MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference recognized seven outstanding student-athletes from the fall season as Sport Excellence Award winners on Wednesday afternoon, honoring their remarkable athletic and academic achievements.
Among the 99 student-athletes named to the NE10 Academic All-Conference teams, the Sport Excellence Award is given to one top individual from each of the league's seven fall sports. Five different institutions were represented in the announcement, with Southern New Hampshire leading the way with three honorees.
One of the Conference's most prestigious awards, the Sport Excellence Award was highlighted by a grouping of Southern New Hampshire student-athletes, including Annemartine Christis (field hockey), Preston Neal (men's soccer) and Dillon Labonte (men's cross country).
Adelphi's Kambel Fiser (volleyball), Bentley's Caitlin Burmester (women's cross country), Franklin Pierce's Claudia Peirce (women's soccer) and New Haven's Joseph Vitale (football) were also named first-time Sport Excellence Award winners.
All seven student-athletes earned NE10 First Team All-Conference honors in their respective sports this past fall.
To be eligible for Academic All-Conference and Sport Excellence honors, a student-athlete must have started at least half or played in two-thirds of all contests while making significant contributions and maintaining a 3.3 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
FOOTBALL
Name: Joseph Vitale
School: New Haven
GPA: 3.90 (Undergraduate) / 4.0 (Graduate)
Major: Healthcare Administration
Notes: Named to the NE10 All-Conference First Team…Fourth on the team with 51 tackles…Second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss…Fifth on the team with 5 sacks…Led the team with four QB hurries while adding a pass breakup and a forced fumble…Named to the NE10 All-Conference Second Team and All-Academic Team following the 2023 season…Named CSC Academic All-District (2023 & 2024)…Named to the NE10 Academic Honor Roll following all nine semesters on campus…Named to the New Haven Dean's List following six semesters.
FIELD HOCKEY
Name: Annemartine Christis
School: Southern New Hampshire
GPA: 3.78/3.89
Major: Business Administration
Notes: NFHCA All-America First Team…NFHCA East Regional Player of the Year…NE10 Player of the Year…NE10 All-Conference First Team…Started all 20 contests…Amassed 74 points on 30 goals and 14 assists…Led the nation in goals, points, goals per game (1.50) and points per game (3.70), while tanking second in assists and assists per contests (0.70)...NFHCA All-America Second Team (2023)…NE10 All-Conference First Team (2023)…NFHCA Senior Team (2023)…Synapse Sports All-America All-Rookie Team (2021)...NE10 All-Conference Second Team (2021, 2022)…NE10 All-Rookie Team (2021)…NE10 Academic All-Conference (2022, 2023)...NFHCA National Academic Squad (2021, 2022, 2023).
MEN'S SOCCER
Name: Preston Neal
School: Southern New Hampshire
GPA: 3.98
Major: Electrical Engineering
Notes: CSC Academic All-America Team Member of the Year…CSC Academic All-America First Team…CSC Academic All-District Team…United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team…United Soccer Coaches East All-Region First Team…D2CCA East All-Region First Team…NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year…NE10 All-Conference First Team…Played in 18 of 19 matches, including 1564:31…Went 13-1-3 with eight shutouts, a 0.75 GAA and .819 save percentage, as he stopped 59 of 72 shots…Ranked second in the NE10 in shutouts, GAA and save percentage, and seventh in saves...CSC Academic All-America Third Team (2023)…CSC Academic All-District (2022, 2023)…NE10 Elite 24 Award (2023)…NE10 Academic All-Conference (2022, 2023)…United Soccer Coaches East All-Region Second Team (2023)…NE10 All-Conference Second Team (2023)...NE10 All-Rookie Team (2022).
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Name: Claudia Peirce
School: Franklin Pierce
GPA: 3.92
Major: Health Science
Notes: United Soccer Coaches First Team Scholar All-American...United Soccer Coaches First Team Scholar All-Region...CSC Academic All-American & All-District...United Soccer Coaches All-American Second Team...United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region...NE10 All-Conference First Team...D2CCA All-East Region Second Team...NE10 Championship Most Outstanding Player...NE10 Elite 24 Award Recipient...Led the team in scoring with 14 goals and 7 assists.
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Kambel Fiser
School: Adelphi
GPA: 3.857
Major: Exercise Science
Notes: Led the NE10 with a career high 1,260 assists...Named 2024 NE10 Setter of the Year...2024 NE10 First Team Selection...2024 AVCA All-American Honorable Mention...2024 D2CCA East Region First Team...Career-high 62 assists in NCAA Tournament win over New Haven on 12/5...Finished career at number seven on Adelphi's all-time assist list with 2,007...Second on team with 231 digs...NE10 All-Conference Third Team (2021)...NE10 All-Rookie Team (2021)...NE10 Academic Honor Roll - Academic Excellence (Fall '21, Fall '23)...NE10 Academic Honor Roll - Academic Distinction (Spring '22, Fall '22, Spring '23, Spring '24)...D2ADA Academic Achievement Award (2022-23).
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Dillon Labonte
School: Southern New Hampshire
GPA: 4.0
Major: Electrical Engineering
Notes: NE10 All-Conference First Team…Qualified as an individual for the NCAA National Championships…Notched wins at the season-opening 5K University of Hartford Invitational (15:49.7) on Sept. 7 and the 8K Paul Short Invitational (26:09.7) on Oct. 5...Best 8K time came Oct. 27 at the NE10 Championships (25:03.6), where he finished third...Clocked in fourth at the 10K NCAA East Regional Championships (31:30.4) on Nov . 9 to qualify for nationals...Was 237th at the 10K NCAA National Championships (33:31.8) on Nov. 23.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Caitlin Burmester
School: Bentley
GPA: 3.95
Major: Accounting and Liberal Studies
Notes: East Regional Champion…USTFCCCA East Region Runner of the Year…NE10 Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year...Led Bentley to its first-ever NE10 title...Qualified for NCAA Championship for second consecutive year…Seven-time President's List.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 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 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, 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.
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