NORTHEAST-10 RELEASE
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Southern New Hampshire University junior Tiago Fernandes (Porto, Portugal) earned the Northeast-10 Sport Excellence Award for men's tennis and was joined by teammate and classmate Xavier Aubron (Herouville, France), men's lacrosse senior Keifer Heckman (Peabody, Mass.) and softball senior Nicole Gubellini (Salem, N.H.) as NE10 Academic All-Conference selections, the league announced last week.
Fernandes and Aubron made up a third of the NE10 Academic All-Conference squad for men's tennis, with Fernandes being chosen as the sport's Sport Excellence Award winner. Fernandes, a business administration major with a 3.96 grade-point average, was the NE10 Player of the Year and the NE10 Championship Most Outstanding Player, in addition to being named an NE10 All-Conference First Team selection at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. Fernandes helped guide the Penmen to their second straight NE10 title and second straight undefeated conference slate by going 17-5 in singles action, including a perfect 9-0 mark in league play. Fernandes, who was also 16-7 (12-1 NE10) in doubles, captured nine straight singles matches and 10 straight doubles tilts before closing the year with losses in the NCAA East Regional.
Aubron, meanwhile, was feted as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award winner, in addition to NE10 First Team nods at both No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles. Aubron, who also joined Fernandes by earning a spot on the NE10 All-Championship Team, was 17-6 in singles action, including an unblemished 9-0 in NE10 play. The finance major with a 3.87 GPA was also 16-7 in doubles, including 8-1 in the conference.
Heckman, a marketing major with a 3.5 GPA, garnered New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) All-New England First Team and NE10 All-Conference Second Team recognition, while also earning an invite to the 2017 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/NIKE North-South Senior All-Star Game. Heckman registered a team-high 58 points in 15 games, finishing second in the NE10 in goals (41) and third in total points. He tallied at least one point in 14 games this season, registered 13 multi-point efforts, generated at least five points six times and had three seven-point performances. Heckman was also second on the team with 47 ground balls and tied for fourth with seven caused turnovers.
Gubellini, who was also a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, is a special education major with a 3.78 GPA. Gubellini finished 10-4 in the circle with a 1.67 ERA in 113.1 innings pitched. She hurled 10 complete games and fanned 97 batters, while allowing just 27 earned runs. Gubellini led the conference and ranked 43rd in the nation in ERA. She struck out seven in a complete-game effort in an NE10 quarterfinal against Pace University in the final start of her career.
To be eligible for selection to the NE10 Academic All-Conference Teams, a student-athlete must have met or exceeded the following minimum requirements: 1) participated in at least half of the team's competitions and been either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale); and 3) completed at least one academic year at his/her current institution.
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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