GNAC Unveils its 2020 Woman of the Year Finalists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Winner set to be announced at end of July,
will be put forth for NCAA Woman of the Year

WINTHROP, Mass. – As part of the NCAA Woman of the Year Award program, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is pleased to announce its finalists for our 2020 GNAC Woman of the Year. The winner will automatically be put forth for the prestigious national NCAA award, which spans across Divisions I, II and III.

The GNAC winner will be announced in late July. Each nominee must be a graduating female student-athlete, and the selection process is based upon service & leadership, academic achievement, athletics excellence, as well as a personal statement.

This year's six GNAC finalists include Alison Fairbairn of Colby-Sawyer College cross country/track & field; Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda of Emmanuel College basketball/softball; Maria Coniglio of Johnson & Wales University (RI) women's volleyball; Mindy Esposito of Lasell University field hockey; Lillian Bisset of Saint Joseph's College of Maine soccer/track & field; and Emily Manfra of Suffolk University cross country/track & field.

Fairbairn leaves Colby-Sawyer after graduating with a 3.81 GPA as a Exercise Science major. The Dover, N.H. native was selected to the 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, and has also been lauded with the Baccalaureate Award, Exercise Science Capstone award, and she also served as a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.

She earned GNAC Cross Country Second Team honors in the Chargers' two years since joining the conference in 2018, and prior to that was a North Atlantic Conference all-league performer in cross country and outdoor track & field both of her years competing in the NAC. Fairbairn also holds three CSC indoor records and had six career top-10 cross country finishes. Her leadership experiences include the Colby-Sawyer SAAC, the Exercise and Sport Sciences Club, peer tutor for the Student Learning Collaborative, Dance Club, as well as a professor student assistant for the Exercise and Sport Sciences Department.

Fairbairn's personal statement: "Being a Division III student-athlete enriched my college experience by providing opportunities for me to learn leadership and confidence. Being a leader on my team inspired me to find other ways to be of service on campus, such as serving as a member of SAAC and as a peer tutor. It also inspired me to work hard in the classroom and put the same energy and enthusiasm into setting academic goals as high as my athletic goals. The balance between athletics, academics, and extracurricular activities that is available at the Division III level allowed me to work hard in several areas and apply lessons learned in sport to academics and other activities. My coaches and teammates were my sturdiest encouragers on and off the cross country course. It is the people I met through cross country and track & field that have had the most significant impact on my college experience and plans for the future. Our coach inspired the team to be involved in other groups on campus and encouraged the team to work as hard in academics as in athletics. She inspired me to set my goals high, and instilled in me a confidence which was not there before. I decided to apply to graduate school in a field I am passionate about as a result of her support. Even more notable, she inspired compassion and willingness within the team. When the team was faced with a challenge or disappointment, we learned to embrace the situation from different perspectives. We did not see an opportunity with a singular pathway leading to just one outcome, but with several avenues for different results. In a sport that is often viewed as "individual," we embraced the team aspect wholeheartedly. We were presented with the opportunity to apply the values we learned when our coach left the program. While adjusting to a new system, I struggled to regain my confidence athletically and as a leader on the team. This shift and period of adjustment was difficult, but I learned that I must be willing to make conscious efforts to overcome periods of change and to accept my own thoughts and feelings before successfully helping others do the same. These lessons proved useful when spring athletic seasons were abruptly cancelled. I was able to come to a place of acceptance that I had run my last race as a Charger. Knowing that the circumstances were out of my control, I found confidence in helping my teammates refocus their energy towards accepting the situation rather than grieving the loss of their competitive season. Ultimately, the confidence I developed through my experiences as a collegiate athlete has propelled me into a future I am excited about. I look forward to translating the skills and lessons I learned in sport to a career in physical therapy, as well as finding other outlets to learn, grow, and serve my community throughout my lifetime."

Ramirez-Tejeda was a Saints two-sport standout both on the basketball hardwood and the softball diamond. The Criminal Justice major also minored in Spanish, graduating from Emmanuel with a 3.90 GPA. The Cambridge, Mass. native has three times earned the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in her career: 2019 Basketball Second Team, 2020 Basketball First Team, and 2020 Softball Third Team.

In women's hoop, she was a three-time All-GNAC First Teamer and was named the 2020 GNAC Player of the Year. In 86 career games, she averaged 18.6 points (.524), 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and led Emmanuel to back-to-back GNAC titles and NCAA appearances her junior and senior seasons. Meanwhile for softball, she was a 2018 GNAC Third Team selection and was voted the 2019 GNAC Player of the Year along with the First Team nod, hitting .396 with 38 extra-base hits, including 18 homers, 59 runs, and 68 RBI in 76 career games. She had a ridiculous 1.653 OPS through six games this spring before the season's abrupt cancellation.

Ramirez-Tejeda was the Andrew Yosinoff Athletic Achievement Award Recipient, given annually to a senior athlete who has excelled on the playing field and provided the greatest contribution to the athletic reputation of Emmanuel College through exceptional athletic achievement. Some of her leadership opportunities included lead captain for local school community service projects with the basketball program, a youth counselor and camp mentor at Tenacity Summer Camp, member of the Emmanuel SAAC, work-study student within the athletic department, stints working for both Emmanuel Campus Safety and the Emmanuel Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and a Boston Police Department internship.

Ramirez-Tejeda's personal statement: "Growing up with a single mother shaped me into the person I am today. I grew up with a strong mother who wanted something better for me and my siblings. From a young age, she taught us to work hard and fight through life's adversities. Seeing my mother struggle and sacrifice so much inspired me to work hard for everything. By the age of nine, I saw everything I didn't want to be and used sports as an outlet to be someone my mom believed in – someone she could be proud of. My student-athlete experiences have given me lifetime friends, endless memories, laughter, and valuable life lessons that I'll cherish forever. As a student-athlete, I've accomplished more than I ever dreamt of. I've done things that have even shaken me, but to me, those are not my most important accomplishments. I loved every second of being a collegiate athlete because not many have the opportunity to experience that. It has been a privilege wearing an Emmanuel jersey for the last three years. Aside from winning championships or upsetting teams nobody else thought we would, my greatest accomplishment would have to be the relationships I built, as well as leaving Emmanuel better than I found it. Today, I thank Coach Andy Yosinoff and his staff for taking a chance on me when nobody else did. He bet on me and believed that I could come into his program and be the leader he envisioned. I owe everything to him and I'm the player today because of him. He has done things for me that nobody else has and I'm forever grateful. To all of my teammates: thank you for always having my back and making me look better than I was as a player. Others looking up to me pushed me to be the best version of myself because I feared letting you down. To Coach Olivia Berry: thank you for creating a softball family culture, for bringing your passion and competitiveness every day, and for always forcing me to be comfortable being uncomfortable. To my forever friends: thank you for being the best support system anyone could ask for. You all have truly changed my life. I'm indebted to Emmanuel for allowing me to grow and be a part of something bigger than myself. Being a student-athlete allowed me to push through adversity, be tough and never give up. It gave me the opportunity to lead others and inspire youths to believe that they can achieve greatness. Emmanuel gave me the necessary tools to go on and make the world a better place. I hope that the legacy I'm leaving behind goes far beyond broken records, winning seasons, championships, and individual awards. I hope I have inspired those who look up to me to shoot for the stars and never give up on their dreams. Bet on yourself even when nobody else does and be the change you wish to see in the world one day."

Coniglio was a key member of the dominant JWU women's volleyball program, which won four straight GNAC titles, saw her claim All-GNAC First Team honors each year, and back-to-back CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honors. The Old Bethpage, N.Y. native graduated with an impressive 3.99 GPA as a Culinary Nutrition Major with a double concentration in Dietetics and Food Product Development.

Also a three-year team captain, her service & leadership opportunities include volunteering as a Special Olympics coordinator, a USA D3 Volleyball volunteer in Costa Rica, a volleyball camp counselor, and an active JWU SAAC member. She was recognized with the 2020 JWU Ron Bachman Athletic Award for Academics, Athletics, and Leadership, as well as the 2019 Rhode Island Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Distinguished Student-Athlete Award.

She was honored as an AVCA All-American all four years, including a First Team national choice as a junior in 2018. The Wildcats captured the regional title her sophomore year in 2017, advancing to the Elite Eight, before JWU advanced to the regional final her junior and senior years. She is the third player in school history top 1,000 kills (1319) and digs (1166), averaging 3.23 kills and 2.86 digs while hitting .274 in 137 career contests (408 sets).

