Bridgewater, NJ — They competed at an elite level during their collegiate careers, all while achieving perfection in the classroom. As a result, eight Northeast Conference (NEC) student-athletes were dually rewarded with NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.
Six highly-achieving women — Nina Carlomusto (FDU – women’s soccer), Lina Dirnberger (FDU – women’s soccer), Olivia Lampkin (Merrimack – women’s bowling), Lindsay Macdonald (Stonehill – women’s tennis), Kaitlyn Maxwell (Saint Francis U – women’s basketball) and Savannah Schoonmaker (Saint Francis U – women’s soccer) — are co-recipients of the NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award after they completed their undergraduate careers with 4.00 grade-point averages.
Central Connecticut’s Matt Jenner and Stonehill’s David Satkowski — a pair of football players — equaled that perfection in the classroom to share NEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year distinction.
In its 18th year, the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, which is sponsored by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives, goes to the male and female team student-athletes who have graduated after compiling the highest grade-point average in the Conference at the conclusion of the academic calendar.
FDU and Saint Francis U led the way with two NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees, while Stonehill also matched that league-leading award total with one Male and one Female selection.
For the second time in as many years, a pair of teammates shared NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. The tandem of FDU women’s soccer players Carlomuster (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) and Dirberger (Munich, Germany/Theodolindengymnasium (George Mason)) follow the footsteps of St. Francis Brooklyn women’s soccer standouts Lauren Taylor and Ashtyn Van Horn, who became the first teammates to take home the award on the women’s side in 2023.
In her five-year career in Hackensack, Carlomuster played in 71 matches with starts in 30 of those contests. The defender, who pursued her MAT in Biological Science, collected some serious bling at the end of her undergraduate career after she helped lead the Knights to the program’s second-ever NEC women’s soccer championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022. She has been a part of four NEC Tournament trips since arriving in the Garden State for the 2019 campaign, including three runs to the title match in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Carlomuster, who earned her degree in Science (Education) in 2023, inked her name on the NEC Academic Honor Roll and the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll five times.
Dirberger also contributed to FDU’s banner-raising campaign in 2022, making 14 starts in 17 appearances that season. Joining the Knights’ roster by way of George Mason where she spent two seasons in the Nation’s Capital, the German-born midfielder helped FDU amass a 13-4-2 record during her two years in the Garden State. This past season, Dirberger scored a career-high three goals and tacked on an assist for a personal-best seven points. Her strike against Howard in the 83rd minute on Oct. 12 helped the Knights score a crucial come-from-behind 2-1 win against their league foes. A Psychology major, she has earned NEC Academic Honor Roll and NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll distinction in each of her two seasons at FDU.
Carlomuster and Dirnberger’s honors pushed FDU’s NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year count to five, as they joined former women’s soccer player Kristina Neri (2016-17) and women’s fencer Evgeniya Tyrtova (2011-12).
Saint Francis U produced multiple NEC Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year for the second time in as many years.
Sharp-shooter Maxwell (Everett, PA/Everett) joined Taylor Allison (2016-17) as Saint Francis U women’s basketball players who have garnered NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. Departing Loretto with an undergraduate degree in Engineering (General), the guard coupled her perfection in the classroom with efficiency from long range on the court. Despite a career that was hampered by injuries, Maxwell established herself as one of the league’s top three-point threats. As a sophomore in 2021-22, she led the team and ranked fourth in the loop with a .405 three-point field goal percentage. Maxwell started her senior season on a tear, putting up 18 points against Robert Morris and 13 against Canisius on 70.0 percent shooting from distance before she suffered a season-ending injury. The Keystone State native was a member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll and the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of her four years on campus.
Schoonmaker (State College, PA/State College Area) paved the way as the first-ever women’s soccer player from Saint Francis U to don the title of NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The State College, PA product was a mainstay in the Red Flash’s back field during her three seasons in Loretto, racking up starts in 41 of her 48 appearances. In her senior campaign in 2023, she contributed to each of her team’s four shutouts. In addition, Schoonmaker set up fellow teammate Lauren Pyle for the game-winning strike against Le Moyne in the 69th minute for her first career point in a Saint Francis U uniform on Oct. 8. In the classroom, the Finance/Accounting major racked up three NEC Academic Honor Roll and three NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll nods.
Lampkin (Henderson, NV/Basic Academy International Studies (Lincoln Memorial University)), a Rehabilitation Sciences major, transferred to Merrimack to be a part of the program’s inaugural season in 2022. The Warriors’ anchor bowler wasted little time in helping her team reach the pinnacle of NEC women’s bowling. In just their second year sponsoring the sport, the Warriors rolled through the field at Hamilton Lanes by winning four straight matches to clinch the program’s first conference title and NCAA Tournament berth. Lampkin’s clutch play and 22.38 frame average during Merrimack’s magical postseason run resulted in her landing a spot on the NEC All-Tournament Team for the second time in as many years. The Nevada product was the third women’s bowler in NEC annals — and the first from Merrimack — to garner NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. In addition, the two-time NEC Academic Honor Roll and NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll member became the third Warrior to earn the prestigious honor, joining Grace Buchholz (women’s soccer; 2020-21) and Jenna Wike (softball; 2021-22).
Macdonald (South Yarmouth, MA/Monomoy Regional) and Satkowski (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) made history in Easton, MA in 2023-24. With their selections as NEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and NEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, respectively, the tandem became the first-ever Skyhawks to garner the prestigious award.
