FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications
WINTHROP, Mass. – Leading the way in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is not limited to the Johnson & Wales University athletic teams. The JWU athletics training staff has been recognized by its peers for the second year in a row with the GNAC Athletic Training Staff of the Year award as announced by conference commissioner Joe Walsh.
The award is voted on by the athletic trainers at the 13 core GNAC institutions. This is JWU's third award for athletic training excellence as Director of Sports Medicine Alan Segee won the Athletic Trainer of the Year award in 2009. Segee shares the award with athletic trainers Jillian Withington, Tim O'Brien and Matthew Roberts.
Segee has been with the Wildcats since 1999 after a two-year stint at Providence College. A 1993 Rhode Island College graduate, he works with the JWU volleyball and basketball programs as well as baseball and club sports. He also serves as chair of the GNAC Athletic Trainers committee. Segee received his master's degree from Cleveland State in 1995.
A 1999 graduate of Sacred Heart University, Withington came to Johnson & Wales in 2002. She received her Master of Science degree in Sports Health Care from the Arizona School of Health Science/A.T. State University in 2001. Her sport oversight includes women's soccer, women's ice hockey, men's lacrosse and the men's and women's golf programs.
O'Brien joined the Wildcats last year as he came to Johnson &Wales after a five-year stint at Roger Williams University. A Quinnipiac grad as well, he covers the JWU field hockey, wrestling, women's lacrosse, tennis and equestrian programs.
The newest member of the staff is Roberts as he joined Johnson & Wales in the summer of 2019. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire, Roberts joined OPT Physical Therapy where he was the athletic training services coordinator as well as an outreach athletic trainer for Westerly High School. He works with the men's soccer, men's ice hockey, softball, cross country and rowing programs
In addition to their athletic training duties, Segee and Withington are very involved in other aspects of the department's operations. Segee heads up the annual JWU Athletics end of the year awards ceremony and is heavily involved with the university's commencement ceremonies. Withington serves as the advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.