Coniglio's personal statement: "Being a female athlete has shaped my entire life. The first time I picked up the ball, I felt a special connection with volleyball. Growing up with brothers, I learned quickly I had to work 10 times harder to be taken seriously as an athlete. I used that along with the teachings of strong woman role models, such as my mother and JWU head coach Nancy Somera, to motivate me. My time as a Girl Scout nurtured my desire to help others and showed me the importance of community service. When I was thirteen, I completed my Girl Scout Silver Award by spearheading spaghetti dinners to raise money for a defibrillator for a local church, requiring 50+ hours of community service. Being an NCAA student-athlete allowed me to combine those two passions into daily life. As a student-athlete, I was able to be a part of the Special Olympics Volleyball program, where my team organized drills and games for the Special Olympians. It was rewarding to see the athletes' progress and they inspired me to work hard during the season for them. My freshman year's success earned me an invitation to play for the DIII national team in Brazil and I returned the following year to play in Costa Rica. While there, I completed various volunteer efforts, visiting local schools to teach the children how to play volleyball. Although they didn't speak English, you could see from their faces how much they looked up to us. I was honored to give back by merely sharing my passion for the sport. Although we went there to teach the children, they were the ones who taught me how to use my platform for real positive change. I was honored to be my team captain for three years. I took the responsibility of leading my team seriously and was able to motivate my team to work hard and improve by leading by example. My team is my family and being a leader to them was an honor. As captain, I was looked up to and my teammates confided in for help. From the responsibility and trust required to be a successful captain, I became the strong woman I am today. Additionally, I was on SAAC executive board. As Social Media Director, I was able to promote hat drives, blood drives, and other community service events for organizations such as Save One Soul Animal Rescue, The Tomorrow Fund, Rhode Island Blood Center and the Ronald McDonald House. I also created a hashtag where I featured JWU student-athletes and their achievements within the classroom or community service efforts. I am the first four-time All-American in any sport at JWU and was able to accomplish everything while double majoring and maintaining a 3.99 GPA. Being an NCAA student-athlete has been the most empowering female experience and it provided me the platform to give back and make a positive change in the world."

Esposito, an Early Childhood Education major with a 3.98 GPA, is a Sunderland, Mass. native who helped the Lasers advance to three straight GNAC Field Hockey Championship contests. She started in all 80 of her career games, totaling seven goals and 12 assists for 26 points as a defender. The two-time All-GNAC First Team selection was voted the league's Defensive Player of the Year this past fall as a senior, in which she also garnered NFHCA All-Region Second Team honors.

Off the field, Esposito has been named the 2020 Lasell UAthletics Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Lasell Athletics Torchbearer Award, presented to student-athletes in their final season of eligibility who have excelled on the playing field and in the classroom, while making a positive impact on the Lasell Community. Her service & leadership efforts include being an Alternative Spring Break Co-Leader, a Student Alumni Association member, a Shoulder to Shoulder Service Learning Experience participant, co-president of the Tomorrow's Teachers Club, and a Lasell co-facilitator.

Esposito's personal statement: "I have always identified myself as an athlete, as I have been involved in athletics for more than 10 years. I know I am competitive, hard working, and I am always trying to reach the highest accomplishment awarded to the team. Since attending Lasell, I have discovered another part of my identity. I am a person who is passionate about education, in more ways than one. As an education major, I have had the opportunity to learn from some wonderful professors that have helped to develop my passion for teaching all students in the classroom. This goes deeper than addressing all students in a whole group lesson. To successfully be able to teach all students, the teacher has to learn who the students in the classroom are and what their needs are. All students should be given opportunities to succeed. There needs to be one overarching goal with different paths to reach that goal. The service learning programs at Lasell have also developed my passion for educating myself and others about social justice issues and how privilege connects to these issues. I have done eight service learning trips through Lasell, either as a participant or as a leader, and each one of these trips has given me more information about the world, the people in it, and myself. One of my experiences was traveling with a cohort from Lasell to Antigua to work with the teachers at T.N. Kirnon School and the Adele school for special needs. A large part of ethical service work is continuing connections after the trip has concluded. To continue my connection, I completed a linked credit to my inclusive education course, and made hands-on manipulatives that can be brought back and used at the Adele school to help meet the needs of all students. The manipulatives were made to help teach a color unit and allow the students to engage with the materials. I have also completed an independent study connected to the Antigua experience. I have created resources to be used year-to-year to help build on the trip and make it more ethical and sustainable. With the recent unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Antigua trip has been canceled, which could set the trip back and remove all the improvements that have been made. The resources I created should help reduce the amount of set back the trip experiences. I am still a competitive, hard-working athlete, but I am also a passionate educator looking forward to educating myself and others in the next part of my life."

Bisset was a two-year member of the Monks women's soccer team and four-year member of the track & field program, graduating from SJC with a 3.45 GPA as a Criminal Justice major and Psychology minor. The Jefferson, Maine native also was a member of the GNAC SAAC Commissioner's Council, receiving the opportunity to travel to the 2020 NCAA Convention with the league office staff.

On the track at GNAC Championship meets, she had first- and second-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles, as well as a fourth-place 60-meter showing at the inaugural indoor meet, while also setting numerous SJC program records. She was the recipient of the 2020 SJC Neile Nelson award, presented annually to the student-athlete who has set an example by displaying a high level of commitment to his/her team while performing a leadership role within the campus community. In addition to her GNAC SAAC leading role, the team captain was also a SJC Resident Advisor, SJC SAAC member, and a Saint Joseph's New Student Orientation Leader.

