Boston, MA - America East announced its female and male Track & Field Performer of the Year awards this Wednesday, along with the conference's All-Academic teams.

The Outdoor 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 outdoor 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 outdoor track and field all-academic teams, featuring 24 student-athletes who excelled in the classroom and in their events during this past outdoor season.

Complete List of Award Winners

Men’s Track and Field Performer of the Year

James Kotowski, UMass Lowell - Jr., Javelin Throw, Stoneham, MA

• Broke UMass Lowell’s school record not once, but twice this season, first at the Raleigh Relays in late March, reaching 72.46 meters to win the event and then again at the George Davis Invite.
• At the George Davis Invite, Kotowski threw 75.07 meters to automatically qualify for the Olympic Trials. 
• Placed 13th at the NCAA Regional meet with a toss of 73.63 meters. 
• Making his debut in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the men’s javelin throw Kotowski had a throw of 233 feet, nine inches (71.26 meters) to finish eighth in the first round.
• Earned fifth-place honors in the javelin throw at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, reaching a personal-best of 75.69m in the finals.

Women’s Track and Field  Performer of the Year 

Ludith Campos, UAlbany - Gr., Hammer Throw, Mount Vernon, NY 

• Campos placed second at the 2024 America East Outdoor Championships with a distance of 60.53 meters. 
• She then went on to finish 8th in the NCAA East Regionals with a throw of 62.65 meters and earned a spot in the NCAA Championships
• At the NCAA Championships, Campos earned Second Team All-America after finishing 15th in the women’s hammer throw.
• Campos broke UAlbany’s school record as well as the Dominican Republic national record with a personal best throw of 62.72 meters at the NCAA Championships.

Led by Elite 18 recipient Sarah Ross with a 4.0 GPA, thirteen female athletes were recognized on the America East Women’s Outdoor Track and Field All-Academic Team. The group has an average GPA of 3.84. 

The America East Men’s Outdoor Track and Field All-Academic Team is led by four student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA in Michael Arnold of UMBC, Joseph Mucci from NJIT, Elite 18 Award Recipient, Ryan Slaney of Bryant, and Maine’s Alec Troxell. The eleven 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 and its social media channels, @AmericaEast. 

- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -