LIU sophomore Elyas Ayyoub (Cape Town, South Africa/Bishops Diocesan College) raced his way to men’s cross country scholar-athlete honors. Ayyoub recorded a runner-up finish at the NEC Cross Country Championship in October, navigating  the 8K course in 24:52.4 to claim All-Conference accolades for the second time. The Cape Town, South Africa native finished third at the 2021 race as a freshman. Ayyoub was a two-time NEC Athlete of the Week who also finished third at the Paul Short Run and 14th at the IC4A/ECAC Championships. He has been named to NEC Academic & Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of his first two years at LIU. Ayyoub majors in Biology and carries a 3.96 GPA.

LIU senior Ainhoa Brea (Llanera, Asturias, Spain/Meres) capped a memorable senior campaign by capturing NEC scholar-athlete plaudits in women’s cross country. Brea dominated the competition on her way to capturing the NEC individual title and Outstanding Performer honors this past October. She crossed the tape more than 20 seconds ahead of the field, shattering the B&D Acres Farm course record in the process. Brea crossed the tape in 17:31.4 to shave 1:13 off the previous standard and help the Sharks to a third place team finish. She was a two-time NEC Athlete of the Week who finished second at the LIU Fall Festival, and 14th at both the Paul Short Run and IC4A/ECAC Championships. Brea, who hails from Llanera, Asturias, Span, landed on both the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll lists for the fourth straight year. She has compiled a 3.87 GPA while majoring in Business Administration.

Wagner senior midfielder Julia Cruces Pastorino (Buenos Aires, Argentina/St. George’s School) was the co-scholar-athlete winner in field hockey. Cruces Pastorino made history when she became the first Wagner student-athlete to claim the NEC Offensive Player of the Year award after sparking the Seahawks to a second place regular season finish. A three-time NEC all-star and two-time first team honoree, she ranked in the conference top-five in every major offensive category this season. The Buenos Aires product finished second in points (33) and goals (12), third in assists (nine) and fourth in game-winners (three). She was even better against conference rivals, piling up a league-leading seven goals and 18 points. The Buenos Aires, Argentina native and two-time NEC Offensive Player of the Week is Wagner’s all-time leader with 27 goals and 70 points. At season’s end, Cruces Pastorino was tabbed to the NFHCA Mideast Region first team after picking up second team honors in 2021. She has appeared on the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of her three years on Grymes Hill and sports a 3.66 grade point average majoring in Business Administration.

Rider senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Tomas (Campbellville, Ontario/Appleby College) just keeps winning, adding the NEC field hockey co-scholar-athlete award to her accomplished resume. Last November, she became the third player in conference history to win dual NEC Defensive and Goalkeeper of the Year honors, and then went on to earn NEC Tournament MVP recognition after she backstopped the Broncs to a record eighth conference crown. Tomas, who hails from Campbellville, Ontario, dominated the NEC goalkeeping categories across the board. She collected four NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors and paced the circuit with a 1.34 GAA, .771 save percentage and five shutouts. Tomas ranked 15th nationally in save percentage and 19th in GAA. She has been named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll all four years at Rider and twice made the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll list. Tomas is a Health & Exercise Science major who maintains a 3.66 grade point average.

CCSU offensive lineman Mason Schloop (Utica, NY/West Canada Valley) capped a storied academic career with NEC football co-scholar-athlete honors. A perfect 4.0 student, Schloop earned his degree in Exercise Science in 2021 and is currently working toward a second degree in Human Biology. At season’s end, he was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team. Last spring, Schloop was one of ten NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees, which is presented to graduating student-athletes who have compiled the highest grade point average in the Conference at the conclusion of the academic calendar. He was the first CCSU recipient of the award in school history. On the field, Schloop started 10 times in 2022 and helped lead the way for Nasir Smith to become the NEC’s leading rusher as the Blue Devils averaged just shy of 150 yards per game on the ground. The Utica, NY native wraps his career as a five-time member of both the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Stonehill senior offensive lineman David Satkowski (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) earned a place in Skyhawk history as the college’s first-ever NEC scholar-athlete, sharing the award with CCSU’s Mason Schloop. In Stonehill’s first year as a member of the NEC and NCAA DI, Satkowski was voted to the All-NEC first team. He anchored an offensive line that opened holes for the league’s top-ranked rushing offense (207.7 ypg) and allowed the second-fewest sacks (18) in the league. Stonehill also finished second in the NEC in scoring offense (30.6 ppg) and third in total offense (385.8 ypg). Satkowski, who hails from Southbury, CT, capped his year by being named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is considered the “Academic Heisman” and embodies the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance. He was also chosen to the CSC Academic All-District team and landed a spot on the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll. A Secondary Education & History major, Satkowski boasts a 3.80 grade point average.

Merrimack graduate student midfielder Alessandro Negri (Noverasco, Italy/Fondazione Sacro Cuore) became the second men’s soccer player from the Warriors to capture the men’s scholar-athlete award, joining former teammate Mirko Nufi (2019). Negri earned a spot on the All-NEC second team after he finished third in the conference with five assists and contributed seven points to the Warriors, who finished in second place and competed in their first-ever NEC Tournament. The former NEC All-Rookie honoree recorded an assist in the NEC semifinals against St. Francis Brooklyn. An outstanding student who has appeared on the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll four straight years, Negri posted a near-perfect 3.99 grade point average in his undergraduate studies majoring in Management. He has gone on to post a 4.0 GPA as he pursues his graduate degree in Business Administration.