FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Regis' Kelley, Copeland,
Micklon sweep women's honors
Micklon sweep women's honors
WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference unveiled its 2023 Indoor Track & Field major award winners on Friday, headlined by Regis College sweeping all four individual honors, as voted upon by the league's five head coaches.
For the Pride, grad student Ashleigh Kelley (pictured) was named Women's Track Athlete of the Year; junior Anastazia Copeland took home GNAC Women's Field Athlete of the Year; first-year Grace Micklon earned Women's Rookie of the Year; while the Pride's leadership headed by Ben Colello was selected as the GNAC Women's Coaching Staff of the Year.
On the men's side, Colby-Sawyer College junior Chase Adams was crowned GNAC Men's Track Athlete of the Year, while Lasell University junior thrower Connor Parker was voted the GNAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year.
GNAC champion Saint Joseph's College of Maine took home the other two major awards, with Monks standout first-year Abdirizak Abukar capturing Men's Rookie of the Year honors, and the SJC coaches led by Tom Dann earned GNAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Fot the complete list of major award winners, as well as our 2023 GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team selections, please see below.
Kelley won four events at the 2023 GNAC Championship, claiming victory in the Mile, 800, 3000, and DMR, anchoring the distance medley relay quartet to the win, which sealed the team victory at Boston University's Track & Tennis center. At New Englands, she scored 32.25 points after competing in the mile and the 3000.
Copeland was the GNAC Champion in the weight throw and was a New England qualifier, while Micklon had a third-place high jump finish at GNACs for a new Pride program record.
On the men's side, Adams qualified for the New England Regionals in the 60-meter hurdles after breaking the 60H school record at the GNAC Championships. He also was in the 4x400 that broke the Chargers program school record at New Englands.
Parker took first place in the weight throw at the GNAC Championships for the Lasers, as well as a 10th-place shotput effort.
Abukar ran and jumped onto the GNAC scene this indoor season, capturing four GNAC weekly rookie accolades. Then at the GNAC Championship, the Lewiston, Maine native won the 60m, 200m, 400m, and anchored the winning 4x400 relay. He also qualified for New Englands in the 200 and 400.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Ashleigh Kelley, Regis
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Anastazia Copeland, Regis
WOMEN'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Grace Micklon, Regis
WOMEN'S COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR - Regis College (Ben Colello)
WOMEN'S TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD - Lasell University
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Chase Adams, Colby-Sawyer
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Connor Parker, Lasell
MEN'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Abdirizak Abukar, Saint Joseph's of Maine
MEN'S COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR - Saint Joseph's of Maine (Tom Dann)
MEN'S TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD - Regis College
ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Dean Miller & Faith Mazzapica, Colby-Sawyer
Kyle Antoine & Elizabeth Cameron, Emmanuel
Kadeem Ambroise & Savannah Teixeira, Lasell
Michael Carroll & Tori Bradley, Regis
Ryan Farr & Kim Moulton, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
– #TheGNAC –