McNamee Named NAC Man of the Year
The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) is pleased to announce that Matt McNamee of Castleton has been selected as the winner of its annual Man of the Year award in a vote of the league's athletic directors. A four-year member of the Spartan baseball team McNamee will be presented the award at a to-be-determined date during the 2014-15 academic year.
"We're thrilled to honor a student-athlete as well-rounded as Matt," said NAC Commissioner Julie Muller. "To achieve such a high level of success on the field, while balancing the rigor of being a student athletic trainer, and a high-achieving student in the classroom is very impressive. I love this award because it honors a student-athlete like Matt who has exemplified the Division III philosophy for an entire four years."
A 2013 NAC All-Conference First Team honoree, McNamee was a member of the winningest class in Castleton baseball history, amassing a program-best .642 winning percentage by going 111-62 over four seasons. McNamee played a key role in two conference titles, including a 9-for-18 performance at the plate while scoring three runs and driving in three more during the recent 2014 title run.
"Matt was unquestionably the leader of our team, and a big reason we were successful," said Castleton Head Baseball Coach Ted Shipley. "Matt is the kind of young man you never want to see graduate because he gives so much of himself to the program. He has always had his priorities straight - a committed student, who plays baseball."
In addition to his success on the baseball diamond, McNamee was also impressive in the classroom earning a spot on the Dean's List at Castleton in each of his four years as an athletic training major. He was twice named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team (2013, 2014) as well as the NAC All-Academic Team (2013, 2014), and is a member of the Iota Tau Alpha National Honor Society.
Associate Dean for Athletics and Recreation at Castleton, Deanna Tyson, summed up McNamee's role within the department as a leader by saying, "he has been an ideal role model for all of our student-athletes here at Castleton, not just those on the baseball team. He has done an outstanding job representing Castleton athletics in every way over the past four years."
The NAC Man of the Year award is modeled after the NCAA's Woman of the Year program, which honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.