Posted: May 17, 2019
HADLEY, Mass. – A total of 993 student-athletes have been named to the 2019 NESCAC Spring All-Academic Team. To be honored, an individual must have reached sophomore academic standing, and be in good standing in their sport with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 or equivalent on a 4.0 scale. Transfers must have completed one year of study at the institution.

COMPLETE LIST OF ALL-ACADEMIC HONOREES

Of the 993 student-athletes named to the team, 391 were honored for the second time in their career, while 219 were recognized for the third time. In addition, 119 members of the group garnered both All-Academic and All-NESCAC accolades this spring, led by 26 student-athletes from Middlebury. A total of 68 individuals were named to both the All-Sportsmanship and All-Academic Teams.

13 individuals were selected to all three squads. The elite group includes Amherst juniors Jayson Fung (men’s tennis) and Clark Ricciardelli (men’s outdoor track & field), Bowdoin junior Thomas Dunleavy (men’s golf), Connecticut College senior Shannon Kennedy (women’s outdoor track & field), Hamilton seniors Hannah Burrall (women’s lacrosse) and Jeremy Benjamin (men’s golf), Middlebury senior Lucy Lang (women’s outdoor track & field), Trinity senior John Stamatis (baseball), Tufts  seniors Tomo Iwasaki (women’s tennis) and Kylene DeSmith (women’s outdoor track & field), Tufts sophomore Boris Sorkin (men’s tennis), Wesleyan senior Andrew McCracken (men’s outdoor track & field), and Williams junior Sam Goldenring (men’s golf).

The 2019 Spring All-Academic Team includes four NESCAC Players of the Year, a NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, and a NESCAC Pitcher of the Year.

Bowdoin senior Grant Urken (Purchase, N.Y.) was named the 2019 NESCAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Year in addition to earning First Team All-NESCAC honors in both singles and doubles, bringing his career all-conference citation total to six. Urken, the defending NCAA Division III singles champion, has earned all-academic recognition in each year he was eligible. The winningest player in Polar Bear history, he leads a squad that has advanced to the national quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season. Bowdoin is set to face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on May 20 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

After a regular season that saw her go 14-1, Middlebury junior Heather Boehm (Miami, Fla.) was selected as the 2019 NESCAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year. Boehm, a three-time all-conference honoree, makes her second appearance on the All-Academic Team in as many years. Through her first three seasons, she has amassed a record of 65-9 and will lead the Panthers as they make their fifth straight NCAA Quarterfinal appearance. Middlebury will take on NESCAC foe Amherst on May 20 in Kalamazoo, Michigan with a trip to the semifinals on the line.

Amherst senior Evan Wolf (Wynnewood, Pa.) earned NESCAC Player of the Year honors in men’s lacrosse for the second year in a row. Wolf, a three-time All-NESCAC honoree and two-time All-Academic selection, leads the league in points (113) and goals (72) while ranking sixth in assists (41). He is the first player since 2011 to capture Player of the Year honors in back-to-back years and just the fourth to do it in the history of the award. Wolf and the Mammoths have advanced to the NCAA Semifinals where they will meet Williams.

Tufts senior Hedy Veith (Alexandria, Va.) was named the NESCAC Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year in a season that saw the Jumbo defense record a 7.69 goals against average. A starter in all 19 games, Veith has registered 36 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers on the season. Tufts set a school record for wins in a season (17) and will host an NCAA Regional where it is set to face TCNJ.

Williams senior infielder Doug Schaffer (New Haven, Conn.) was named NESCAC Baseball Player of the Year after helping the Ephs qualify for the NESCAC Baseball Championship for the first time since 2012 where they were the top seed in the West Division. Schaffer, a First Team All-NESCAC selection, is the fifth Eph to garner the award and the first since 2010. He led the NESCAC with a .412 batting average and 47 RBIs, while slugging .595 for the season.

Tufts sophomore Kristi Van Meter (Amston, Conn.) is the NESCAC Softball Pitcher of the Year after garnering Rookie of the Year honors last season. Van Meter, a First Team all-conference selection, recorded a 1.54 ERA to lead the NESCAC. She registered 13 wins and tossed 108 strikeouts on the season for the Jumbos, who advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship round and finished with a 32-10 record.

Founded in 1971, the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) consists of 11 liberal arts colleges and has consistently reflected its commitment to the values of athletics and academic achievement. The member colleges of the conference are Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.