Coming into college as a timid freshman with an undeclared major, I was curious to find out what would spark my interest. My passion for helping children, teens, and adolescence in the greater community is why I chose to major in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology. However, my first challenge arose at the end of my freshman year when I had applied to be a Resident Advisor but was rejected. I was then forced to make a hard decision to not return due to financial implications. Being resilient and determined to return in the fall, I applied to be an Orientation Leader which lead to me getting the job as a Resident Advisor – a title I've held for the past three years. I have since been able to intern with the Prevention Advocacy Center of the Counseling Center on campus and create a community-based violence prevention initiative called Green Dot to make college campuses safer. Through my academic achievements in making the Dean's List for six out of eight semesters, I am able to pave the way for the future in advocating for survivors of power-based sexual violence. Being an athlete throughout college, I have learned that there is always something bigger than the self. Constantly bringing positivity and enthusiasm to every practice and track meet was one of my biggest successes. Carrying the same amount of energy into my future will increase the likelihood of finding a future career in Child Advocacy. Athletics has taught me that I might have limited access to certain materials/equipment but that will not deter me from getting the first-place finish that I want. Athletics has also helped me grow into a leader. Being a captain for the past two years, I have skills that will help me be a leader within society and in children's eyes. The COVID-19 Pandemic is something nobody has seen before, however, during these unprecedented times, I have become more adaptable and optimistic, and learned to never take advantage of the smaller things in life. Graduating this spring was one of my greatest accomplishments and while it was not the normal ceremony I was hoping for, I was able to make it into a day I will remember forever. Making the best of the situation has only made me into a stronger individual that will continue to carry me throughout life events. The pandemic has since empowered me to continue what I have learned and apply for advocacy jobs that will encourage me to make the world a better place."

Manfra is a two-time (2019, 2020) CoSIDA Academic All-America selection, earning First Team status this spring after earning Second Team accolades from CoSIDA a year ago. The Stoneham, Mass. native finished with a stellar 3.99 GPA as a Biology major, starring both on the track in the winter and spring, as well as cross country in the fall. She also volunteered as a Bio teacher's and research assistant in addition to her captain duties for the Rams programs.

In indoor track & field, in 2019 Manfra was the first-ever Ram and GNAC student-athlete to earn All-America status at the NCAA Championships, finishing fifth in the mile (4:54.13) at the nearby Reggie Lewis Center in Boston not far from the Suffolk campus. In 2020, Manfra was a favorite to finish in the top-eight to earn NCAA All-America status, if not contend for the individual national title, before COVID-19 forced the spring's cancellation.

In outdoor track & field, in 2019 she also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1500, just missing All-America accolades by finishing ninth in all of Division III. Meanwhile in cross country, she was a two-time NCAA national qualifier,  and across the three separate sports, she earned a GNAC Athlete/Runner of the Year individual honor once in each.

Manfra's personal statement: "My four years at Suffolk have impacted my life in nearly every facet. When deciding which college to attend, Suffolk caught my eye due to its busy location in bustling downtown Boston and its tight-knit biology program. I had considered participating in sports at the collegiate level, but was more focused on choosing a school for its academic opportunities. My life had always revolved around athletics, as I played soccer from the time I could walk and had participated in lacrosse and track. During my high school years, I faced my first major challenges in the form of injuries. I tore my right ACL at soccer tryouts freshman year, and proceeded to tear my left ACL my junior year. Battling back from two major injuries was difficult, but the chance to continue competing propelled me through rehabilitation. My love for athletics and my comfort with the routine of balancing school and sports ultimately drove me to begin running at Suffolk. When I began, there was only a cross country program, but by my sophomore year the department had added both indoor and outdoor track. Along with track and field, the school gained an outstanding coach in Will Feldman, whose drive to improve Suffolk's programs is unparalleled. Under coach Feldman's guidance, I was able to unlock a new level of work ethic that I did not know was in me. As the miles kept piling on, it seemed to only increase my craving to improve and compete. The love of self-improvement began to bleed over into every aspect of my college career. Running centers around self-motivation, which drove me to also compete in the classroom. I finished my undergraduate journey with a 3.99 in biology, which was no easy feat. I was enrolled in difficult classes like anatomy and organic chemistry and maintained a part-time job, all while waking up at 6AM each morning to attend practice all year long. Despite the never-ending busy schedule, I loved every minute of it. I learned not to complain about all that I was involved in, as my passion for both biology and collegiate running were synonymous with my identity."

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

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