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Wagner graduate student outfielder Lukas Torres (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) earned baseball scholar-athlete honors after combining elite performance on the field with outstanding academic achievement. Recently named the NEC Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year, the conference’s highest individual honor, Torres capped his career with first team All-NEC and second team ABCA All-Northeast region recognition this spring. The Seahawks’ leadoff hitter ranked among the NEC’s most productive offensive players, finishing second in the conference with a .406 batting average and 82 hits while leading the league with a .532 on-base percentage, the sixth-highest mark in the nation. Torres also ranked second in runs scored (65), drew 52 walks to break Wagner’s single-season record, drove in 37 runs and stole 17 bases. A five-time member of both the NEC Academic Honor Roll and Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Torres excelled in the classroom throughout his undergraduate and graduate studies. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, with a Biology minor, and compiled a 3.98 undergraduate GPA before completing his MBA with a 3.94 GPA. A summa cum laude graduate, Torres was inducted into the Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honor Society and received the Lee Y. Davidheiser Prize in Chemistry while at Wagner.
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| LIU junior Arjun Singh Bhatia (Chandigarh, India/Saint Kabir) earned men’s golf scholar-athlete honors. Singh Bhatia became just the third golfer in NEC history to repeat as NEC Golfer of the Year after capturing the conference’s individual title in April. He posted a 71.7 scoring average for the year, the second-lowest mark in the league, and recorded six under-par tournament performances, including a 5-under 208 at the NEC Championship. The two-time All-NEC first teamer was the only golfer in the field to shoot under par in all three rounds of the conference meet, carding rounds of 69, 70 and 69 to secure medalist honors while helping LIU to a runner-up team finish. A two-time NEC Golfer of the Week/Month selection, Singh Bhatia produced six top-five finishes during the season, including strong showings at the Shark Invitational, Peoples Championship, Iona Invitational, Ironwood Intercollegiate and Asia Pan Pacific Tournament. A three-time member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll and two-time member of the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Singh Bhatia carries a 3.80 grade point average as a Business Administration major. |
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Howard senior Marley Franklin (Los Angeles, CA/Notre Dame) claimed the women’s golf scholar-athlete award. Franklin capped her stellar campaign by earning NEC Golfer of the Year honors and capturing the NEC individual title during the Bison’s run to their first-ever NEC women’s golf championship. The 2023 NEC Rookie of the Year has now earned back-to-back All-NEC first team nods. A two-time NEC Golfer of the Week/Month selection, Franklin led the circuit with a 74.1 scoring average across 30 rounds and recorded six top-five finishes in 11 tournaments. She finished as runner-up at both the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational and ASU Spring Classic, added third-place performances at the Red Flash Invitational and Arcis HBCU Championship, and placed among the top 30 in all but one event during the season. At the NEC Championship, Franklin separated herself from the field with a seven-shot victory after posting a 7-over 220. A Media, Journalism & Film major who maintains a 3.76 GPA, Franklin has been named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll in each of her four years and is a two-time member of the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
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| VMI junior attacker Dayton Bagwell (York, PA/Central York) earned men’s lacrosse scholar-athlete honors after emerging as one of the nation’s top goal scorers during the 2026 season. A first team All-NEC selection, Bagwell ranked first in the league and seventh nationally with 3.00 goals per game, finishing the year with 42 goals and a team-high 49 points. His 42 goals ranked as the fifth-highest single-season total in program history. Bagwell, who earned NEC Player of the Week honors on February 23, started all 14 games for the Keydets and paced the conference with 9.79 shots per game, while also contributing 20 ground balls and four caused turnovers. An International Studies major, Bagwell maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average during his four years at VMI. He is a two-time member of both the NEC Academic Honor Roll and NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. He was a 2025 CSC Academic All-District selection. |
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Le Moyne senior defender Jane Austenfeld (Lisle, NY/Whitney Point) was recognized as the women’s lacrosse scholar-athlete after helping lead the Dolphins to the most successful season in their short DI history. Lauded as the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-NEC selection, Austenfeld served as the centerpiece of a defensive unit that allowed just 8.31 goals per game, the best mark in the NEC and among the top 15 nationally. Frequently matched up against opponents’ top offensive threats, she tied for the team lead among defenders with a career-high 16 caused turnovers while adding a career-best 25 ground balls, the third-highest total on the squad. Austenfeld also helped Le Moyne limit six of its nine NEC opponents to single-digit goal totals in conference play, helping the Dolphins secure a share of their first-ever NEC regular-season title and advance to their first NEC Tournament final. An Environmental Science Systems major, Austenfeld compiled a 3.93 grade point average over her four years in Syracuse. She has earned spots on both the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll lists in each of her three years competing in the conference.
