GORHAM, Maine – Two-hundred fifteen University of Southern Maine student-athletes will be recognized for their outstanding academic and athletic achievements during the annual William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet presented by the United States Army ROTC. Returning to an in-person format, USM Athletics will host its honorees, and members of the University community on December 12 (12:00 pm) at the Portland Sheraton at Sable Oaks. A live stream of the event will be available at southernmainehuskies.com
In the 33
rd iteration of the event, the William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete Banquet will feature student-athlete speakers Jaequan Grant (East Granby, Conn.) of the men's track & field team, and Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) of the women's basketball team, as well as remarks from Athletic Director
Al Bean, Associate Athletic Director Kimberly Turner and University of Southern Maine president Dr. Glenn Cummings.
In addition to the lead sponsorship from Army ROTC, Moody's Collision, University Credit Union (UCU Maine), GEICO Portland, Saco Bay Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, and Yankee Ford have given generous support in honoring the numerous Southern Maine student-athletes who have achieved academically during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Created during the 1987-1988 academic year, the William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete Award is named in honor of William B. Wise, a retired USM administrator and friend of athletics. A graduate of the University of Maine, Wise came to USM in 1966 as assistant dean of academic affairs and director of the evening college. In the ensuing years, he served USM tirelessly in a variety of roles, including acting dean of the College of Education, assistant to the vice president for academic affairs, executive assistant to the president, and executive assistant to the vice president for student affairs.
" Our student-athletes continue to get it done in the classroom and raise their level of achievement each year. The group's overall academic performance last year, collectively, was truly outstanding," said USM Director of Athletics
Al Bean. "Facing the difficulties brought forward by Covid-19, and staying focused was a challenge for all students. However, moving the overall GPA above a 3.2 was an incredible performance by our student-athletes. With nearly fifty percent of our student-athletes having done the work to earn the recognition of William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete, and knowing the unique circumstances they've had to manage to do so, I could not be happier with their focus on academic and athletic achievement and the balance that our student-athletes continue to display in all facets of their lives."
During the 2020-2021 academic year, 215 Huskies met or exceeded the criteria to receive Wise Scholar-Athlete recognition, and the Huskies' Athletic Department's nearly 450 student-athletes combined for a grade point average of 3.24. To earn William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete accolades, a Southern Maine student-athlete must have a minimum of a 3.00 cumulative grade point average for the fall and spring semesters, be a full-time student both semesters and be a member of varsity team for a full season. Each of the Huskies' 22 intercollegiate programs has representation among the 215 student-athletes to be honored.
Four Southern Maine student-athletes will earn the academic distinction for a rare fifth time, sustaining a unique level of academic and athletic commitment and success over their careers: Tristan Dundas (golf, men's ice hockey, men's lacrosse), Business Management; Keenan Hendricks (men's basketball), Business Management & Marketing; Erin Martin (softball), Health Sciences, and Jackie Luckhardt (women's basketball) Athletic Training (undergraduate); Master's in Leadership Studies (graduate).
An outstanding 16 student-athletes were honored with their fourth Wise Award, including Zachariah Hoyle '21 of the men's cross country, and track & field teams, and Morgan Eliasen '21 of the women's basketball and lacrosse teams. Hoyle, an NCAA Division III All-American in the 800m during his career, recently earned his degree in History (Law Accelerated Degree Pathway) and is currently a 2
nd Lieutenant in the United States Army and enrolled in the United States Army Aviation Flight School. Eliasen, the 2021 recipient of the athletic department's 2021 Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award and the University's Senior Husky Achievement Award, earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors last spring. Eliasen has recently begun her career as a Registered Nurse at Tufts Medical Center. The Huskies' 20 student-athletes who have earned the academic honor for the fourth or fifth time represented a broad range of academic pursuits (13 in total) including Accounting, Athletic Training, Business Management, Criminology, English, Finance, Health Sciences, History, Marketing, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, and Master's in Leadership Studies.
