GORHAM, Maine – Junior Ben Drummey (Biddeford, Maine) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies' men's track and field team has been named the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association). Drummey also earned All-Academic Athlete honors from the organization. Additionally, as a team, Southern Maine's men's indoor and outdoor programs earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors.
 
National Scholar Athletes of the Year are chosen by USTFCCCA from a list of All-Academic Athletes submitted by member institutions. To be an All-Academic Athlete a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale through the most recently completed grading period and additionally meet the athletic requirement of having finished the season among the top 50 individuals as listed on the descending order lists on TFRRS, competing in the Indoor or Outdoor National Championships, or having been a member of the one the top 35 relay teams as listed on the descending order list on TFRRS. This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Southern Maine has been named National Scholar Athlete of the Year in track & field
 
The award marks the second major national academic award for Drummey in the past few weeks after earning College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-America honors last month. The 2022 and 2023 NCAA Division III Indoor National Champion in the pole vault, Drummey earned All-American honors for the fourth time in his career after tying for fourth place in the pole vault at the outdoor National Championships. During the indoor season Drummey won the Little East Conference pole vault title for the second consecutive year as well as the DIII New England championship in the event. He once again won the New England title at the outdoor championships and placed second in the LEC and earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors for each season. A Nursing major, Drummey also earned an All-Academic Athlete nod following the 2021-22 academic year.
 
To be honored as an All-Academic Team a program must have a cumulative team grade point average of at least 3.10 on a 4.0 scale. The Huskies indoor and outdoor teams posted a team grade point average of 3.27 and each were awarded the LEC Team Academic Award for the respective season.