MANSFIELD, Mass. – Southern New Hampshire University saw 18 of its student-athletes receive NE10 Academic All-Conference honors Wednesday. The 18 were the second highest number of accolades from one institution in the league, as the Penmen only trailed Adelphi University (21).
Sophomore AJ Cavotta (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), a history major, was one of five honorees from men's golf. Cavotta, who was recognized as a Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) PING East All-Region and NE10 All-Conference First Team honoree, also became the seventh golfer in program history to be selected as the NE10 Player of the Year. Cavotta played in 11 events, averaging a 73.61 across 23 total rounds. He finished in the top five on six occasions, submitted five top-three performances and captured two wins. His low round of 68 came at the Penmen Fall Invitational on Sept. 20. Cavotta tied for third with a 5-over 145 at the NE10 Championship on Oct. 6 and then tied for fourth with a 1-over 217 at the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional Championship on May 7. That performance qualified him for the NCAA National Championship, where he totaled a 153 through two rounds before withdrawing.
Senior Anna Casagrande (Pelham, Mass.) was also one of five recognized from women's golf. In her final season with the Penmen, Casagrande, an NE10 First Team selection, played in seven tournaments and averaged a program-record 79.9 strokes across 16 rounds. Casagrande, an accounting and finance major, finished in the top 10 five times and in the top five on three occasions, which included a pair of runner-up finishes. Her season-low round of 72 came on the second day of the NE10 Championship, as she finished 4-over for the tournament and placed second, overall. The 72 is just one shot off the single-round school record that was set by Morgan Mitchell on March 25, 2019.
Seniors Fernando Torres (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) and Emmanuel Vacalares (Cagayan de Oro, Philippines) were two of six student-athletes to make up the men's tennis squad. Torres, a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, went 11-4 in singles action, as he was named to the NE10 All-Conference Third Team at No. 4 singles. Torres was also 10-7 doubles and captured the ITA East Regional Doubles Championship back in September. This marks the second straight season he has collected the NE10 Academic All-Conference honor.
Vacalares is an economics and finance major, who was 10-3 in singles action this season, as well as 7-7 in doubles play. Vacalares was an NE10 First Team choice at No. 3 singles, in addition to being chosen as an NE10 Second Teamer at No. 3 doubles.
Senior Alexxa Etienne (Bayamon, Puerto Rico), and juniors Magdalena Hubickova (Prague, Czech Republic) and Isabella Andrade (Cochabamba, Bolivia) filled out three of the 12 women's tennis slots. Etienne, a sport management major, finished 13-6, overall, in singles play, including 7-1 in NE10 action at No. 3, where she was an NE10 Second Team pick. Etienne was also 10-7 in doubles and received NE10 First Team honors at the top flight.
Hubickova, communication major, was 11-6 in singles play, including 9-1 in conference action at the second flight, where she was picked as an NE10 Second Teamer. Hubickova, an NE10 Academic All-Conference selection last season, was also 15-3, overall, in doubles and also earned an NE10 Second Team nod at No. 3 doubles.
Andrade, a business administration major, receives the honor for the second straight season. She claimed NE10 Third Team honors at No. 4 singles after going 12-5, including 7-3 in the league. She also finished 7-6 in doubles play.
Three of softball's 18 spots went to graduate student Chloe Griffin (Scarborough, Maine), and sophomores Bella Dickinson (Scarborough, Maine) and Shannon Gifford (Goffstown, N.H.). Griffin, who graduated with a degree in Business Administration and was pursuing her MBA, finished second on the team with a .287 average, while ranking third with four homers and 20 RBI. She also led the team with a 2.75 ERA, finishing 5-5 in the circle. This is the second straight season Griffin captured the accolade.
Dickinson, a business administration major with a concentration in global business, led the Penmen with a .314 average, while finishing second with six homers and 27 RBI. She was an NE10 Third Team honoree.
