Seven men nominated for 2023 NAC Man of the Year award
WATERVILLE, Maine – A total of seven recent graduates from North Atlantic Conference (NAC) institutions have been nominated for the conference's 2023 Man of the Year Award.
In alphabetical order, the nominees are
Wakeley Banker from SUNY Polytechnic Institute,
Kerry Blackwood from SUNY Cobleskill,
Timmy Burns from the University of Maine at Presque Isle,
Seth Bywater from SUNY Delhi,
Covy Dufort from the University of Maine at Farmington,
Eli Moulton from Maine Maritime Academy, and
Quinlan Peer from Northern Vermont University-Lyndon.
The
NAC Man of the Year award is modeled after the
NCAA Woman of the Year program which honors graduating student athletes who distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership. The NAC also selects a
Woman of the Year using the same model, nominees for which were released on June 27, 2023
. These are the two preeminent awards presented annually by the conference.
Member schools nominate student athletes from their own institution, then NAC Athletic Directors and Senior Woman Administrators vote to select the
Man of the Year. Scoring for the academic achievement section is based on the undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of the nominee. Scoring for athletic excellence is based on the nominee's honors and accomplishments including awards and championships, and scoring for service and leadership is based on their involvement in campus and community activities and organizations over the course of their collegiate career. Administrators also consider a short personal statement written by each nominee.
The
NAC Man of the Year will be announced in early July, and will be honored on campus during the upcoming academic year.
Wakeley Banker, SUNY Polytechnic Institute Men’s Soccer
3.89 GPA | Mechanical Engineering (Mathematics minor)
Wakeley Banker was a four-year member of the SUNY Poly men’s soccer team and four-time team captain, helping lead the Wildcats to the 2021 NAC championship. He was twice named Defensive Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, and was a three-time All-Conference selection: twice in the NAC (2021 and 2022) and once in the Northeastern Athletic Conference (2019). He graduated from SUNY Poly in May as the Men’s Wildcat Athlete of the Year. Banker was also the recipient of a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence, and was honored with the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award in Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Poly. He was the NAC’s 2022 Men’s Soccer Senior Scholar Athlete and was a two-time NAC All-Academic Team selection. Away from the soccer pitch, Banker has been involved in the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed-Building Project for the last two years. He also serves as a student research assistant and teaching assistant in the mechanical engineering department, has served on SUNY Poly’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and completed a co-op placement in the research and development department with the Indium Corporation.
Kerry Blackwood, SUNY Cobleskill Men’s Lacrosse
3.73 GPA | Fisheries & Aquaculture
Kerry Blackwood was a three-year member of the SUNY Cobleskill men’s lacrosse team. He was tabbed as SUNY Cobleskill’s nominee to the NAC Sportsmanship Team in 2021, and was nominated for SUNY Cobleskill’s Excellence in Student Leadership Award this past Spring. Blackwood transferred to SUNY Cobleskill from Hudson Valley Community College, where he was a captain on the men’s lacrosse team and was the team MVP in 2020. At SUNY Cobleskill, Blackwood was a manager for the Trout Unlimited tree planting project.
Timmy Burns, UMaine-Presque Isle Baseball/Golf
4.00 GPA | Business Administration (Athletics Coaching minor)
A four-year member of the UMaine-Presque Isle baseball and golf teams, Timmy Burns was an East Division All-Conference honoree in baseball in both 2022 and 2023. He was a two-time NAC Sportsmanship Team selection, and was named UMPI’s Male Senior Athlete of the Year this past May. Burns was tabbed for the NAC Men’s Golf Senior Scholar Athlete award for 2022-23, was an eight-time NAC All-Academic Team honoree in both baseball and golf, and was recognized by UMaine-Presque Isle for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Management and Leadership this past Spring. He was also honored by his peers with the UMPI Male “Hootie” Award, given in recognition of outstanding sportsmanship, school spirit, and drive for excellence, as voted by UMPI’s student-athletes.
Burns was a four-year member of UMPI’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, was a work-study student assistant on UMPI’s home athletic events, and was a member of the UMPI Dance Team as a senior.