Macdonald inked her name on the NEC Academic Honor Roll and the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll on two occasions as a Healthcare Administration major. A native of South Yarmouth, MA, she joined the Skyhawks’ roster for their inaugural season as an NEC member and a Division I program in 2022-23 after she spent one year at Colby-Sawyer. That season, Macdonald went 3-3 in singles play that included a 1-0 mark at the No. 4 spot.
The NEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is a feather in the cap for what has been an impressive career — both on the gridiron and in the classroom — for Satkowski. Earlier this year, the two-time All-NEC first teamer was named the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in football for a second consecutive season. The graduate student led an offensive line that not only paved the way for the league’s No. 2 ranked rusher, but also allowed just 15 sacks, the second fewest in the league. Satkowski also repeated as 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. A native of Southbury, CT, Satkowski was also a finalist for the prestigious Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete award, an accolade bestowed upon an FCS student-athlete who excels on the playing field, in the classroom and across the community. A two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, he landed a spot on the NEC Academic and Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the second year in a row in 2023 while enrolled in his Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Education graduate program.
Jenner (El Dorado, CA/Oak Ridge (Community College of San Francisco)) was Central Connecticut’s second-ever NEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year honoree. The Blue Devils’ play caller follows the footsteps of offensive lineman Mason Schloop, who also became the NEC’s first-ever football student-athlete to take home the award. Arriving in New Britain by way of the Community College of San Francisco, the General Studies major and Californian played in nine games in his debut season with the Blue Devils. Jenner threw for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns after completing 93-of-169 passes. Tallying multiple touchdowns in four games, he also ran for scores against conference foes Merrimack and Duquesne. Jenner landed a spot on both the NEC Academic Honor Roll and the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll this past season.
NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year History
Year Men Women
2023-24 Matt Jenner, Central Connecticut Lina Dirnberger, FDU
David Satkowski, Stonehill Nina Carlomusto, FDU
Olivia Lampkin, Merrimack
Kaitlyn Maxwell, Saint Francis U
Savannah Schoonmaker, Saint Francis U
Lindsay Macdonald, Stonehill
2022-23 Matthew Zawaski, Sacred Heart Nina Carlomusto, FDU
Leah Nonnenmann, LIU
Lexi Smith, LIU
Lauren Taylor, St. Francis Brooklyn
Ashtyn Van Horn, St. Francis Brooklyn
Kaitie Conte, Saint Francis U
Kelly Dickson, Saint Francis U
Jeanie Edgington, Saint Francis U
2021-22 Mason Schloop, Central Connecticut Natalie Novak, Central Connecticut
Demetri Skoumbakis, LIU Laurie Hauet, LIU
Matthew Blose, Saint Francis U Shyla Sanford, LIU
Grace Scura, LIU
Jenna Wike, Merrimack
Mari Fay, Sacred Heart
Madeline Delore, Wagner
2020-21 Tomas Bernardes, St. Francis Brooklyn Grace Buchholz, Merrimack
Shannon Cody, Saint Francis U
2019-20 Gregory Heider, Saint Francis U Delaney Beck, Wagner
Scott Meredith, Saint Francis U Adriana Forcucci, Sacred Heart
2018-19 Shane Vyskocil, Bryant Lacee Collins, Robert Morris
Frank Cerillo, LIU Brooklyn Dana DiRenzo, St. Francis Brooklyn
Nicholas Nemergut, St. Francis Brooklyn Samantha Lackner, Robert Morris
Elise Dumouchelle, Saint Francis U
2017-18 Charlton Boyd, Wagner Abigail Hood, Sacred Heart
Joseph Choiniere, Sacred Heart Kristina Neri, Fairleigh Dickinson
Marcus DaSliva, St. Francis Brooklyn
2016-17 Joseph Paparelli, Bryant Taylor Allison, Saint Francis U
Sarah Bonson, Mount St. Mary's
Nicole Dean, Central Connecticut
Lea Lieb, Sacred Heart
Avika Sagwal, Wagner
2015-16 Washi Gervais, Saint Francis U Dragana Dzigurski, St. Francis Brooklyn
Haley Fournier, Mount St. Mary's
Sarah Ross, Saint Francis U
Brittany Sarza, Bryant
2014-15 David Lonnberg, St. Francis Brooklyn Katie Fox, St. Francis Brooklyn
2013-14 Travis Denny, Robert Morris Ellen Huffman, Wagner
2012-13 Mark Quaranta, Mount St. Mary's Una Japundza, Robert Morris
Carly Thibault, Monmouth
2011-12 Michael Foster, Mount St. Mary's Evgeniya Tyrtova, Fairleigh Dickinson
2010-11 Sean O'Reilly, Saint Francis U Ali Kliment, Monmouth
2009-10 Filip Kisdobranski, St. Francis Brooklyn Maggie O'Connell Dubois, Mount St. Mary's
2008-09 Benjamin Evenden, Monmouth Kathleen Henry, Sacred Heart
Tara Maxwell, Robert Morris
Erin Reifsteck, Saint Francis U
2007-08 Ian Butcher, Saint Francis U Katja Bavendam, St. Francis Brooklyn
2006-07 Moran Stern, St. Francis Brooklyn Lisa Jaszka, Robert Morris
Andrija Vrdoljak, St. Francis Brooklyn
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 43rd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout five states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#34) and Syracuse (#85). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports..