NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The Northeast 10 Conference recognized seven student-athletes from the spring season as Sport Excellence Award winners on Friday afternoon, honoring their outstanding athletic and academic achievements.
Among the student-athletes named to the NE10 Academic All-Conference teams, the Sport Excellence Award is given to one individual from each of the league's spring/full-year sports. Five different institutions were represented in the announcement, with Adelphi having five recipients.
To be eligible for Sport Excellence honors, a student-athlete must have been named to the All-Conference team in their respective sport, spent at least two consecutive full-time semesters at their institution and have maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better (for both undergraduate and graduate work).
WOMEN'S GOLF
Name: Lorelai Flanagan
School: Franklin Pierce
GPA: 3.87
Major: Health Sciences
Notes: A senior from Arlington, Mass., Lorelai won three tournaments for the Ravens this year and finished as the runner-up at the NE10 Championship in the fall ... 2026 All-NE10 first team ... 2025 NE10 All-Championship team ... 2026 Academic All-District ... Completed a group research project with Professor Verna DeLauer and peers analyzing student nutrition habits through dining hall surveys, home-cooking trends, and food journal data collection.
MEN'S GOLF
Name: Mitchell Archer
School: Adelphi
GPA: 3.68
Major: Management
Notes: The NE10 Medalist as a freshman in 2024, Archer continued to excel this year ... Played in the NCAA Championship with the Panthers ... 2026 All-NE10 first team ... set career lows in single-round score anf tournament score this season ... won the final tournament of the regular season at SNHU's Penmen Invitational ... All-Region 2026
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Name: Katarina Liedbeck
School: Adelphi
GPA: 3.98
Major: Computer Science
Notes: The 2026 NE10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year ... 3x Academic All-American ... 2026 NE10 Player of the Year ... 3x NE10 Elite 24 award ... 3x All-NE10 first team ... 3x Academic All-District ... ITA East Region Player of the Year ... 11-0 in-conference as a senior in 2025-26 ... Played at the NCAA final site as a senior, helping Adelphi advance to the Sweet 16
MEN'S TENNIS
Name: Louca Bertone
School: Adelphi
GPA: 4.00
Major: Sport Management
Notes: The 2026 Vern Cox NE10 Player of the Year ... 2x All-NE10 first team ... 2026 Academic All-America first team ... Adelphi team MVP, NE10 Champion and NCAA Championship participant
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Name: Lily Tedford
School: Bentley
GPA: 3.87
Major: Marketing
Notes: 2026 All-Region in the 1,500m ... 2026 NE10 Champion in the 1,500m ... Competed at the 2025 NCAA Championships in cross country in the fall with the Falcons ... also won the Sport Excellence honor for indoor track & field this year
MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Name: Osaretin Osagie
School: Southern Connecticut State
GPA: 3.45
Major: User Research and Interface
Notes: Captain ... All-American in the 400m Hurdles, finishing 15th at the 2026 NCAA Championship ... 2026 NE10 Champion in the 100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles and the 4x400 ... All-American at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship in the 110m Hurdles
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Name: Alexandra Leggio
School: Adelphi
GPA: 3.78
Major: Nursing
Notes: The 2026 NE10 Attacker of the Year ... 2026 All-America Second-Team ... 2x all-conference ... 150 career goals and 282 career points for the Panthers ... 100th career point came in the 2024 NCAA Championship ... 2x NCAA runner-up ... 2x NE10 Champion
MEN'S LACROSSE
Name: Kyle Lewis
School: Adelphi
GPA: 3.66
Major: Physical Education
Notes: Drafted in the 4th round by the Premiere Lacrosse League's Philadelphia Waterdogs ... first NE10 student-athlete drafted directly from the conference into the top lacrosse league in the world ... 2026 National Player of the Year ... 2x National Midfielder of the Year ... 2026 NE10 Player of the Year ... 2x NCAA Champion ... Scored the game-winning-goal in overtime of the 2025 NCAA Championship ... 2x All-America first team ... 2026 Tewaarton Watch List ... 118 career goals and 214 career points
SOFTBALL
Name: Julianna Colbert
School: SNHU
GPA: 3.82
Major: Education
Notes: The 2026 NE10 Pitcher of the Year ... 2026 East Region Pitcher of the Year ... All-Region First Team ... Academic All-District ... Ranked sixth nationally in strikeouts in 2026 with a career high 241 ... Went 20-8 with a 2.05 ERA as a junior in 2026
BASEBALL
Name: Nick Pappas
School: Bentley
GPA: 3.61
Major: Business Administration
Notes: 2026 NE10 Champion ... Helped lead Bentley to the team's first conference championship, NCAA appearance, NCAA Super Regional and NCAA Championship appearance ... All-America third-team ... 2x All-NE10 first team after appearing in three games during his first two collegiate seasons ... set Bentley's single-season record for runs and hits in a season during 2026 .. First Bentley All-American since 1997
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.
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