By BJ Pickard, MIAC
SUWANEE, Ga. – Gustavus Adolphus College men’s tennis student-athlete Nick Aney and women’s track & field student-athlete Birgen Nelson were among 20 individuals from around NCAA Division III to be recognized as regional winners of the second annual Division III Commissioner’s Association (DIIICA) Student-Athlete of the Year awards, the organization announced on Monday.
Aney and Nelson earned their spots on the ballot as the MIAC’s nominees for the D3CA awards earlier this month. Each of the regional winners will advance to the national ballot for consideration for 2022-23 D3CA Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year and Women’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. Ryan Beard of Westminster (Pa.) College and Eliza Beaudin of Elmira (N.Y.) College were recognized as the inaugural recipients of the national awards last year.
Conferences were permitted to submit two nominations for each award if at least one of the nominations was an international student/ethnic minority. Graduating seniors were the only student-athletes eligible for this award.
Selection criteria for the awards included considerations based on academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership and a personal statement submitted by each nominee.
Voting was conducted by the commissioners within each of the ten regions, with the top male and female honoree recognized as finalists for the Awards Committee to select the Division III Commissioner’s Association Men’s Sport and Women’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year.
The two national winners will be announced later this month.
D3CA REGIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Region I
Men’s Sport Nathaniel Berry, Bates College (Swimming & Diving) – NESCAC
Women’s Sport Elise Morris, Middlebury College (Soccer) – NESCAC
Region II
Men’s Sport Matthew Kearney, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cross Country/Track & Field) – NEWMAC
Women’s Sport Sophia Slovenski, University of Southern Maine (Track & Field) – LEC
Region III
Men’s Sport Noah Campanelli, St. John Fisher University (Baseball) – Empire 8
Women’s Sport Karson Saunders, Union (N.Y.) College (Softball) – Liberty
Region IV
Men’s Sport Hunter Gutierrez, Stevens Institute of Technology (Wrestling) – MAC Freedom
Women’s Sport Kristiina Castagnola, Rowan University (Field Hockey) – NJAC
Region V
Men’s Sport Mason Nissley, Messiah University (Volleyball) – MAC Commonwealth
Women’s Sport Abby Birk, Johns Hopkins University (Field Hockey) – Centennial
Region VI
Men’s Sport Kasey Draper, Roanoke College (Basketball) – ODAC
Women’s Sport Tess Muneses, Washington & Lee University (Field Hockey) – ODAC
Region VII
Men’s Sport Tyler Horvat, Washington & Jefferson College (Baseball) – PAC
Women’s Sport Isabelle Hoover, College of Wooster (Cross Country/Track & Field) – NCAC
Region VIII
Men’s Sport Nick Kowalczyk, Dominican University (Soccer) – NACC
Women’s Sport Madison Kellione, Transylvania University (Basketball) – HCAC
Region IX
Men’s Sport Nick Aney, Gustavus Adolphus College (Tennis) – MIAC
Women’s Sport Birgen Nelson, Gustavus Adolphus College (Track & Field) – MIAC
Region X
Men’s Sport Josh Angle, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (Basketball) – SCIAC
Women’s Sport Ashley Croft, East Texas Baptist University (Softball) – ASC
About the DIIICA
The Division III Commissioners Association became a stand-alone organization in January 1992, after previously serving as a combined group with the Division II Commissioners Association. The association is comprised of 43 NCAA Division III conferences, representing over 440 public and private institutions. The purpose of the DIIICA is to empower commissioners to effectively lead their conferences and positively impact Division III intercollegiate athletics by identifying challenges, developing solutions, and taking collective action that reflects the conference perspective.