BOSTON - The America East Conference announced today that UMBC's Yao Adantor (track & field), Albany's Sam Rowley (basketball) and Stony Brook's Eric Speakman (cross country/track & field) have been named finalists for the 2014-2015 America East Man of the Year award. In its second year, the honor recognizes the conference’s senior male student-athlete who has best distinguished himself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.The three finalists were selected from a pool of the 11 America East institutional nominations, which were announced on May 12. To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2015 spring season, received her undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2015 term and had a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale). The 2014-15 America East Man of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, June 2 at the conference’s annual awards dinner in Bretton Woods, N.H., the site of the conference’s Annual Meeting, as well as via a news release on www.AmericaEast.com.Yao Adantor, UMBC - Track & Field
- Will receive an undergraduate degree in both psychology and sociology in two weeks.
- SAAC Co-President.
- Avid volunteer: NCAA Choices council member, St. Agnes Hospital, UMBC "It's on Us" campaign.
- Champion in the shot put at the 2015 America East Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
Sam Rowley, Albany - Men's Basketball
- Has a 3.60 GPA as a double major in business administration and mathematics.
- America East basketball Scholar-Athlete.
- First-team All-America East selection and second-team NABC All-District selection.
- Became just the fourth America East men's basketball student-athlete to earn All-Academic recognition for the third straight year.
- Made Dean’s List all seven semesters.
- SAAC member.
Eric Speakman, Stony Brook - Cross Country/Track & Field
- Has a 3.90 GPA majoring in business management and economics
- First Stony Brook athlete to win two individual America East championships in cross country (2012, 2014),
- Earned the conference's Elite 18 award, given to student-athletes for excellence in athletics and academics in cross country.
- Four-time America East Scholar-Athlete Award winner and a SUNY Chancellor Award honoree.
- Volunteers as a PACK mentor, Red Watch Band member, Cerebral Palsy Quality Friend volunteer and treasurer for the Stony Brook chapter of The Supply helping to provide aid to slums across the world.
This is the second 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. Maine's Kelton Cullenberg was selected the 2013-14 winner.About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.