General

Saint Michael's Named Team IMPACT NCAA Division II Fellowship Campus of the Year

Gikas and Parker Led Fellowship Program in 2024-25.

COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's was named Team IMPACT's 2024-25 NCAA Division II Fellowship Campus of the Year in July, recognizing the College's support of four local children under the leadership of graduated Team IMPACT fellows Elani Gikas (women's soccer) and Kiera Parker (softball).
 
Saint Michael's joined the University of Minnesota (Division I) and Macalester (Minn.) College (Division III) as Team IMPACT's Fellowship Campus of the Year winners. Women's lacrosse rising junior Layne Doherty and women's soccer rising junior Bridget McLoughlin, two of the College's 2025-26 Team IMPACT fellows, accepted the award during the Team IMPACT Fellowship Summit. Women's basketball rising sophomore Margaret Montplaisir and women's soccer rising sophomore Jules Peterson round out the coming year's quartet of fellows.
 
Team IMPACT is a national non-profit organization that improves the quality of life for children facing chronic or life-threatening illness through the power of team. Team IMPACT has developed a unique multiyear program that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams across the country. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment and resilience.
 
Four Team IMPACT matches were members of Purple Knight rosters during the 2024-25 school year: Mariella Desjardin (women's soccer), Katie Guy (softball), Max Speier (baseball) and Hazel Olah (women's basketball). Thanks to Guy's nomination, Parker, a second-year Team IMPACT fellow this past year, was named one of five national Team IMPACT Teammate of the Year finalists during the spring.
 
"I was blown away in my first year as a fellow with the support that I received from both the student-athletes and the entire athletic department," said Parker. "This award not only shows what we are capable of achieving as an athletic department, but it motivates us to continue what we have been doing and set new, ambitious milestones for our program to achieve while making Team IMPACT a top priority on our campus."
 
Saint Michael's is a long-time partner of Team IMPACT, joining many Northeast 10 Conference counterparts in its involvement, as the baseball, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, men's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, and men's and women's swimming & diving programs have welcomed Team IMPACT matches in the past 13 years. For more information about Team IMPACT, visit goteamimpact.org.
 
"Both on and off the field, Team IMPACT shows our student-athletes that they can constantly be making a difference in the community," said Parker, who helped raise more than $1,000 for Team IMPACT through a home run derby in 2024 and has recruited fellow Purple Knights to get involved. During Parker's final spring with the organization, she and Guy garnered attention through the Team IMPACT Teammate of the Year voting process. "Katie and I were even on the local news, and the amount of posts and attention we received from the community made me so happy to see what this program is becoming on our campus and in the local Vermont community."

Release provided by Saint Michael's athletics. 

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 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.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.