Gifford, a sport management major, was the recipient of the NE10's Elite 24 Award for softball. Gifford finished her second season with the Penmen with a .261 average with six doubles, a triple, and 17 runs batted in. She hit .414 over the final nine games of the season, including a 3-for-4, six-RBI game against American International College on April 24.
Sophomore Trevor Anibal (Bedford, N.H.) and redshirt-sophomore Cam Caraher (Plymouth, Mass.) collected two of the 18 baseball selections. Anibal put together an impressive list of accolades this season that included National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-America Honorable Mention, American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) East All-Region First Team, Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) East All-Region First Team, NCBWA East All-Region First Team and NE10 All-Conference First Team honors. Anibal, a sport management major, worked in 16 games out of the bullpen this season, going 6-0 with four saves and a 1.83 ERA. Anibal held opposing hitters to a .147 average, and stuck out 52 batters in his 39.1 innings. Anibal put together a 14.1-inning scoreless streak down the stretch, before being charged with two runs in the final game of the season. In the categories he qualified for, Anibal placed third in the NE10 in saves, fourth in opponent batting average and 10th in wins.
Caraher, a business administration major with a concentration in organizational leadership, earned NE10 Second Team honors, as he slashed .323/.429/.520/.949 with five home runs, 28 RBI and 27 runs scored. He placed 16th in the NE10 in OBP and 20th in slugging.
Senior Tristan Pietz (Dudley, Mass.) and sophomore Cam Cote (Saco, Maine) were two of the 12 men's lacrosse honorees. Pietz, a communication major, finished second on the team in scoring with 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points. On the field, he was honored with New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) All-New England First Team and NE10 Third Team honors, while he also was named a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Scholar-All American for his work in the classroom.
Cote, a business administration major with a concentration in operations and project management, led the NE10 with 27 caused turnovers and finished 10th with 55 ground balls. He was a USILA North All-Region Honorable Mention, NEILA All-New England First Team and NE10 Second Team honoree.
Junior Skylar Renaud (E. Waterboro, Maine) and sophomore Alexis DeLucia (Uncasville, Conn.) nabbed two of the 25 openings for women's lacrosse. Renaud, a marketing major, earned Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) East All-Region Second Team and NE10 Third Team honors this season, after tallying 49 points on 40 goals and nine assists. She scored a goal in each of SNHU's 16 games this season, while leading the team with 31 grounds balls and placing second with 55 draw controls. Renaud, who collects the honor for the second straight year, ranked 16th in the NE10 in goals and 19th in draw controls.
DeLucia, a psychology major, earned a spot on the NE10 Third Team, as she led the team with 88 draw controls, to go with five goals and 22 ground balls. The 88 draws ranked seventh in the NE10.
Two of the 15 women's track & field spots went to grad student Ashley Corcoran (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) and sophomore Kelsey Seamans (Methuen, Mass.). Corcoran, who graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, was pursuing her MBA with a concentration in marketing. She racked up numerous accolades during the outdoor season, including United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America Second Team, USTFCCCA East Region Track Athlete of the Year, NE10 Track Athlete of the Year and NE10 Championship Track MVP. This is the fourth time she has earned NE10 Academic All-Conference, including the second time in the spring. She was indoor track & field's NE10 Sport Excellence Award winner earlier this year.
Corcoran finished 10th in the steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships after winning the event at the NE10 Championships and the New England Championships. She set the program record for the 3000-meter steeplechase at UConn in April with a time of 10:23.96. She also won the 1500 meters and finished second in the 5000 at NE10's, as the Penmen won the competition for the first time in program history.
Seamans, an accounting and finance major, was the NE10's Elite 24 Award winner for outdoor track & field this season. She ran the fastest 10,000 meters among SNHU runners during the outdoor season at 38:24.74, while finishing fifth at UConn on April 15. She ran sixth at the NE10 Championships in the event with a 39:03.01.
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