Thirty-eight USM student-athletes are three-time winners of the Wise honor. Graduate student Ciera Berthiaume, the women's soccer program's all-time leader in points and goals, highlights the list along with wrestling's Jake Peavey, a two-time National Wrestling Coaches' Association Scholar All-American. Berthiaume, a three-time All-Little East Conference forward, broke the Huskies' 20-year goals and points record held by Husky Hall of Famer Ali Hathaway '01. Berthiaume has 88 points on 36 career goals and 16 career assists. She recently earned her degree in English and is pursuing a master's degree in Leadership Studies. Peavey, co-captain of the Huskies' 2021-22 team and Business Management major, earned NCAA All-Region honors during the 2019-2020 season, and is a New England Wrestling Association honorable mention pick. Peavey is presently nationally-ranked in NCAA Division III at the 285-pound weight class.
Fifty-seven Huskies are earning the distinction of William B. Wise Scholar Athlete for the second time. Among the many notable achievements from this group, second-year recipient Cam Seymour of the baseball team earned CoSIDA Academic All-American (second team) honors and was selected to the American Baseball Coaches' Association (ABCA) All-America team. Pursing a degree in Sports Management, Seymour picked up Little East Conference and D3baseball.com New England Region Rookie of the Year honors. Rona Scott, of the Huskies' softball team, is earning the honor for the second time. Earning first team All-Little East Conference honors as the Huskies' first baseman, Scott helped lead USM to its first LEC regular season title since 1999. A Biology (education) major, Scott was recently selected as just one of 40 student-athletes to participate in the NCAA's Immersion program this January.
One hundred student-athletes are first-year recipients of the award. Among the 100 are track & field standouts Ben Drummey of the men's program and Sophia Slovenski of the women's program. In his first year, Drummey, who has not decided upon an academic major, excelled in and out of competition, qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championship in the pole vault and earning All-American honors placing third among the national best. Rewriting USM's pole vault record books, Drummey was named the 2021 New England Field Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Field, Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA).
Already an All-American in the pole vault, Slovenski took the next step earning the title of National Champion – this time in the javelin - during the 2021 NCAA Division III National Championship meet, setting a school record of 48.21 meters along the way. Becoming the second USM female track & field athlete to earn a national championship, Slovenski, an Exercise Science major, is the eighth member of the women's program to earn All-American honors, and the third All-American in the javelin.
Along with the many individual achievements of USM student-athletes, two teams will receive the Remo Riciputi Award. The Remo Riciputi, given annually to the team sport, and the individual team sport with the highest collective grade-point average, will be announced as part of the awards banquet. Last year's winners, (2019-2020) of the Riciputi honor were the softball and women's ice hockey team (team sport) and women's indoor track & field (individual team sport).
| First-Time Award Winners |
|
| Musa Abdi, Men's Soccer |
Exercise Science |
| Yahya Altaie, Men's Soccer |
Undeclared |
| Chloe Arsenault, Field Hockey |
Health Science |
| Bre Atwood, Women's Soccer |
Exercise Science |
| Hannah Banks, Field Hockey |
Undeclared |
| William Barnard, Baseball |
Undeclared |
| Nick Beebe, Wrestling |
Business Management |
| Gabrielle Belanger, Women's Soccer |
Nursing |
| Margaret Brock, Field Hockey, Women's Ice Hockey |
