FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Six senior female student-athletes
make up sparking finalist class
WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to announce its finalists for the 2015 GNAC Woman of the Year Award, as announced on Monday by the league office. The winner will be put forth as the conference’s nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year.
The six senior nominees are Anna Maria College’s Nichole Lowe, Lasell College’s Bridget Lynch, Norwich University’s Aliah Curry, Rivier University’s Deanna Purcell, the University of Saint Joseph’s Lisa Wawrzynowski and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine’s Theresa Hendrix.
The GNAC Woman of the Year recipient will be announced on Thursday, July 23, which is the same day the NCAA will announce each conference winner nationwide as part of its annual Woman of the Year program.
Lowe, a two-sport standout from Saugus, Mass., graduated from Anna Maria with a 3.63 GPA as a Criminal Justice major with a minor in Forensic Criminology. Both a field hockey and softball captain for the AMCATS, Lowe was a 2014 GNAC Field Hockey All-Conference Second Team selection and is the program leader in both points (110) and assists (42). A member of the Alpha Phi Sigma and Delta Epsilon Sigma National Honor Societies, she has volunteered at her local senior center and interned at the Paxton, Mass. police department.
“My community service and experience as a student-athlete have been far more rewarding than I could ever imagine,” Lowe said. “I have learned a lot of life skills that I will carry with me throughout life and my career. My teammates and my coach really pushed me to be the best person I could be on the field and in the classroom, and in giving back to the community at my best capabilities.”
Lynch graduated from Lasell with a 3.93 GPA as an Exercise Science major and left the Lasers as the women’s soccer program’s all-time leader in goals (98), assists (27) and points (233). The Dover, N.H. native and team captain was a three-time GNAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Year (2012-14). Off the field, Lynch has volunteered at a local center that serves individuals with developmental disabilities and has also volunteered with Relay for Life.
“My time at Lasell has turned me into a better leader and made me into a stronger person,” Lynch said. “As a captain, I have become more understanding and patient. In the community, I’ve participated in Relay for Life and volunteered with a group called Barry Price Center, where working with mentally challenged individuals has brought me joy. Working with both of these groups has given me a greater respect for life and I feel that it has made me a better person.”
Curry became the GNAC’s all-time leading scorer in women’s basketball history this past season, finishing with 2,267 points in her time at Norwich, where she had a 3.26 GPA as a Health Sciences major. A Windsor, Mass. native and team captain, Curry was a two-time GNAC First Team selection. Off the court, she volunteered as a Corporal Academic Mentor (CAM) at Norwich and was a member of Beta Beta Beta and the Norwich Honor Committee, all while assisting at local youth clinics as well.
“The summer of 2008 started out as a catastrophe,” stated Curry. “I had torn my ACL and my dreams of playing college basketball started to diminish. Throughout the rehabilitation process, I began to volunteer my time within our community, which taught me to accept adversity, learn from it and allow it to build character. Values such as humbleness, gratefulness, honesty and sincerity were among the important virtues and morals I have grown to live by. Little did I know that the injury would help me realize and begin to shape my educational, social and developmental goals.”
Purcell earned a 3.21 GPA at Rivier as a History major, as the native of Hudson, N.H. leaves the Raiders as the women’s basketball program’s all-time leading scorer. On the court, she was selected as the 2015 GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals this past winter. A GNAC First Team selection all four years during her career, the team captain has also volunteered at The Plus Company in Nashua, N.H., which empowers individuals with developmental disabilities, and also as a peer mentor, camp counselor and AAU coach.
“It wasn't until I became a student there that I really understood how much that student-athletes at Rivier are a part of the community for the greater Nashua area,” said Purcell, who grew up just minutes from campus and attended camps there prior to college. “Rivier made me understand what a true community feels like. As a student-athlete and leader on campus, I took it upon myself to be a smiling face and instill a communal mindset in anyone I met. Without Rivier, I would not have these qualities and would not be the person I am today.”
Wawrzynowski, a women’s tennis student-athlete, graduated from USJ as a Mathematics major with an stellar 3.99 GPA. A GNAC All-Conference Second Team selection as a junior, her list of volunteer efforts makes for quite the resume. The team captain was a USJ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member for four years, serving as SAAC Treasurer for one, a student ambassador, counselor assistant, orientation leader, peer mentor, class treasurer, Academic Integrity board member and an intern at Aetna Student Health, where she now works full time. The Newington, Conn. native has also participated in numerous charity road races and half marathons.
“What I did not expect is how my opportunities as a student-athlete would change my future,” said Wawrzynowski, who was recognized by outgoing USJ President Pamela Reid in her commencement speech as an influential student who has demonstrated hard work and commitment at the university. “They helped me find qualities and strengths in myself that I never knew about. I was able to realize I had natural leadership skills within me waiting to be developed. This inspired me to find my voice, get more involved on campus and helped me learn valuable life skills that will continue to help me succeed and make a positive impact wherever I go.”
Hendrix is another two-sport standout from Scarborough, Maine, shining for the Monks on the field hockey and softball field. To boot, she previously had been a three-sport student-athlete, having played women’s basketball from 2010-11 until 2013-14. A four-time GNAC Softball First Team choice, Hendrix hit .391/.458/.673 for her career with 16 home runs, 139 RBI, 22 stolen bases and more walks (62) than strikeouts (58). In field hockey, Hendrix was voted the 2014 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and for her career had 14 goals and 21 helpers for 49 points. She was recognized as a 2015 CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District selection, and the team captain has also volunteered with the Student Government Association (SGA), SAAC, Physical Education Club and Political Science Club, among others.
“The hunger to learn, grow and become the best person I can be has become something I strive for daily,” said Hendrix. “We can all learn from those around us, whether it’s a professor, coach, or those in need. They truly care about people and help them better themselves. These people have taught me hard work, heart, passion, desire, determination, and love. They have helped me mature and grow into the woman I am today. My dream in life is to be able to carry on what they have all given me and be that leader for those who come into my life.”
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
2015 GNAC Woman of the Year Finalists
Nichole Lowe, Anna Maria Field Hockey/Softball
Bridget Lynch, Lasell Women's Soccer
Aliah Curry, Norwich Women's Basketball
Deanna Purcell, Rivier Women's Basketball
Lisa Wawrzynowski, St. Joseph (Conn.) Women's Tennis
Theresa Hendrix, Saint Joseph's (Maine) Field Hockey/Softball
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