FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NE10 Banquet is on Tuesday, June 4.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Of the 24 institutional nominees for the Northeast-10 Conference Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, the lists have been narrowed down to three finalists each, as announced by the league office on Tuesday morning.
Finalists for the NE10 Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards this year represent six different schools and seven different sports. The announcement of award recipients will be made the night of Tuesday, June 4, as part of the NE10 Banquet at the Sheraton Needham.
Eligibility requirements for nomination are that a student-athlete must be in their final year of athletic eligibility, graduating with a degree in May (unless in a master's program), must be enrolled in a full-time course load and must have a minimum final cumulative grade point average of 3.30. A committee made up of faculty members and athletic administrators conducts voting for the awards.
Each of the league's 12 member institutions nominated at least one student-athlete for each award and the list of 24 nominees was released on May 6.
For information on our finalists, please see below.
NE10 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Finalists
Cam Bartolomeo, Bentley
Sport: Men's Lacrosse
Undergraduate Major: Finance (Minor: Law)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.72
Bartolomeo has enjoyed great success on and off the field during his time at Bentley. He was named a USILA Division II All-American and the NE10 Face-Off Specialist of the Year in 2023, in addition to being selected as a two-time NE10 Academic All-Conference honoree and a four-time mention on the Presidents' List at Bentley. Bartolomeo serves as a board member for a non-profit organization called Golf For All, which is dedicated to transforming the lives of all people facing emotional, physical and developmental challenges by providing free accessibility to the game of golf. He is also a leadership team member for Bentley through its partnership with Team IMPACT, an organization that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams.
Ryan Walker, Franklin Pierce
Sport: Cross Country/Track & Field
Undergraduate Major: Health Sciences
Undergraduate GPA: 4.0
Walker has excelled in all areas of student-athlete life. He is a three-time NE10 individual champion and is a six-time All-Conference selection. During his running career at Franklin Pierce, he has set three NCAA Automatic/Provisional qualifiers, been named a seven-time USTFCCCA All-Region athlete and is a five-time NEICAAA All-New England pick. He is a three-year captain for the Ravens in cross country and track & field, leading his team to a combined three runner-up finishes at NE10 Championships. Equally impressive is Walker's academic record, which includes being a four-time USTFCCCA National All-Academic, a two-time CSC Academic All-District choice, a two-time NE10 Elite 24 Award winner and a seven-time NE10 Academic All-Conference honoree. He also earned the rank of Salutatorian in his graduating Class of 2024.
Swapnil Jhajharia, Saint Michael's
Sport: Cross Country
Undergraduate Major: Psychology/Statistics (Minor: Anthropology/Math)
Undergraduate GPA: 4.0
Jhajharia won the NE10 Elite 24 Award this season at the Cross Country Championship, while also earning a spot on the NE10 Academic All-Conference Team for his outstanding work in the classroom. He is a two-time recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award and has been inducted into six honor societies at Saint Michael's. Jhajharia has been a Dean's List student in every semester at Saint Michael's. He has also dedicated time as a core team member for the Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts (MOVE), which exists to expand the concepts of community service to embrace social justice and emphasize connections in the world.
NE10 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Finalists
Lindsey Hibbs, Adelphi
Sport: Softball
Undergraduate Major: Sport Management
Undergraduate GPA: 3.903
Hibbs has made an impact on the field and in the classroom during her Adelphi tenure, which includes being named both the D2CCA National Pitcher of the Year and the CSC Division II Softball Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in 2023. Overall, she is a three-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete and a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, as well as a two-time NE10 Academic All-Conference selection and the NE10 Sport Excellence Award winner in 2023. Hibbs helped Adelphi to its third-straight trip to the NCAA East Super Regionals this year and was a First Team All-Conference and All-Region selection. She is a two-time All-American, three-time First Team All-Conference player and was NE10 Pitcher of the Year last season.
Caroline O'Connell, Assumption
Sport: Field Hockey/Women's Lacrosse
Undergraduate Major: Biology
Undergraduate GPA: 3.923
O'Connell was a member of the 2023 NCAA Division II Field Hockey All-Tournament Team, after helping Assumption reach the national semifinals. A multi-sport athlete in both field hockey and women's lacrosse, O'Connell is a three-time NFHCA National Academic Squad recipient, three-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction and a two-time member of the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. She is a three-time selection to the NE10 Academic All-Conference team and was most recently named a Second Team All-Conference pick in women's lacrosse following the 2024 season. O'Connell is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success on campus and won the Assumption Biology Department Major Award for highest GPA in her major.
Kelsey Seamans, Southern New Hampshire
Sport: Cross Country/Track & Field
Undergraduate Major: Accounting & Finance
Undergraduate GPA: 4.0
Graduate Major: Professional Accountancy
Graduate GPA: 4.0
Seamans has been a part of four NE10 Championship-winning programs at SNHU - winning two in outdoor track & field, one in cross country and one in indoor track & field. She is a four-time selection to the All-Conference First Team between cross country and outdoor track & field - and a 12-time All-Conference recipient overall. Seamans is also an eight-time USTFCCCA All-Region selection. Academically, Seamans is a three-time winner of the NE10 Elite 24 Award, as well as a four-time NE10 Academic All-Conference honoree, NE10 Sport Excellence Award recipient and a CSC Academic All-District Team member. She has achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA in both her undergraduate and graduate work.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.