2024 NAC Woman of the Year Finalists Announced
WATERVILLE, Maine – A total of ten recent graduates from North Atlantic Conference (NAC) institutions have been nominated for the conference's 2024 Woman of the Year award.
In alphabetical order, this year’s nominees are Piper Bolner from Eastern Nazarene College Kerigan Disorda from Vermont State University – Lyndon, Kenzie Dore from Husson University, Samantha Fortin from Thomas College, Alexis Ireland from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Marissa Lombardi from SUNY Delhi, Natalia Medina from Vermont State University – Johnson, Makenna Middleton from Maine Maritime Academy, Jaycie Stevens from the University of Maine at Farmington, and Logan Thayne from SUNY Cobleskill.
The NAC Woman 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 Man of the Year using the same model, nominees for which will be released on June 27. 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 Woman 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 Woman of the Year will be announced in early July and will be honored on her campus during the upcoming academic year. She will also be the NAC nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Representatives from the NCAA membership comprise the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee. The selection committee will choose the Top-30 national honorees, including 10 from each division, and then narrow the list to the top-three in each division using the guidelines outlined here. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will use the same criteria to select the winner from the final nine. The top-30 are due to be announced in September, and the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named this Fall.
More information on each of the 2024 NAC Woman of the Year nominees is below:
Piper Bolner
Institution: Eastern Nazarene College
Major: History / Pre-Law (3.99)
Sport: Volleyball I Position: Middle Blocker
Hometown / High School: Lagrangeville, N.Y. / Arlington High School
Bolner, a History major with a Pre-Law Concentration who graduated from Eastern Nazarene College in just three years, earned three Academic All-Conference honors and was selected as the 2023 NAC Volleyball Co-Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She claimed Dean's List mention following each of the past six semesters while also serving on the Executive Student Government Association as the Director of Organizations and Operations.
A middle blocker, Bolner helped the Lions earn conference championships (2023 NAC, 2021 & 2022 NECC) during each of her three collegiate campaigns and secured 2023 NAC All-Tournament Team and 2021 NECC Sportsmanship Team honors for her efforts on the court. As a senior, she was a member of the ENC women’s volleyball leadership team.
In 2023, Bolner embarked upon a mission trip to Costa Rica with the ENC Women's Volleyball Team where the group hosted volleyball camps, distributed food, and spent time at a children's school.
Kerigan Disorda
Institution: Vermont State University – Lyndon
Major: B.S. Outdoor Education, Leadership, and Tourism (3.87)
Associate Degree: Mountain Resort Management
Minor: Business Marketing and Psychology
Sports: Basketball / Softball I Positions: Guard / Outfield
Hometown / High School: Benson, Vt. / Fairhaven Union High School
Disorda, a three-year starter and two-year team captain for the Hornets’ basketball program, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Education, Leadership, and Tourism. She earned the Lyndon athletic department’s Green and Gold Award, bestowed annually upon the female student-athlete with the highest GPA, was listed on the NAC All-Academic Team all four years, and was honored with the 2024 Arthur B. Elliot Scholar Award. Disorda also claimed Dean’s List recognition three times and saw her name on the President’s List – an honor for those with a 4.0 GPA or better – following five different semesters.
As a member of the basketball program, Disorda was selected as the Hornets’ Defensive Player of the Year twice and secured NAC All-Sportsmanship Team accolades following her senior season. She was also a member of the Lyndon softball team during her senior year.
Disorda participated in a number of community service initiatives, including stints working with the Hornets’ youth basketball camp and the Caledonia County Fair. She also spent time with Saint Johnsbury At-Risk Youth and participated in an outing cleanup day.
Kenzie Dore
Institution: Husson University
Major: B.S. Criminal Justice (4.0)
Minor: Military Science & Leadership
Graduate Degree: Criminal Justice Administration (3.97)
Sport: Softball I Position: Infield
Hometown / High School: Holden, Maine / Brewer High School
A four-year starter for the Husson University softball program, Dore is a two-time NAC Player of the Year selection, three-time NAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honoree and four-time All-Conference pick and has twice claimed National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region accolades. Following her freshman season in 2021, the infielder garnered NFCA First Team All-America honors and was named as the NAC Rookie of the Year and the NFCA National Freshman of the Year.
Dore also excelled off the diamond, as the Criminal Justice Administration major was Husson’s 2024 Class Valedictorian and secured a pair of College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, including First Team acclaim in 2022, with three NAC All-Academic Team nods. She also earned the 2024 Distinguished Military Graduate Award, was a three-time ROTC National Scholarship awardee, and collected the University’s School of Legal Studies Award of Excellence and College of Business Award of Excellence in 2023. Dore, who led the Eagles to four consecutive NAC Championships, capped her distinguished career with the 2024 NAC Softball Senior Scholar Athlete award.
