Bridgewater, NJ — Whether on the track, in the classroom or in the community, Central Connecticut women’s cross country and track & field senior Ashely Dana (Durham, CT/Coginchaug) has gone the distance, and then some. 
 
As a result, the Durham, CT native has won the 2022-23 NEC Female Team Student-Athlete of the Year Award presented by Provident Bank.  
 
Weighing one’s leadership ability, athletic prowess, academic achievement and contributions to one’s community, the Student-Athlete of the Year Award has been earmarked as the Northeast Conference’s most prestigious individual honor. Dana was chosen out of a pool of nine female finalists from across the NEC’s core membership.  
 
She joins St. Francis Brooklyn men’s soccer midfielder Sokol Ymeraj, who was tabbed the NEC Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year presented by Provident Bank. 
 
The honor is the latest for the Blue Devils’ harrier, who packed on the points and helped lead Central Connecticut to four straight NEC cross country championships and back-to-back NEC indoor track and field titles in 2022 and 2023 during her decorated career in New Britain. 
 
Following in the footsteps of former teammate and running mate Angie Rafter, who received the distinction in 2021-22, Dana becomes the fourth Blue Devil to earn the NEC’s most coveted individual honor since the inception of the award in 2002-03. She also joins distance runner Katherine Bossardet (2010-11) and women’s soccer player Sabrina Mariani (2002-03).

"Ashley embodies all of the qualities that we are looking for when we describe what a Blue Devil is," said Central Connecticut head cross country/track & field coach Eric Blake. "She is a tremendous teammate, an excellent student, a talented runner and an even better person. I couldn't be happier that Ashley is being recognized by the NEC with this well-deserved honor."
 
Dana has been near perfect in the classroom. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2022 with a 3.88 grade point average and has accompanied that mark with a perfect 4.00 GPA in her MBA work. She was an 11-time member of both the NEC Academic Honor Roll and the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Earning Dean’s List distinction in each semester, Dana added another academic honor to her resumé as a recent CSC Academic All-District selection.
 
Dana, a multiple All-NEC performer in a host of events, became synonymous with a strong core of Central Connecticut runners that has enjoyed an unprecedented stretch of dominance in the distance events. Since the 2020 indoor championships, the Blue Devils have struck gold in all 12 individual long-haul races (the Indoor Track and Field Championship was not contested 2021), while 13 of the past 15 distance races have resulted in Central Connecticut runners pocketing gold medals.
 
Dana has landed on top of the podium an impressive six times during that stretch. Earning the title of conference champion twice during the indoor season with back-to-back 800m crowns in 2022 and 2023, she is a two-time winner of the both the outdoor 800m race (2022, 2023) and the outdoor 1500m race (2021, 2023). 
 
On the cross country circuit, Dana, who won the individual title in 2020-21, secured three top-five finishes over the course of her career, including a recent runner-up and personal-best effort on the 5K course at B & D Acres Farm in Tyrone, PA in 2022. 
 
The countless miles and grueling training sessions on the track culminated in Dana earning three major awards during her career. In her four years, she was tabbed the 2021 NEC Most Outstanding Cross Country Performer, the 2022 NEC Most Outstanding Indoor Track & Field Performer (Distance) and the 2023 NEC Co-Most Outstanding Outdoor Track & Field Performer (Distance). 
 
Dana’s elite performances in the classroom, as well as on the cross country course and the track, were certainly matched by her extraordinary work and leadership in and around her community. 
 
“My experience as an athlete has helped me become a leader on my team and also in my life outside of the sport,” said Dana. “These experiences as a student-athlete have shown me how I can have a positive impact on my campus and community, and that I am capable of having that impact on the world with my community psychology education.”
 
As it relates to her coursework and major, Dana has served as a Psychology science peer tutor where she helped others with challenging coursework and empowered them to succeed. She was also a supervisor in Central Connecticut’s wellness room. 
 
“Through coursework and projects as a community psychology graduate student, I have learned about the importance of collaboration with community members to address community problems,” Dana added.
 
Dana also became an active member of Central Connecticut’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Starting her tenure as a team a representative, she is now a member of the organization’s executive board.
 
“My experiences as a community psychology student, an athlete and a Central Connecticut SAAC member have helped me gain the confidence and empowerment to have a positive impact on the world,” Dana stated. “I entered college as a much less confident person who wasn’t sure if I was really good enough to be successful in a Division I program. As a student-athlete, I have grown into a person who realizes the positive impact I can have on my community and the world.”
 
As a SAAC member, Dana helped spearhead several initiatives, including community cleanups, dodgeball tournaments and trivia nights. She has also devoted volunteering at local cross country and track meets and at nearby elementary schools. 
 

NEC STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS

2022-23       Sokol Ymeraj, St. Francis Brooklyn (male team, soccer)   
              Ashley Dana, CCSU (female team, cross country/track and field) 
2021-22       Harald Sollund, St. Francis Brooklyn (male team, soccer)
              Angie Rafter, CCSU (female team, cross country/track and field)
              Mekenzie Saban, Saint Francis U (female team, softball) 
2020-21       Djordje Spasic, St. Francis Brooklyn (male team, swimming and diving)               
              Tiffany Hanna, Wagner (female team, track and field) 
2019-20       Jonathan Besselink, Wagner (male team, cross country/track and field)
              Sara Phelan, Saint Francis U (female team, track and field)
2018-19       Evan McDonald, Fairleigh Dickinson (male team, baseball)
              Pascalle Tego, Wagner (female team, golf)
2017-18       Charlton Boyd, Wagner (male team, tennis)
              Dana Davis, Robert Morris (female team, lacrosse)
2016-17       Kyle Mummau, Bryant (male team, lacrosse)
              Brianna Tredway, Wagner (female team, softball)
2015-16       Max Vogt, Bryant (male team, tennis)
              Amanda Lucia, Wagner (female team, swimming)
2014-15       Phil Faccone, Wagner (male team, football)
              Nicole Sleith, Robert Morris (female team, softball)
2013-14       Meredith Ketchmark, Wagner (swimming)
2012-13       Steve Cioicci, Wagner (football)
2011-12       Julia Prantl, Fairleigh Dickinson (tennis)
2010-11       Katherine Bossardet, CCSU (cross country, track and field)
2009-10       Kundayi Mawema, Bryant (field hockey)
2008-09       Alexandra Tomlinson, Wagner (swimming)
2007-08       Tiffany Hahn, Monmouth (track and field)
2006-07       Erika Jacobs, Saint Francis U (cross country, track and field)
2005-06       Joy Gallagher, Wagner (basketball, softball)
2004-05       Beth Swink, Saint Francis U (basketball)
2003-04       Naomi Campano, Mount St. Mary's (lacrosse)
2002-03       Sabrina Mariani, CCSU (soccer)