Finalists for 2018-19 America East Man & Woman of Year Award Announced
BOSTON - The America East Conference unveiled today the finalists for the 2018-19 America East Man & Woman of the Year awards. These awards honor the conference's top male and female senior student-athlete who has best distinguished himself or herself throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
Woman of Year Finalists
Tara Belinsky, UAlbany – Track & Field
- Graduated with a 3.86 GPA majoring in communication.
- America East Presidential Scholar Athlete.
- Three-time conference champion in the shotput and America East Outdoor Track & Field Championship record holder.
- America East Helping Hands Award recipient.
Lauren McDonald, UMBC – Lacrosse
- Graduated with a 3.76 GPA as an environmental science major and has a perfect 4.0 GPA pursuing a Master of Science in geography and environmental systems.
- Two-time All-Conference selection.
- Three-time AE All-Academic honoree
- Volunteer for several environmental causes.
Brooke Pettis, Binghamton – Swimming & Diving
- Graduated with a 3.36 GPA as a biological sciences major.
- Three-time All-Conference selection and America East individual champion.
- America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree.
- Lead organizer for Binghamton’s “Pink the Pool’ breast cancer awareness event.
Man of Year Finalists
Kyle Gronostaj, UAlbany – Cross Country/Track & Field
- Graduated with 3.58 GPA majoring in business in 2018 and carries a 3.90 GPA pursuing a master’s degree in higher education.
- Multi-time All-Conference selection
- Six-time AE All-Academic honoree.
- America East Elite 18 awardee.
Joe Sherburne, UMBC - Basketball
- Graduated with a perfect 4.00 GPA in financial economics and has a perfect 4.00 GPA pursuing a graduate degree in data science.
- America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete and 2017-18 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
- Two-time Academic All-American and 2019 Men’s Basketball Academic All-American of the Year.
- First-team All-Conference selection.
Michael Watts, Stony Brook – Cross Country/Track & Field
- Carries a 3.80 GPA pursuing a master’s degree in health care management after earning his bachelor’s degree last spring with a 3.40 GPA in health science.
- Multi-time All-Conference selection & individual America East champion.
- America East All-Academic honoree.
- Volunteers to support several initiatives and causes.
The finalists were selected from a pool of the America East institutional nominations, which were announced on May 21. Nominee Release
To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2019 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2019 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).
The 2018-19America East Man and Woman of the Year will be announced on Thursday, June 6 at the conference's annual awards dinner.
America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015. All-Time America East Man & Woman of the Year Award Listing
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.
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