GNAC Announces 2014 Woman of the Year Finalists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2014

By Doug Chin, GNAC Assistant to the Commissioner

WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to announce its four finalists for the 2014 GNAC Woman of the Year. The finalists are Lianna Carrero (women’s basketball) from Albertus Magnus College, Erin McAndrews (softball) of Suffolk University, Rachelle Messuri (women’s lacrosse) from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and Rivier University's Nicole Peacock (women’s volleyball/softball).

The award is given annually to a student-athlete who competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and has exhausted her eligibility. Nominees are evaluated on their athletic achievement, academic accomplishments, community service and leadership.

The GNAC league office will select the winner based on the above criteria and the recipient will be honored at the GNAC Professional Development Seminar (PDS) on August 6. The GNAC Woman of the Year will also be put forth as the conference's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year.

Carrero, a Hamden, Conn. native and guard for the Falcons, enjoyed a stellar four-year career on the hardwood. She led her team in scoring all four years and finished her career as Albertus Magnus' all-time leading scorer with 1,905 points. She was a three-time GNAC All-Conference Team member, including First Team honors in her junior and senior years. This year, she was named the GNAC Player of the Year and a D3hoops.com All-Northeast Regional Third Team member. She was also an ECAC New England Second Team All-Star. She was also a member to the Falcons’ cross country team. 

The Criminal Justice major also garnered recognition for her work in the classroom. She is a two-time Capital One Academic All-America selection and a member of the GNAC All-Academic Team. Carrero, who served as a team captain this past season, also worked as a youth facilitator and did an internship with the New Haven Reads, a non-profit whose mission is 'to share the joy and power of reading.'

Despite playing just three seasons for Suffolk softball, McAndrews left a lasting mark on the program. The Marblehead, Mass. native ranks among the program’s top-five in several offensive categories, including doubles, triples, RBI, home runs and hits. This past spring, she set Suffolk’s single-season record for both hits (68) and triples (9). Her offensive prowess helped her earn All-GNAC Team honors all three years and was named the conference's Player of the Year in 2013. The Rams’ catcher was also a NFCA All-Region Selection each of the past two years.

McAndrews' excellence in the classroom was illustrated as she graduated cum laude with a Sociology degree and was inducted into the Alpha Phi Sigma Honors Society. The team captain was also very involved with other activities on campus. She was a softball representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the fundraising chair of the Phi Theta Alpha Honor Society, and the campus ambassador for Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization that matches children with life-threatening illnesses with collegiate sport teams.

Messuri, an Atkinson, N.H. native, was a key part of the Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse squad this past year. Her defensive prowess helped lead her team to the GNAC Championship contest and earned her 2014 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. She was also named an ECAC Division III New England Women's Lacrosse First Team All-Star. A two-time All-GNAC First Team selection, the midfielder graduates as the school's all-time leader in ground balls (230) and caused turnovers (87). Messuri was also a standout on the Monks field hockey team. 

The Monks defender also earned a number of academic accolades. She was a two-time member of the GNAC's All-Academic Team and was placed on the NFHCA All-Academic Team four times. She earned her degree in Marketing graduating summa cum laude. She was also a captain in both sports and served as the SAAC vice president. Her community service efforts included volunteering at Saint Joseph's College Farm and Catherine's Cupboard Food Pantry.

Peacock was a two-sport GNAC athlete at Rivier captaining both the Raider women’s volleyball and softball teams. The Warwick, R.I. native played a key role in two GNAC championship teams in volleyball, including this past season when she took home hardware as the GNAC Player of the Year and the GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Peacock was also a Second Team ECAC All-Star and participated in the NEWVA Senior Classic. She graduates as the school’s all-time leader in blocks.

On the softball diamond, Peacock was a four-time GNAC All-Conference Team member, earning First Team honors the past three years. This spring, she led the Raiders in hits (56), doubles (11), triples (4) and home runs (4).

Off the field and off the court, Peacock was also a member of Rivier’s SAAC and the team manager for the men’s basketball team. She also volunteered her time in a preschool classroom and was involved with the Rhode Island Special Olympics.

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