BRETTON WOODS, N.H. — Stony Brook cross country and track and field standout Eric Speakman was honored as the 2014-15 America East Man of the Year Tuesday evening at the conference’s annual awards dinner on Mount Washington in Bretton Woods, N.H. 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.
The conference’s Senior Woman Administrators narrowed the pool of nine institutional Man of the Year nominees down to three finalists on May 14, and chose Speakman as the conference winner. The other finalists were University at Albany men's basketball student-athlete Sam Rowley and UMBC track & field student-athlete Yao Adantor.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in his primary sport by the end of the 2015 spring season, received his undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2015 term and had a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).
A Stony Brook graduate, Speakman excelled in all facets of college life embodying the conference’s three pillars of the complete student-athlete. In the classroom, he registered a 3.90 GPA as a double major in businees and economics with a concentration in management and operations. Speakman received a litany of academic honors throughout his career, earning Dean’s List every semester, four America East Scholar-Athlete awards and was named a Stony Brook Presidential Scholar for having a perfect 4.0 semester GPA six times. Speakman, also the conference's first men's country Elite 18 Award recipient in October, was named an America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete for graduating with over a 3.75 GPA last week.
A three-year captain for the Seawolves' cross country and track & field programs, Speakman devoted time as a volunteer to several causes. He volunteered as a PACK mentor, Red Watch Band member, Cerebral Palsy Quality Friend and was treasurer for the Stony Brook chapter of The Supply helping to provide aid to slums across the world.
Athletically, Speakman became just the fifth male to win the America East individual cross country title for a second time in 2014 after also winning the 2012 race. He also was a multi-time all-conference honoree in track & field and was the Most Outstanding Rookie at the 2012 America East Indoor Championship.
This is the second year the conference bestowed the Man of the Year award after Maine's Kelton Cullenberg won the inaugural honor last year. 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 in the summer of 2013.
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.