BOSTON - The America East Conference announced today that University at Albany’s Justin Berger (lacrosse) and Peter Hooley (basketball) and Stony Brook University's Alejandro Fritz (soccer) have been named finalists for the 2015-2016 America East Man of the Year award. In its third year, the honor recognizes the conference’s senior male student-athlete who has best distinguished himself throughout his collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
Justin Berger, Albany - Lacrosse
- Earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and graduated with a 3.72 GPA.
- Four-year SAAC member and 2015-16 America East SAAC President.
- Organized Albany’s You Can Play and Food Frenzy campus events.
- Received SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.
- Member of the 2014-15 America East Helping Hands team.
- Earned Dean’s List honors seven times and America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognition five times.
- Won three America East championships and went to four NCAA tournaments including the quarterfinals twice as part of Albany’s men’s lacrosse team.
Peter Hooley, Albany - Men's Basketball
- Received his undergraduate degree in journalism and psychology with a 3.56 GPA.
- Enrolled in Albany’s graduate program and has a 3.60 GPA in interpersonal and intercultural communication.
- Volunteers with the American Cancer Society.
- Two-time America East men’s basketball Scholar-Athlete.
- Three-time America East All-Academic and CoSIDA All-District choice.
- Three-time All-Conference selection and three-time America East champion.
Alejandro Fritz, Stony Brook - Soccer
- Graduated with a 3.73 GPA as an applied mathematics & statistics and economics major.
- Four-year SAAC member.
- America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete.
- America East All-Academic honoree.
- Four-year member and two-time captain of Stony Brook men’s soccer team and an All-Conference performer in 2014.
- Volunteers as a PACK mentor, Red Watch Band member and Relay for Life.
- Helped plan Stony Brook’s You Can Play events.
The three finalists were selected from a pool of the nine America East institutional nominations, which were announced on May 16. To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in his primary sport by the end of the 2016 spring season, received his undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2016 term and had a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale). The 2015-16 America East Man of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, June 7 at the conference’s annual awards dinner in Burlington, Vt., the site of the conference’s Annual Meeting, as well as via a news release on www.AmericaEast.com.
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.