullenberg |
Maine |
Cross Country/Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field |
| Peter Caringi |
UMBC |
Soccer |
| Keith Lewis |
Umass Lowell |
Cross Country/Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field |
| Jeff Turner |
New Hampshire |
Soccer |
| Brandon McNitt |
Stony Brook |
Baseball |
| Luke Apfeld |
Vermont |
Basketball |