Cyber Security |
| Brooke Carson, Field Hockey |
Marketing |
| Sierra Castonguay, Women's Volleyball |
Athletic Training |
| Simon Chadbourne, Men's Basketball |
Business Management |
| Marcus Christopher, Men's Basketball |
Business Management |
| Katherine Clancy, Women's Soccer |
Nursing |
| Jordan Colbert, Women's Ice Hockey |
Elementary Education |
| Liam Cooledge, Baseball |
Environmental Science |
| Hannah Corbett, Women's Track & Field |
Human Biology |
| Gabriel Couture, Men's Ice Hockey, Tennis |
Psychology |
| Jordan Cummings, Field Hockey, Softball |
Exercise Science |
| Kailee Cummings, Field Hockey |
Health Sciences |
| Jadyn Cunningham, Softball |
Nursing |
| Johanna Daigle, Field Hockey, Women's Track & Field |
Human Biology |
| Jennifer Darasz, Women's Lacrosse |
Master's in School Counseling |
| Madison Day, Softball |
Sports Management |
| Brianna Delloiacono, Women's Volleyball |
Nursing |
| Vanessa DiRisi, Women's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Human Biology |
| Chance Dixon, Men's Basketball |
Sports Management |
| Riley Dohner, Men's Ice Hockey |
Marketing |
| Ben Drummey, Men's Track & Field |
Undeclared |
| Zach Ellsworth, Golf, Men's Ice Hockey |
Sports Management |
| Hayes Estrella, Men's Soccer |
Business Management & Marketing |
| Austin Farwell, Men's Soccer |
Sports Management |
| Amy Fleming, Women's Basketball & Lacrosse |
Nursing |
| Kailey Foley, Women's Volleyball |
Health Sciences |
| Amy Forester, Women's Track & Field |
Nursing |
| Kiaya Gatchell, Women's Lacrosse & Soccer |
Exercise Science |
| Ryan Geary, Men's Tennis |
Music Education |
| Abedom Gebreyesus, Men's Soccer |
Health Sciences |
| Antoine Gignac, Men's Ice Hockey, Tennis |
Business |
| Catriona Gould, Women's Soccer, Track & Field |
Human Biology |
| Tamrah Gould, Women's Basketball |
Nursing |
| Rachel Grome, Women's Tennis |
Business Management |
| Dek Hassan, Men's Soccer |
Social & Behavorial Sciences |
| Meghan Hoffses, Women's Soccer |
Health Science |
| Olivia Jalbert, Women's Track & Field |
Undeclared |
| Nick James, Men's Lacrosse |
Nursing |
| Ali Jimale, Men's Soccer |
Mathematics |
| Alexis Kailey, Women's Track & Field |
Exercise Science |
| Mary Keef, Field Hockey |
Finance |
| Lucy Knowlton, Women's Track & Field |
Master's in Teacher Education |
| Jada Laflin, Women's Lacrosse |
Health Sciences |
| Jacob Lang, Men's Lacrosse |
Health Sciences |
| Andrew Lawrence, Men's Lacrosse |
Human Biology |
| Jena Leckie, Women's Basketball |
Business |
| Andrew Lewis, Men's Track & Field |
Social Work |
| Cruise Lizotte-Johnson, Men's Lacrosse |
History |
| Sarah Lowell, Women's Soccer |
Nursing |
| Katie Lynch, Women's Lacrosse, Soccer |
Marketing |
| Alexandria Mailhiot, Softball |
Nursing |
| Austin Marini, Men's Ice Hockey |
Criminal Justice |
| Ethan McCarthy, Men's Basketball |
Criminology |
| Haley McKim, Women's Ice Hockey |
Health Sciences |
| Victoria McMahon, Women's Volleyball |
Nursing |
| William McPherson, Men's Cross Country |
Musical Theater |
| Lauren Merrill, Softball |
Nursing |
| Breanna Messier, Women's Soccer |
Leadership Studies |
| Tyler Mitchell, Men's Ice Hockey |
Finance |
| Furkan Mohamed, Men's Basketball |
Electrical Engineering |
| Katherine Morse, Softball |
Undeclared |
| Makena Mulcahy, Softball |
Psychology |
| Cole Ouellette, Men's Ice Hockey, Tennis |
Marketing |
| Isabel Parkin, Women's Soccer |
Health Science |
| John Pecoraro, Men's Cross Country, Track & Field |
History |
| Kirsten Pelletier, Softball |
Master's degree in Education Leadership |
| Robert Pini, Men's Lacrosse |
Recreation & Leisure Studies |
| Nathan Plourde, Men's Lacrosse |
Music Education |
| Nicholas Polizonis, Baseball |
Accounting |
| Cece Racine, Women's Lacrosse |
Nursing |
| Franny Ramsdell, Women's Basketball |
Psychology |
