CCSU’s Mark Rodriguez (Cromwell, CT/Cromwell) wrapped an outstanding graduate campaign by earning the men’s cross country scholar-athlete award. Rodriguez claimed the NEC cross country individual title, crossing the tape in 25:34.2 to best an 81-runner field by five seconds and earn Outstanding Performer honors. His victory helped lead CCSU to a third straight and record-extending 13th NEC championship, with the Blue Devils boasting the top two finishers and finishing with 46 points. Rodriguez, a two-time All-NEC performer, compiled four top-20 NEC finishes during his career, including a fourth place showing at the 2024 event. He went on to compete at the 2025 NCAA Regional meet, finishing 102nd out of 263 runners. Excelling in the classroom as well, Rodriguez completed his undergraduate studies in Computer Science with a 3.93 GPA and currently maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing graduate studies in Artificial Intelligence. His academic achievements earned him a spot on the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fourth time.

Wagner’s Rylee Ferretti (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp) earned the women’s cross country scholar-athlete award following a terrific junior season. Ferretti captured the NEC individual title on November 1, covering the 6K course in 22:19.5 to secure a six-second victory and capture Most Outstanding Performer honors while helping lead Wagner to a runner-up team finish. She also earned a spot on the All-NEC team for the second year running and improved on her sixth-place finish from 2024. Ferretti competed at the IC4A/ECAC Championship, finishing 19th in 21:43.8, and recorded a college-best 6K time of 21:14.2 at Lehigh’s Paul Short Run, placing ninth. Excelling in the classroom, she carries a 3.83 GPA in English and has twice been named to the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Rider senior forward Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) put a bow on an extraordinary career by claiming the NEC field hockey scholar-athlete honor. A four-time first team All-NEC selection, Perales was named to the NFHCA Senior Team and became the first player in program history to earn NFHCA National Player of the Week honors on October 8. She led the Broncs this past season with 13 goals, six assists and 32 points, finishing third in the NEC in both goals and scoring. Over her career, Perales tallied 51 goals (fifth all-time at Rider), 20 assists (seventh), 122 points (seventh) and 14 game-winning goals (third), ranking in the program’s top ten in each category. Off the field, she was named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad and earned recognition four times on the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll, while compiling a 3.96 GPA in Computer Science.

Mercyhurst junior offensive lineman Blake Hoegler (Solon, OH/Solon) was recognized as the 2025 football scholar-athlete. Hoegler played in all 11 games for the Lakers, earning second team All-NEC honors while helping anchor one of the top offenses in the league. In Mercyhurst’s first season playing a full conference schedule, the Lakers remained in the NEC title hunt until the final week, powered in part by a passing offense that ranked among the top 50 nationally at the FCS level. Their productive offense also averaged the fourth-most points and fourth-most yards per game in the NEC. Boasting a perfect 4.0 GPA in Sports Medicine, Hoegler is now a two-time member of the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll

LIU senior defender Samuel Keogan (Brisbane, Australia/Marist College Ashgrove) was named the men’s soccer scholar-athlete award winner. Keogan was voted to the All-NEC second team, while also earning NEC All-Tournament honors for the second straight season. The native of Brisbane, Australia started all 18 matches last fall and played every minute on the field, helping anchor an LIU defense that conceded a league-low 16 goals on the year. He also provided offensive punch, contributing a pair of goals for the Sharks. Balancing his performance on the pitch with his studies, Keogan holds a 3.91 GPA in Psychology and is a four-time member of the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

FDU senior midfielder Andrea Ougaard (Roskilde, Denmark/Roskilde Katedralskole) closed out an impressive campaign as the NEC’s women’s soccer scholar-athlete. A first-team All-NEC selection for the second consecutive year and a three-time NEC all-star, Ougaard finished 2025 with four goals, five assists and 13 points, ranking fifth in the conference in assists. She played a central role in the Knights’ unbeaten NEC run, as FDU finished 9-0-2 to claim the regular-season title. In the classroom, Ougaard carries a near-perfect 3.98 GPA in Biotechnology and has been recognized three times on the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Saint Francis U senior outside hitter Korrin Burns (Clarion, PA/Clarion Area) capped a historic collegiate career by being named the 2025 women’s volleyball scholar-athlete. Burns, the lone repeat scholar-athlete honoree from, collected NEC Player of the Year and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, and earned an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention nod. Burns also reached a pinnacle of academic and athletic excellence when she was named a third-team CSC Academic All-American at the conclusion of the season. She was named to the 2025 NEC All-Tournament Team and set a conference postseason record with 28 kills in the semifinals against FDU, leading SFU to the NEC final. On the national stage, the eight time NEC Player of the Week ranked fourth nationally in kills per set (5.25), fifth in points per set (5.70), sixth in total kills (588), seventh in points (638.5) and 16th in attacks per set (11.92). The Clarion, PA product broke SFU program records for single-season kills (588) and career kills (1,453), and became the first player in program history to earn three All-NEC first-team selections. She helped guide SFU to a 44–14 record in NEC play over her four-year career, marking the best four-year stretch in program history. In addition to her on-court dominance, Burns excelled academically, registering a 3.72 GPA in Health Science (PT). She appeared on the NEC Academic Honor Roll four times, earned two selections to the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was named to the CSC Academic All-District team three times.