Seth Bywater, SUNY Delhi Cross Country/Track & Field
3.96 GPA | Mechatronics Technology
Seth Bywater was a three-year member of the SUNY Delhi cross country and track & field teams, helping lead the Broncos to the 2022 NAC men’s track & field championship and the 2022 NAC men’s cross country title. He earned All-NAC honors in cross country in both 2021 and 2022, and was an All-NAC honoree in both the 1500m and the 5000m at the 2022 NAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Bywater was a cross country All-America honoree for SUNY Delhi in 2019 when the Broncos competed in the USCAA. He was an NCAA qualifier in 2021, becoming the first SUNY Delhi student-athlete to compete in an NCAA championship event.
Bywater was active in SUNY Delhi’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during all four academic years he competed for the Broncos, serving as SAAC president from 2020 to 2022. He participated in several SUNY Delhi SAAC initiatives including a conference on volunteerism and social responsibility (2021), community clean-up days (2019, 2021, 2022), and a One Love exhibit (2021).
Covy Dufort, UMaine-Farmington Cross Country/Track & Field
3.67 GPA | Anthropology (Political Science minor)
A three-year member of the UMaine-Farmington cross country and track & field teams, Covy Dufort earned Second Team All-NAC honors at the 2022 NAC Cross Country Championships, and helped lead the Beavers to a team runner-up finish at the 2022 NAC meet. He also took first place in the 3000m Steeplechase at the 2023 NAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship, earning First Team All-NAC accolades in the process. He served as a team captain for both squads during his senior year. Dufort also earned Cross Country All-Academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) this past Fall. At the campus level, Dufort has set no fewer than 10 records in indoor and outdoor track & field.
Dufort was a member of UMaine-Farmington’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and helped organize annual food drives conducted by UMF’s SAAC. He has been a participant in UMF’s Relay for Life event in each of the last three seasons.
Eli Moulton, Maine Maritime Academy Men’s Soccer
3.54 GPA | Marine Transportation Operations (Business minor)
Eli Moulton was a five-season member of the Maine Maritime men’s soccer team, first competing for the Mariners in 2017. He was named the MMA Leader of the Year this past Spring, and earned NAC All-Academic Team accolades in 2020, 2021, and 2022. He served as a team captain for his final season. Moulton also served as a peer tutor, worked on the Athletics Department’s game day staff, and was active within Maine Maritime Athletics’ inCommand Leadership Program.
A member of the Maine Maritime Academy Regiment of Midshipmen, Moulton was also a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve and served a deployment in Japan. He attended the United States Naval Academy National Leadership Conference this past January.
Quinlan Peer, Northern Vermont-Lyndon Men’s Soccer/Men’s Tennis/Men’s Lacrosse
3.79 GPA | Broadcast Digital Journalism (Sports Management minor)
Quinlan Peer was active with three different teams during his time at Northern Vermont-Lyndon, playing men’s soccer with the Hornets for all four seasons and competing with men’s tennis for three and adding men’s lacrosse to his competitive resume as a senior. He was a member of NVU-Lyndon’s 2021 NAC men’s tennis championship squad, earning All-NAC honors as both a singles and doubles player. He went on to repeat as a Doubles All-Conference selection in both 2022 and 2023. A six-time NAC All-Academic team selection and eight-time Dean’s List honoree, he was nominated for a regional Emmy award in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
Peer was active on NVU-Lyndon’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and served as treasurer in 2021. He was selected to be Lyndon’s Student Government Association President for the 2022-23 academic year. Over the course of his four years, Peer was active on campus as an orientation leader, vice president of the student newspaper, a coach with Lyndon Area Youth Soccer, the St. Johnsbury Afterschool Program, and the Vermont State College Student Advisory Committee. Peer was the student speaker at Northern Vermont-Lyndon’s 2023 Commencement ceremony, led student volunteer efforts at the local county fair, and was the campus coordinator for student-led protests of the Vermont State University library closure decision.