| Olivia Richmond, Women's Track & Field |
Art Education |
| Garrett Ross, Men's Track & Field |
Elementary Education |
| Ethan Rudnicki, Men's Tennis |
Human Biology |
| Emily Russell, Women's Cross Country |
Liberal Studies |
| Mia Sargent, Women's Soccer |
Biology |
| Khalid Shati, Men's Soccer |
Undeclared |
| Christian Siciliano, Baseball |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Sophia Slovenski, Women's Track & Field, Volleyball |
Health Sciences |
| Isabella Snyder, Softball |
Linguistics |
| Zoe Solomons, Women's Ice Hockey |
Psychology |
| Chris Sourgiadakis, Men's Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
| Jacob Statires, Men's Soccer |
Human Biology |
| Hannah Tash, Women's Cross Country |
Exercise Science |
| Justin Vachon, Men's Soccer |
Business Management |
| Billie Walter, Women's Soccer |
Social Work |
| Trevor Ward, Men's Basketball |
Undeclared |
| Wyatt Wiliamson, Baseball |
Undeclared |
| Payton Winslow, Men's Lacrosse |
Social & Behavioral Sciences |
| Devin Witte, Men's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Criminology |
| Tyler Wojcik, Men's Track & Field |
History |
| Emillie Wood, Women's Soccer |
Biology |
| Second-Time Award Winners |
|
| Kyleigh Alt, Women's Lacrosse |
Nursing |
| Samantha Averill, Women's Basketball |
Occupational Therapy |
| Katelynn Bagley, Women's Basketball |
Health Sciences |
| Mackenzie Banks, Field Hockey, Women's Track & Field |
Undeclared |
| Rodney Bean, Baseball |
Business Administration |
| Grace Blackwell, Women's Soccer |
Human Biology |
| Ethan Brown, Baseball |
Business Management |
| Matthew Burnett, Baseball |
Business Administration |
| Dan Chenard, Men's Lacrosse |
Criminology |
| Catherine Close, Women's Track & Field |
Nursing |
| Brittany Desjardin, Women's Basketball |
Business |
| Peyton Dukas, Women's Ice Hockey |
Education |
| Alex Farley, Women's Lacrosse |
Criminology |
| Madison Fornasier, Women's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Nursing |
| Yaya Gadsden-Dunn, Women's Soccer |
Leadership Studies |
| Meghan Galante, Women's Soccer |
Human Biology |
| Hannah Gorham, Women's Lacrosse |
Sociology |
| Kimberly Grant, Women's Volleyball |
Social & Behavorial Sciences |
| Samantha Hauck, Softball |
ASL Linguistics & Athletic Training |
| Cody Hawes, Men's Basketball |
Finance |
| Nathan Henry, Men's Cross Country |
Business Management |
| Ana Hewett, Women's Track & Field |
Nursing |
| Ronan Hume, Men's Soccer |
Nursing |
| James Hutchinson, Men's Soccer |
Sports Management |
| Cassandra Kane, Women's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Athletic Training |
| Margaret Kelly, Women's Basketball |
Business |
| Julianna Kiklis, Field Hockey |
Business |
| Megan King, Women's Basketball |
STEM - Elementary Education |
| Colin Kinney, Men's Lacrosse |
Criminology |
| Sophia Lindsay, Women's Volleyball |
Athletic Training |
| Janek Luksza, Baseball |
Undeclared |
| Tanner McClure, Men's Ice Hockey |
Sports Management |
| Maeve McGarrity, Women's Lacrosse |
Communication |
| Lauren Miller, Softball |
Nursing |
| Kevin Moore, Wrestling |
Business Administration |
| Julianne Nelson, Women's Ice Hockey |
Exercise Science |
| Katelyn Nelson, Softball |
Recreation & Leisure Studies |
| Dominic Pelletier, Wrestling |
Physics & Computer Science |
| Tom Pinette, Men's Cross Country |
History |
| Ciara Richards, Women's Tennis |
Health Sciences |
| Nick Ritmo, Men's Ice Hockey |
History |
| Kailey Robert, Women's Ice Hockey |
Athletic Training |
| Hunter Rushing, Men's Lacrosse |
Business Management |
| Rona Scott, Softball |
Biology Education |
| Jeremy Sendrowski, Wrestling |
Sports Management |
| Cam Seymour, Baseball |
Sports Management |
| Rachel Shanks, Women's Lacrosse |
Communications |
| Hannah Shields, Softball |
Nursing |
| Cameron Slicer, Baseball |
Health Sciences |
| Donato Tocci, Baseball |
