GORHAM, Maine – Sixty two University of Southern Maine spring sport student-athletes were announced as part of the 2023 Little East Conference All-Academic Team. Students from each of Southern Maine's seven Little East Conference sponsored teams have representatives on the academic squad: baseball, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, softball, men's tennis, men's outdoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field.
To earn the distinguished award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in standing both academically and athletically, have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher through the previous semester, and have been at their current institution for at least one full academic year.
"A great deal of discipline and effort goes into being a student-athlete," said USM Director of Athletics Al Bean. "Each of these student-athletes has performed exceptionally in the classroom and on the field of competition. On behalf of the University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics, I extend our congratulations and thanks to each of these students for wearing their Husky uniform with pride, outstanding character and for achieving academic and athletic distinction."
With a diverse set of academic interests, 23 different University of Southern Maine majors are represented by the Huskies' 62 Spring LEC All-Academic team roster. Nine nursing majors lead the way for Huskies' athletics, while Health Sciences is represented seven times. Other majors include Accounting, Art, Music Education, Exercise Science, Chemistry, Finance, Business Analytics, Sports Management, Biology, Marketing, History and more.
Among the 62 Huskies recognized are NCAA Division III All-American and 2023 NCAA Division III National Champion
Ben Drummey (Biddeford, Maine) of the Huskies' men's track & field team. A junior Nursing major, Drummey is a two-time National Champion in the pole vault and a four-time All-American in the same event.
All-Little East Conference pitcher and College Sports Communicator Academic All-District selection junior
Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) is a Linguistics major and a standout for the Huskies' softball team. She is a two-time William B. Wise Scholar Athlete and has previously earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors.
Junior
Cece Racine (Lewiston, Maine) of the Huskies' women's lacrosse team, a 2023 All-Little East Conference goalkeeper and CSC Academic All-District honoree also makes the Spring All-Academic team. A two-time All-Conference selection for the Huskies, is a Biology major, a two-time William B. Wise Scholar Athlete and has twice been named to the conference's Sportsmanship Team.
Graduate student and two-sport (tennis, ice hockey) student-athlete
Tyler Gardiner (Watertown, Mass.) represented the Huskies' men's tennis program. Earning his Master's Degree in Leadership Studies, Gardiner is active across campus in a variety of roles. President and member of the Athletic Training Student Association, Gardiner is also a Learning Assistant with the University of Southern Maine Learning Commons, and a Resident Assistant with the University's Residential Life. A member of SAAC, Gardiner is a four-time William B. Wise Scholar Athlete, and an American Hockey Coaches Association Scholar All-American.
Fully embracing the NCAA Division III philosophy and its commitment to academics and the full student-athlete experience, the University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics supports ~450 student-athletes, who have a combined grade point average of 3.23 at the conclusion of this academic cycle.
2023 Little East Conference Spring All-Academic Team
| First Name |
Last Name |
Sport |
Major |
| Joseph |
Bova |
Baseball |
Finance |
| Matthew |
Burnett |
Baseball |
Business Management |
| Janek |
Luksza |
Baseball |
Business Management |
| Gavin |
Rawstrom |
Baseball |
Accounting |
| Clay |
Robbins |
Baseball |
Sports Management |
| Brogan |
Searle-Belanger |
Baseball |
Chemistry |
| Cam |
Seymour |
Baseball |
Sports Management |
|
|
|
|
| Ryan |
Illig |
Men's Lacrosse |
Biology |
| Nathan |
Plourde |
Men's Lacrosse |
Music Education |
|
|
|
|
| Zach |
Desmarais |
Men's Tennis |
Sports Management |
| Tyler |
Gardiner |
Men's Tennis |
Master's Degree Leadership Studies |
| Ryan |
Geary |
Men's Tennis |
Music Education |
| Azam |
Jiwa |
Men's Tennis |
Business Analytics |
| Cole |
Ouellette |
Men's Tennis |
Marketing |
| Jaryd |
Traverso-Penn |
Men's Tennis |
Exercise Science |
|
|
|
|
| Ben |
Drummey |
Men's Track & Field |
Nursing |
| Jordan |
Duplessie |
Men's Track & Field |
Environmental Science |
| Nate |
Fogg |
Men's Track & Field |
Exercise Science |
| Antoine |
Grace |
Men's Track & Field |
Master's Degree Leadership Studies |
| Alex |
Hall |
Men's Track & Field |
Exercise Science |
| Sam |
Mgendi |
Men's Track & Field |
Business Analytics |
| Anthony |
O'Donnell |
Men's Track & Field |
Psychology |
| Jack |
Pecoraro |
Men's Track & Field |
History and Management |
| Andrew |
Seile |
Men's Track & Field |
Economics |
| Colin |
Tippett |
Men's Track & Field |
Economics |
| Devin |
Witte |
Men's Track & Field |
Criminology |
|
|
|
|
| Madeline |
Darling |
Softball |
Elementary Education |
| Madison |
Day |
Softball |
Sports Management |
| Brook |
Kulis |
Softball |
Nursing |
| Alexandria |
Mailhiot |
Softball |
Nursing |
| Lauren |
Merrill |
Softball |
Nursing |
| Lauren |
Miller |
Softball |
Nursing |
| Makena |
Mulcahy |
Softball |
Psychology |
| Rona |
Scott |
Softball |
Biology Education |
| Hannah |
Shields |
Softball |
Nursing |
| Isabella |
Snyder |
Softball |
Linguistics |
|
|
|
|
| Zowie |
Cheetham-Wilmot |
Women's Lacrosse |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Emily |
Cloutier |
Women's Lacrosse |
Art |
| Kiaya |
Gatchell |
Women's Lacrosse |
Exercise Science |
| Maeve |
McGarrity |
Women's Lacrosse |
Communications |
| Ella |
Nason |
Women's Lacrosse |
Communications |
| Jillian |
Nichols |
Women's Lacrosse |
Nursing |
| Cece |
Racine |
Women's Lacrosse |
Health Sciences |
|
|
|
|
| Mackenzie |
Betty |
Women's Track & Field |
Psychology |
| Ella |
Boucher |
Women's Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
| Heaven |
Conley |
Women's Track & Field |
Elementary Education |
| Hannah |
Corbett |
Women's Track & Field |
Biology |
| Johanna |
Daigle |
Women's Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
| Vanessa |
DiRisi |
Women's Track & Field |
Biology |
| Maddie |
Fornasier |
Women's Track & Field |
Nursing |
| Catriona |
Gould |
Women's Track & Field |
Biology |
| Olivia |
Jalbert |
Women's Track & Field |
Exercise Science |
| Cassandra |
Kane |
Women's Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
| Olivia |
Mosca |
Women's Track & Field |
History |
| Emma |
Noonan |
Women's Track & Field |
Criminology |
| Sophia |
Poole |
Women's Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
| Anna |
Reny |
Women's Track & Field |
Psychology |
| Sophia |
Salamone |
Women's Track & Field |
Art |
| Sophia |
Slovenski |
Women's Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
| Katelyn |
Smith |
Women's Track & Field |
Business Management |
| Jillian |
Taylor |
Women's Track & Field |
Nursing |
| Rosemary |
Train |
Women's Track & Field |
Health Sciences |
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