HADLEY, Mass. – Conn. College seniors Justin Finkel and Peter Silvester are the NESCAC nominees for the 2025 Division III Commissioners Association Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year award.
The award recognizes graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership. A committee of conference administrators selected Finkel and Silvester as the NESCAC's representatives.
Justin Finkel, Conn. College Men's Swimming & Diving
As a biological sciences major, Finkel graduated from Conn. College with a 3.67 GPA. During his career, the swimmer was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American four times, a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American twice, a College Sports Communicators All-District honoree three times, and was a three-time NESCAC All-Academic Team selection.
Finkel was heavily involved in Zachs Hillel House at Conn. College. He served as a board member for three years and was the Shabbat programmer. He also shared his Conn. College experiences with newcomers and prospective students through the Connections at Conn. College program. Finkel shared personal experiences from the Public Health Pathway to inspire over 200 prospective students, families, first-years, and sophomores in the Connections program. Off campus, Finkel volunteers at the Department of Veterans Affairs, assisting various medical departments.
A four-time national champion and two-time CSCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year, Finkel finished his career as a 12-time All-American and is the current owner of the NCAA Division III record in the 200 butterfly. Finkel was voted the NESCAC Swimmer of the Year three times and won eight NESCAC titles while earning 13 All-NESCAC awards. He closed out his four years owning 10 Conn. College records and three NESCAC marks. The College awarded Finkel the Anita L. DeFrantz Award, and he was the recipient of the 2025 Jay Fiedler Outstanding Jewish College Athlete of the Year Award presented by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association.
Finkel will study for the MCAT and eventually apply to medical school where he hopes to combine his passion to learn about the body with his commitment to public service.
Peter Silvester, Conn. College Men's Soccer
A quantitative economics major and finance minor, Silvester graduated from Conn. College with a 3.71 GPA. He was presented with the Brown/Brooks Award, given to the most outstanding male athlete at Conn. College that represents the graduating class in scholarship, leadership, and sportsmanship.
Silvester was the team liaison between the men’s soccer program and Team Impact, organizing events with their Team Impact athlete. Silvester also volunteered with the Bermuda Goalkeeping Association.
A United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American, Silvester helped the Camels win the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer title in 2021 and finish as the national runner-up in 2024, where he was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. He was a two-time All-Region and All-NESCAC honoree, leading the Camels to their first NESCAC title in team history in 2024.
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.