Dore logged many hours of community service as well, including time at Army ROTC recruiting events (2020-present), youth softball clinics (2019-present), and the Maine Principal’s Association Basketball Tournament (2018-21). The 2024 softball team captain also served as a member of the Maine Army National Guard (2020-present), as a Unit Operations Leader (2020-24), and was a Class Leader for the United Technologies Center (2018-20).
Samantha Fortin
Institution: Thomas College
Major: Criminal Justice (3.50)
Minor: Psychology
Graduate Degree: MBA (3.95)
Sports: Soccer / Basketball I Positions: Center Back / Forward
Hometown / High School: New Gloucester, Maine / Gray-New Gloucester High School
Fortin was a four-year starter for the Terriers’ soccer and basketball programs and was selected as the 2024 Thomas College Senior Outstanding Athlete. She claimed 2023 All-Conference honors as the Terriers’ starting center back and was also listed on the 2023 NAC Basketball All-Sportsmanship Team.
The Criminal Justice major also earned her Master of Business Administration as a student in the Thomas College 3+1 Program and achieved Graduate Highest Honors with a 3.95 GPA and Undergraduate High Honors with a 3.50 mark. Fortin garnered NAC All-Academic accolades during each of her four years of athletic eligibility.
A two-year basketball team captain and senior captain for the soccer side, Fortin also supported her community as a member of the Student Philanthropy Team and Leadership Academy at Thomas College. The senior two-sport standout logged valuable time volunteering for youth soccer and basketball camps during her college years as well.
Alexis Ireland
Institution: University of Maine at Presque Isle
Major: Physical Therapy & Exercise Science (3.29)
Sports: Soccer & Basketball Positions: Forward/Midfield & Forward
Hometown / High School: Howland, Maine / Penobscot Valley High School
A four year member of the University of Maine at Presque Isle soccer and basketball teams, Ireland collected a total of five All-Conference honors as a two-sport standout and was a three-year team captain for both squads. On the soccer pitch, Ireland earned a trio of All-NAC accolades, including First Team acclaim in 2022 when she also secured United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Region accolades. On the hardwood, the 5’10 forward took home a pair of All-Conference awards, including Second Team All-NAC honors following her senior season, during which she reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career.
As a dual Physical Therapy Assistant and Exercise Science major and two-sport athlete, Ireland somehow managed to find the time to serve her community as a three-year member of the UMPI Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and a volunteer coach at a local basketball camp. She was also named as the UMPI Ruel Parks Award recipient in 2022 and 2024 for exemplifying the traits of strong character and work ethic, was tabbed as the Owls’ 2022 Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, and garnered 2024 UMaine-Presque Isle Senior Athlete of the Year honors.
Marissa Lombardi
Institution: SUNY Delhi
Major: Culinary Arts (3.93)
Sports: Cross Country / Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Events: Distance
Hometown / High School: Goshen, N.Y. / Goshen Central High School
Lombardi, the 2024 SUNY Delhi Student-Athlete of the Year, enjoyed a decorated college athletics career as a three-season athlete, having participated for the Broncos’ cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field programs. As a sophomore cross country runner, she helped the Broncos win the 2021 NAC Championship and garnered All-Conference honors with a ninth-place finish. As a distance runner for the track & field teams, Lombardi earned All-Conference honors during her sophomore, junior, and senior campaigns. She also established a new program 10,000-Meter record as a junior.
An outstanding student, Lombardi was an eight-time NAC All-Academic Team selection and four-year member of the Honors Program at SUNY Delhi. In 2023 she was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and National Residence Hall Honorary and claimed the Barbara Jones Leadership Award and, at the conclusion of her senior year, collected the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence and Community Service Leader of Excellence awards.
Lombardi, a three-year Resident Assistant and Student Senate member for three years, also served as a member of the SUNY Delhi Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during all four years and was the organization’s Vice President from 2021-24. She was one of four students to participate in Delhi’s Tomato Sauce Project, a collaboration between the University’s culinary arts program and several community partners to make and distribute locally created tomato sauce to area schools. The initiative was selected as the SUNY Delhi Community Service Project of the Year.
Natalia Medina
Institution: Vermont State University – Johnson
Major: Health Sciences (3.23)
Sport: Volleyball I Position: Outside Hitter/Right Side
Hometown / High School: San Jose, Calif. / Ann Sobrato High School
Medina made her mark on the Vermont State University – Johnson campus as a four-year member of the Badgers’ volleyball team while serving her community with an impressive list of support and leadership roles, all while completing her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences in a town over 3,000 miles from home.
The San Jose native immersed herself in the university’s community as a three-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee while serving a three-year stint in the Student Government Assembly. Medina’s time with the on-campus organizations culminated in her being selected as Johnson’s SAAC President and President of the Vermont State University – Johnson Student Government Association.
The 2023 volleyball team captain earned a trio of NAC All-Sportsmanship Team honors and led her squad in blocks each year. Medina left the program ranked second in team history in career blocks.
Medina was also the president and founder of the Badgers’ Strength Club for two years and, during her senior year, somehow found the time to be a tour guide for the University’s Admissions Office as well as the men’s volleyball team manager. She was a Residential Assistant and served as an intern in the Badgers’ athletic training room during the 2023-24 academic year.
Makenna Middleton
Institution: Maine Maritime Academy
Major: B.S. Marine Biology (3.77)
Associate Degree: Small Vessel Operations
Sport: Volleyball
Position: Defensive Specialist / Libero
Hometown / High School: Peoria, Ill. / Dunlap High School
Middleton, a three-year starter and two-time team captain for the Maine Maritime Academy volleyball team, has accumulated an impressive list of athletic and academic accolades. The Marine Biology / Small Vessel Operations major was named as the 2023 NAC Volleyball Co-Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, earned a pair of College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, was listed on the NAC All-Academic Team all four years, and capped her college career with the 2024 Maine Maritime Academy Women’s Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
The defensive specialist/libero helped lead the Mariners to a pair of NAC Championships (2021, 2022) and was twice selected as the MMA Volleyball Team Leader of the Year.
Middleton completed internships during each of her summers between academic semesters, including time as a Scientific Diver in-training at Rosario Beach Marine Lab in Anacortes, Washington, a Crocodile Research Coalition intern in Placencia, Belize and a Veterinary Assistant at the Prairie Animal Hospital in Peoria, Illinois.
Jaycie Stevens
Institution: University of Maine at Farmington
Major: Health Promotion & Wellness (3.98)
Minor(s): Nutrition, Exercise, and Coaching
Sport: Basketball | Position: Guard
Hometown / High School: Pittston, Maine / Gardiner Area High School
Stevens, a three-year team member and two-year starter for the UMaine-Farmington basketball team, was named as the 2024 NAC Women’s Basketball Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned NAC All-Academic Team honors all three years. In 2023, she was inducted into the Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education Honorary Society, claimed the UMF Community Health Promotion & Wellness Student of the Year award, and added College Sports Communicators Academic All-District accolades.
Stevens also served as a two-year team captain for the UMaine-Farmington basketball program and was listed on the 2023 NAC All-Sportsmanship Team. As a Research Assistant II she collected data on sexual health perception behavior and presented her findings at the Michael D. Wilson Research Symposium. The president of the UMF Health Club also worked as a Community Educator Coordinator with a focus on the use of sunscreen to decrease rates of sun cancer in high-risk populations.
Additionally, Stevens has been a member of the UMF Free the T Project since 2021, a campus-wide, student-led initiative that aims to provide free tampons to UMF students. She also completed a 450-hour internship at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the Chronic Disease Division.
Logan Thayne
Institution: SUNY Cobleskill
Major: Business Administration / Communication Technologies (3.10)
Sport: Basketball I Position: Forward/Center
Hometown / High School: Hoosick Falls, N.Y. / Hoosick Falls High School
Thayne, a starting forward and senior team captain for the Fighting Tigers’ basketball team, is coming off one of the finest seasons ever posted by a SUNY Cobleskill player. After leading her team to a 2024 NAC West Division Championship, the 6’3” post player garnered NAC Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, and NAC All-Tournament Team honors and became the first player in program history to garner D3hoops.com All-Region accolades with a Region I Second Team nod.
Thayne was named as the recipient of the 2023-24 Fred Bennett Outstanding Athlete Award, given yearly to the women's team member who recorded the most outstanding achievements during the year. Having battled multiple injuries during her career, she was also chosen as the athletic department’s 2023-24 Comeback Player of the Year.
Her on-court efforts played a major factor in the Fighting Tigers earning NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball Statistical Championships in scoring margin, defensive field goal percentage, and rebounding margin.
Thayne has participated in the Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital Walk for three years and notched additional community service hours in the Yards for Yeardley annual event and an Autism Walk in 2023.