WATERVILLE, Maine - Vermont State University Lyndon men’s basketball graduate student athlete Gregory Gonyea Jr. (Dolgeville, N.Y.) has been selected as the 2026 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Man of the Year, as announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon.
One of five individuals to be nominated for this year’s high honor, Gonyea was chosen by a vote of the conference’s Athletic Directors and Senior Woman Administrators. He is the fourth Hornet to claim NAC Man of the Year accolades (Craig Johnson, 2012 / Josh Grant, 2013 / Zach Falkenburg, 2022).
Gonyea was a four-year member of the men's basketball program and a two-year member of the cross country team. One of the most accomplished players in recent Lyndon basketball history, he earned NAC Rookie of the Year honors (2022-23), two First Team All-Conference selections (2024-25, 2025-26), D3hoops.com Region 1 Third Team All-Region recognition (2024-25), multiple NAC Player of the Week honors, and selection to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week. He was also recognized with the Dudley Bell Outstanding Male Athlete Award (2024-25) and the Michael Tessier Award on multiple occasions (2023-24, 2024-25). Gonyea concluded his collegiate career as Lyndon's leading scorer in the modern NCAA and NAC era with 1,551 career points while serving as a consistent leader for the Hornets program.
Academically, Gonyea excelled both as an undergraduate and graduate student. He earned a degree in Business Administration, concentration in Management with a minor in Marketing while maintaining a 3.94 undergraduate GPA and continued his education through a Master of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership, where he maintained a 3.85 GPA. While completing his master's degree, he was a Sales & Quality Control Lab Technician and Executive Leadership Trainee with Gehring Tricot Corporation. His academic achievements include recognition as the 2024-25 NAC Men's Basketball Senior Scholar Athlete, three CSC Academic All-District selections, three NABC Honors Court recognitions, four NAC All-Academic Team selections, and designation as VTSU Lyndon's Outstanding Senior Business Student. He also earned five semesters on the President's List and three semesters on the Dean's List. His accomplishments in academics, athletics, leadership, and service were further recognized through selection as the VTSU Lyndon Alumni Council Outstanding Graduating Senior Award recipient. The award is present to the most outstanding member in the senior class that encompasses academics, extracurriculars, athletic accomplishments, service to campus and community, character, and citizenship.
Gregory Gonyea Jr. has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership and service throughout his collegiate career at Vermont State University Lyndon. He served as Vice President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee from 2023-25 and was a three-year captain of the men's basketball program. Gonyea also contributed to campus life through his work with the Athletics Department Game Crew and participation in community engagement initiatives. His service efforts included organizing and participating in Trunk or Treat events, volunteering at the Caledonia County Fair, assisting community members with wood-stacking projects, coaching youth basketball camps and middle school clinics, and serving as an AAU basketball coach. In 2026, he organized the Violet Classic 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament in his hometown, further demonstrating his commitment to youth development and community involvement. He was also selected to participate in the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum and served as a recruiting host for prospective student-athletes.
The NAC Man of the Year and Woman of the Year awards are modeled after the NCAA Woman of the Year program which honored graduating student-athletes who distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership. The NAC Man of the Year and Woman of the Year award are the two preeminent awards presented annually by the conference.
ANNUAL NAC MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENTS
2026 – Gregory Gonyea Jr., Vermont State University Lyndon
2025 – Samuel Nichol, Maine Maritime Academy
2024 – Nick Logan, SUNY Cobleskill
2023 – Seth Bywater, SUNY Delhi
2022 – Zach Falkenburg, Northern Vermont University-Lyndon
2021 – Andrew Fitch, SUNY Canton
2020 – Nathan Granholm, Maine Maritime Academy
2019 – Josh Yelvington, SUNY Canton
2018 – Curtis Warren, Colby-Sawyer College
2017 – Sean Cabaniss, UMaine-Farmington
2016 – Christopher Gilman, Maine Maritime Academy
2015 – Nicholas Betti, Maine Maritime Academy
2014 – Matt McNamee, Castleton State University
2013 – Josh Grant, Lyndon State College
2012 – Craig Johnson, Lyndon State College