BOSTON - America East announced its first-ever female and male Track & Field Performer of the Year awards this Wednesday, along with the conference's All-Academic teams.
The Indoor Track and Field Performer of the Year award honors the most outstanding male and female track or field performer over the course of the season. The award recognizes the athletes’ cumulative effort and entire overall body of work throughout the entire indoor track and field season. The Track and Field Performer of the Year award winners were determined in a vote by the league’s head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
Also recognized this Wednesday were the men’s and women’s indoor track and field all-academic teams, featuring 24 student-athletes who excelled in the classroom and in their events during this past indoor season.
Complete Awards List
Female Track and Field Performer of the Year
Kenzie Doyle, UMass Lowell - Gr., Distance, Swansea, Mass.
- Doyle was named the America East’s Most Outstanding Track Performer at the 2024 #AETF Championships as she won individual gold in the 1 mile, 3000m and 5000m events.
- She qualified for the 2024 Indoor NCAA Championships after breaking her own school record in the 5k with a time of 15:27.42 at BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.
- At the NCAA Championship, Doyle finished 14th in the 5000m.
- She ran personal bests in the 3000m with a time of 9:11.82 and the mile running a time of 4:41.20 this season.
Male Track and Field Performer of the Year
Shak Williams, UAlbany - Jr., Sprints, St. Andrew, Jamaica
- Won the 60m and the 200m dash at the 2024 #AETF Championships, earning Most Outstanding Track Performer of the meet honors.
- At the Millrose Games in February, he set a personal best record running a 6.61, the second-best mark in UAlbany’s history and the 24th fastest mark in the nation during the indoor season.
- His season best in the 200m came at the America East Championships running a 21.35, putting him at third all-time in UAlbany’s history in the 200m.
Led by Elite 18 recipient Zoe Rose with a 3.98, twelve female athletes were recognized on the America East Women’s Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Team. The group has an average GPA of 3.86.
The America East Men’s Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Team is led by four student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA in Jackson Baker of Vermont, Jon Prell of Maine, Ryan Slaney of Bryant, and Elite 18 Award Recipient Joseph Mucci from NJIT. The twelve male student-athletes combine to hold a 3.89 grade-point average.
To be eligible for All-Academic, student-athletes must have sophomore athletic eligibility, attain a 3.30 minimum grade-point average and be a contributor on their team. The squad is voted on by a committee made up of America East student-athlete support and athletic communications administrators as well as faculty athletic representatives.
America East is proud to have one of the most comprehensive academic awards programs in the country. In addition to the All-Academic program, Elite 18 Awards are bestowed in each of the conference’s sponsored sports. Additionally, a Scholar-Athlete, someone who distinguishes himself/herself as the top student-athlete in his/her sport, is awarded. From that group, one male and one female is selected the America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The conference also recognizes all student-athletes who achieve at least a 3.0 GPA on its Academic Honor Roll, with those achieving a 3.50 average or better receiving Commissioner’s Honor Roll status. The Presidential Scholar-Athlete award recognizes graduating student-athletes who compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher as an undergraduate student. Finally, the Academic Cup is presented to the institution whose student-athletes post the highest grade-point average during that academic year.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -