Men's Basketball

Six Honored as America East Winter Scholar-Athletes

BOSTON – Following impressive seasons, six outstanding student-athletes were recognized as 2025-26 America East Winter Scholar-Athletes on Wednesday afternoon for their excellence athletically and academically.
 
All six of the student-athletes have won at least one conference team championship during their careers, while TJ Hurley and Audrey Mahoney are repeat scholar-athlete honorees in men’s basketball and women’s swimming & diving.
 
2025-26 America East Winter Scholar-Athletes
Men’s Basketball: TJ Hurley, Jr. - Vermont
  • The senior is a Mathematics major with a 3.68 GPA.
  • Named 2025-26 Kevin Roberson Player of the Year and is a two-time first-team All-Conference selection.
  • Averaged 15.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists while shooting 38.5% from three with 79 three-point field goals.
  • Won a pair of conference championships at Vermont and finished as the league’s career leader in free throw percentage (88.5%)
 
Women’s Basketball: Adrianna Smith, R-Sr. - Maine
  • Graduated with a 3.79 GPA as Kinesiology & Physical Education (Exercise Sci.) Major and owns a 3.93 GPA as an MBA student
  • 2025-26 America East Player of the Year and Finalist for Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year
  • Led America East in scoring (22.8), rebounding (10.7), assists (4.7) and only player nationally to average 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and 4+ assists per game this year.
  • Only the 2nd player in NCAA WBB history with 700+ points, 300+ rebounds and 150+ assists in a single season.
  • Only America East player, male or female, to record 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 400 assists in a career
 
Men’s Indoor Track & Field: Derek Munroe, Sr. - UMass Lowell
  • Earned a 3.63 GPA as an Exercise Science major and owns a 3.81 GPA while in school for his Doctor of Physical Therapy.
  • Took second in the Heptathlon at the 2026 #AETF Championship to help UMass Lowell win its second conference title during his career.
  • Posted a score of 5,301 points in the heptathlon, the second-highest score in league history. Also earned 8th in the pole vault to record a crucial point for the River Hawks
  • Named to the 2026 Indoor #AETF All-Academic and 2025 Outdoor #AETF All-Academic Teams.
 
Women’s Indoor Track & Field: Ruby Krasnow, Gr. - Maine
  • Graduated undergrad with a 4.0 GPA and owns a 4.0 GPA as a Marine Biology PhD student.
  • Won the 3000 meters in 9:25.28 and took second in the 5000 meters in 16:15.49 at the America East Championship.
  • Took 7th in the 2026 #AEXC Championship to help Maine its first-ever women’s cross country title.
  • Won Elite 18 award at 2025 #AEXC Championship and 2026 Indoor #AETF Championship.
 
Men’s Swimming & Diving: Liam Preston, Sr. – Binghamton
  • The senior owns a 4.0 GPA as a Business Administration & Finance major.
  • Placed third in the 200-yard free with a time of (1:37.91) and took 6th in the 500 free with a time of 4:21
  • Helped Binghamton win two conference titles in the past three seasons and earned the David Alexander Coaches Award at the 2026 Championship for totaling the most career points of any swimmer at the meet.
  • Three-time All-Academic selection.
 
Women’s Swimming & Diving: Audrey Mahoney, Sr. – New Hampshire
  • The senior has a 3.95 GPA as a Health Management and Policy
  • Earned three-second place finishes at the 2026 #AESD Championship, in the 50 free (22.74), 100 free (49.61) and the 200 free (1:49.55)
  • Helped New Hampshire to two conference championships in the past four years and earned the David Alexander Coaches Award at the 2026 Championship for totaling the most career points of any swimmer at the meet.
  • 2025 #AESD Scholar-Athlete and a three-time All-Academic selection.
 
The Scholar-Athletes were members of teams in the six championship sports which America East sponsored in the fall season including men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball. Nominees were put forward by their institution, which could nominate up to one student-athlete per sport, then voted upon by the conference's Student-Athlete Engagement committee. Each America East Scholar-Athlete was a projected starter or prominent reserve and carries a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.50.

Sport Scholar-Athletes are automatically eligible for the America East Female or Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, which will be announced in July.

America East is proud to have one of most comprehensive academic awards programs in the country, which honors over two-thirds of its student-athletes for their success in the classroom. 
 
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 -