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A mainstay in the CCSU lineup, senior first baseman Grace Lawton (Merrimack, NH/Merrimack) was tabbed the softball scholar-athlete after capping an outstanding career with one of the most productive offensive seasons in the conference. Lawton, whose honors included first team All-NEC and All-ECAC accolades, led the NEC with a school-record 13 home runs, while her 45 RBIs matched the program’s single-season record. She ranked among the league leaders in nearly every major offensive category, finishing fifth in batting average (.385) and hits (52), second in OPS (1.225) and slugging percentage (.763), seventh in on-base percentage (.462) and doubles (12), and sixth in walks (21). In addition, Lawton earned CSC Academic All-District honors. A Biology major with a 3.95 GPA, she was named to both the NEC Academic Honor Roll and NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of her four years at CCSU.
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Wagner graduate student Tom Lamers (Sittard, Netherlands/Trevianum) claimed the men’s tennis scholar-athlete award after playing a key role in the Seahawks taking home their first-ever NEC title this spring. Playing primarily at the No. 3 flight, Lamers collected second team All-NEC honors after a strong debut season for the Green and White, finishing with 11 singles wins to rank third on the team and posting a 4-1 mark against league rivals. In doubles, he registered a 10-5 mark at No. 3 alongside Sebastian Dobson. Lamers delivered the defining moment of the season for Wagner, clinching the NEC title for Seahawks with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win against Binghamton in the championship match. A Business Administration major as an undergraduate and Finance MBA graduate student, Lamers compiled a 3.60 undergraduate GPA and carries a 3.95 graduate GPA. He was also named to both the NEC Academic Honor Roll and NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
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FDU senior Anastasia Lim (Kazan, Russia) repeated as the women’s tennis scholar-athlete award winner after capping another memorable season both on and off the court while helping lead the Knights to their third consecutive NEC final. Lim was named the NEC Female Team Student-Athlete of the Year, the conference’s most prestigious individual honor, and also earned NEC Player of the Year recognition. She piled up a career-best 15 singles wins, including nine in dual matches, while playing exclusively from the No. 1 position. In league play, Lim went 4-1 and delivered signature non-conference victories against opponents from Delaware, Lehigh, Morgan State and St. John’s. A former NEC Rookie of the Year, she concluded her career with double-digit singles wins in all four seasons at FDU and earned her fourth straight All-NEC honor, including back-to-back first team plaudits, while also being named to the NEC All-Tournament Team. Off the court, she was recognized with FDU’s International Service Award and the Silberman College of Business Outstanding Achievement in Business Administration award, and has been named to both the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of her four seasons. A Business Administration/International Business major, Lim graduated with a 3.95 GPA.
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Wagner senior Christopher Milillo (Syracuse, NY/Iona Prep) took home the men’s outdoor track and field scholar-athlete award as the Seahawks secured their fourth NEC outdoor team title, with Milillo defending his NEC hammer crown in dominant fashion. Milillo won the hammer by over four meters with a 61.20-meter toss, the longest mark at the NEC Championship since 2008. He earned first team All-NEC honors and qualified for the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, KY, where he bettered his NEC showing with a 61.26-meter throw. Earlier in the season, he set a new PR with a 63.66-meter effort to capture the IC4A title. A Business Administration major who carries a 3.81 GPA as an undergraduate, Milillo has been named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll four times and the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times.
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CCSU junior Mya Morabito (New Milford, CT/New Milford) earned distinction as the women’s outdoor track and field scholar-athlete after powering the Blue Devils to the their second NEC outdoor title with a pair of gold-medal performances. Morabito won the 800 meters and successfully defended her 1500-meter crown, posting winning times of 2:16.98 and 4:34.56, respectively, en route to first team All-NEC honors in both events. She recorded the second-fastest 1500 time and fourth-fastest 800 time on the NEC performance list this spring. Morabito also earned second team All-NEC honors as part of CCSU’s 4x800 relay team that won silver at the NEC meet. A Criminology major with a 3.71 GPA, the New Milford, CT product claimed a spot on the NEC Academic Honor Roll and NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fourth time in her career.
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| Saint Francis senior outside hitter Brady Stump (York, PA/York Suburban) served up the men’s volleyball scholar-athlete award on the heels of a terrific senior campaign, powering the Red Flash to their fourth straight NEC regular season title and first NEC Tournament crown. Stump was voted first team All-NEC for the second consecutive year, then stepped it up even further in the postseason, earning NEC Tournament MVP honors after sparking SFU’s 3-1 win over FDU in the title tilt. The two-time NEC Player of the Week ranked first in the NEC and third nationally in service aces (0.54/set), while also finishing fifth in the conference points (4.07/set) and sixth in kills (3.08/set). An Education major with a 3.74 GPA, Stump’s academic record includes four consecutive appearances on the NEC Academic Honor Roll. |
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