Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics

Luke Eckels was Hamilton's 2020 male recipient of the Milton H. Jannone Award, which has been presented annually since 2009 to a male and female senior athlete who exhibit outstanding athleticism, leadership and academic accomplishment.

Eckels is a public policy major and two-year team captain who was a four-year starter at center back. He earned a spot on the NESCAC fall all-academic team as a sophomore and made the United Soccer Coaches scholar all-East Region team as a junior and a senior. He helped lead the team to four postseason appearances including the 2016 NESCAC championship final. He was a four-time all-NESCAC team honoree, including the first team as a sophomore and junior, and was the conference's rookie of the year in 2016. He was a three-time member of the United Soccer Coaches all-region team in the New England Region.

Eckels was selected for the 2019 NCAA Division III All-Region Men's Team by the United Soccer Coaches and placed on the third team in the New England Region. He led a defense that posted seven shutouts and allowed one goal three times. During a stretch of seven matches from late September to mid-October, the Continentals surrendered just one goal. Eckels finished with five points in 67 career matches at Hamilton. The Continentals went 4-4-0 in the conference championship during his career and made it to the final for the first time in 2016.

In 2016 Eckels was the only freshman to earn all-conference recognition. He appeared in all 18 games and started 15 times at center back. Eckels scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner against SUNY Polytechnic.