BOSTON - Nine institutional nominees for the America East Man of the Year award were announced by the conference office Monday afternoon. University at Albany’s Justin Berger (lacrosse) and Peter Hooley (basketball), Binghamton University’s Jesse Garn (track & field), University of Hartford’s Anthony LoBello (soccer), UMBC’s Nate Lewnes (lacrosse), UMass Lowell’s Ryan McGrath (ice hockey), University of New Hampshire’s Andrew Chaput (men’s soccer), Stony Brook University’s Alejandro Fritz (soccer) and University of Vermont’s Dan Maroney (cross country/track & field) 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 his primary sport by the end of the 2016 spring season or received his undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2016 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).
The nominees will be narrowed down to three finalists, who will be announced via a release on the conference web site on Monday, May 23. The 2016 America East Man of the Year will be unveiled at the conference’s Annual Meeting in Burlington, Vt. on Tuesday, June 7.
This is the third 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. Maine's Kelton Cullenberg was the first ever recipient of the honor in 2014 and Stony Brook’s Eric Speakman won the award a year ago.
| Nominee |
School |
Sport |
| Justin Berger |
Albany |
Lacrosse |
| Peter Hooley |
Albany |
Basketball |
| Jesse Garn |
Binghamton |
Track & Field |
| Anthony LoBello |
Hartford |
Soccer |
| Nate Lewnes |
UMBC |
Lacrosse |
| Ryan McGrath |
UMass Lowell |
Ice Hockey |
| Andrew Chaput |
New Hampshire |
Soccer |
| Alejandro Fritz |
Stony Brook |
Soccer |
| Dan Maroney |
Vermont |
Cross Country/Track & Field |