Undeclared |
| Mary Toman, Women's Basketball |
Nursing |
| Mariah Vaillancourt, Women's Lacrosse |
Human Biology |
| Savannah Valle, Women's Cross Country |
Psychology |
| Juan Vernaza, Wrestling |
Exercise Science |
| Kevin Voter, Men's Soccer |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Taylor Woodward, Women's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Physics |
| Maddy Young, Women's Ice Hockey |
Environmental Science |
| Third-Time Award Winners |
|
| Alex Allain, Women's Soccer |
Nursing |
| Ciera Berthiaume, Women's Soccer |
English |
| Oskar Bjurstrom, Men's Ice Hockey |
Business Management |
| Mikayla Bourassa, Field Hockey |
English-Teacher Education Pathway |
| Cody Braga, Baseball |
Recreation & Leisure Studies |
| Hannah Chadwick, Women's Cross Country |
STEM - Self Designed Major |
| Taylor Chamberlain, Women's Cross, Country |
Biochemistry |
| Emily Colby, Women's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
| Samantha Comeau, Women's Track & Field |
Art |
| Sagar Dahal, Men's Lacrosse |
Sports Management |
| Brianna Doty, Women's Ice Hockey |
Nursing |
| Brendan Dowler, Men's Ice Hockey |
Sports Management |
| Samantha Ellis, Field Hockey |
Nursing |
| Trevor Engling, Wrestling |
History |
| Dan Flaherty, Men's Track & Field |
History |
| Tyler Gardiner, Men's Ice Hockey |
Athletic Training |
| Michael Geary, Men's Track & Field |
Cyber Security |
| Masho Gebremikael, Men's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Athletic Training |
| Jaequan Grant, Men's Track & Field |
Cyber Security |
| Derek Haney, Men's Basketball |
Exercise Science |
| Brynn Hink, Softball |
Sports Management |
| Evelyn Hinkley, Women's Lacrosse |
Business Management |
| Jenna House, Field Hockey |
Exercise Science |
| Jamie Jannarone, Women's Volleyball |
Health Sciences |
| Joshua Joy, Baseball |
Business Management |
| Bobby Kinsey, Men's Ice Hockey |
Business Management |
| Jason Komulainen, Baseball |
Business Management |
| Cameron LaBrie, Men's Track & Field |
Exercise Science |
| Joey LeClair, Wrestling |
Nursing |
| Jake Peavey, Wrestling |
Business Management |
| Riley Peterson, Men's Track & Field |
Marketing |
| Madison Pullen, Field Hockey |
Nursing |
| Linsday Pych, Field Hockey, Women's Ice Hockey |
Environmental Policy & Planning |
| Rachael Raymond, Women's Cross Country, Track & Field |
Art |
| Michelle Rowe, Women's Basketball |
Nursing |
| Chelsea Skluzacek, Women's Ice Hockey |
Psychology |
| Derek Tillotson, Men's Ice Hockey |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Adam Withers, Men's Ice Hockey |
Accounting |
| Four-Time Award Winners |
|
| Rylie Binette, Women's Ice Hockey |
Health Sciences |
| Taylor Colangelo, Women's Lacrosse |
Nursing |
| Shannon Colbert, Women's Ice Hockey |
Finance & Marketing |
| Tyson Cram, Wrestling |
Nursing |
| Kirsten Curley, Women's Basketball |
Marketing |
| Lauren Delissio, Women's Volleyball |
Nursing |
| Trent Dexter, Men's Track & Field |
Accounting |
| Morgan Eliasen, Women's Basketball, Lacrosse |
Nursing |
| Raul Gierbolini, Wrestling |
Athletic Training |
| Kayla Horner, Softball |
Social Work |
| Zachariah Hoyle, Men's Cross Country, Track & Field |
History-Law Accelerated Degree Pathway |
| Maverick Lynes, Men's Ice Hockey |
English |
| Abigail Mazza, Women's Soccer |
Nursing |
| Julia Nicol, Field Hockey |
Health Sciences |
| Adam Papayoanou, Men's Ice Hockey, Tennis |
Criminology & Psychology |
| Hayden Spencer, Field Hockey |
Nursing |
| Five-Time Award Winners |
|
| Tristan Dundas, Golf, Men's Ice Hockey, Lacrosse |
Business Management |
| Keenan Hendricks, Men's Basketball |
Business Management & Marketing |
| Jackie Luckhardt, Women's Basketball |
Athletic Training, Master's in Leadership Studies |
| Erin Martin, Softball |
Health Sciences |
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