Kendall named NEC WTEN Scholar-Athlete of the Year

LIU's Joshua Loeschorn (Butler, NJ/Butler) added yet another prestigious honor in a brilliant year for the senior righthander. Along with claiming baseball scholar-athlete honors, the Butler, NJ product was named the NEC Pitcher of the Year and most recently was recognized as a second team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Loeschorn was a vital part of LIU's run to the NEC baseball title in Norwich last month, finishing with a win, save and 2.25 ERA over two appearances to earn a spot on the All-Tournament squad. On the season, the two-time NEC Pitcher of the Week paced the circuit and currently ranks second nationally with 11 wins against just three defeats. The 11 victories were the most by an LIU hurler in 58 years and ranks second on the program's single-season list. Loeschorn paced the circuit with 104 strikeouts and ranked second with a 3.06 ERA. Recently named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District squad, he is a three-time member of both the NEC Academic and Commissioner's Honor Roll lists. Loeschorn graduated summa cum laude with a 3.91 GPA and a de­gree in Computer Science.

After an all-star year on the links and in the classroom, Wagner senior Heather McLean (Port Williams, Nova Scotia, Canada/Hoton) earned women's golf scholar-athlete recognition. McLean was the runner up at the NEC Championship held in Daytona Beach, shooting an 8-over 224 (76-75-73) to finish just one stroke off the pace. That showing helped her repeat as an All-NEC first teamer and marked the third All-NEC honor over her time on Grymes Hill. McLean ranked fifth in the league in stroke average at 77.0 strokes per round and posted five top-three finishes, including the individual title at the UMES Collegiate Challenge. The Port Williams, Nova Scotia native has garnered four straight NEC Academic Honor Roll and Commissioner's Honor Roll distinctions. She posted a cumulative 3.98 GPA in her pursuit of a degree in Biology.

Hobart graduate student Dan Ryan (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury), a long stick midfielder, walked away with the men's lacrosse scholar-athlete award. Ryan was chosen to the All-NEC first team following a 2022 season that saw him tie for second on the Statesmen in caused turnovers (11) and finish third in ground balls (20). He wrapped his five-year career tenth on the Hobart all-time list with 25 caused turnovers. Ryan was presented with the 2022 Hanna Award for Excellence, which is presented to a Hobart senior athlete for dedication to the community, exceptional academic achievement, trustworthy leadership and dependability as a teammate. The Sudbury, MA product was a five-time member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll and added NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction for the first time this spring. Ryan, who received his degree in Economics, is now pursuing his Master of Science in Management. He compiled a 3.69 GPA as an undergraduate and has registered a 3.93 GPA in his grad studies.

Mount St. Mary's junior defender Margaret Lonergan (Bowie, MD/Elizabeth Seton) pocketed the women's lacrosse scholar-athlete accolade. A lockdown defender on the league's stingiest defense, Lonergan was voted to the All-NEC first team for a Mount squad that repeated as NEC champs with a 15-13 win over Bryant. She also finished with three caused turnovers and four ground balls over two wins to collect NEC All-Tournament honors. Lonergan, a Bowie, MD native, ranked tenth in the conference with 1.0 caused turnovers per outing, and finished with a career-high 25 ground balls as the NEC regular season co-champion Mountaineers allowed just 8.55 goals per game. Named to the NEC Academic & Commissioner's Honor Roll lists in each of her three years, she has recorded a 3.95 grade point average as a Sport Management major.

Saint Francis U graduate student third baseman Mekenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills) put a bow on a star-studded career on the diamond with her second straight softball scholar-athlete award. The honors have come pouring in recently for the Pittsburgh, PA native. She was named the NEC Player of the Year, then went on win her fourth NEC Tournament ring as a key figure in a growing Red Flash dynasty that has yielded the program five straight conference championships. At year's end, Saban was tabbed to the All-NEC first team and the NFCA All-Region first team. Her combination of success on and off the field also landed her a slew of impressive accolades. Saban earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-America first team, claimed her fourth straight CoSIDA Academic All-District nod and was chosen as a first team Senior CLASS All-American. Her year culminated last week with her selection as the NEC Female Team Co-Student-Athlete of the Year, the highest honor awarded by the conference. The two-time NEC Player of the Week and two-time NFCA Top Performer led the NEC in batting average (.427), runs scored (44), doubles (23) and total bases (114), and ranked second in hits (73) and third in triples (3). The 23 doubles matched her own NEC and program single-season record. Saban concluded her SFU career with a program record 251 hits and 68 doubles, finished second with a .379 batting average, and third with 177 runs scored and 11 triples. She was a Softball America All-American in 2021, a two-time NFCA All-Region selection and a three-time All-NEC pick. Saban appeared on NEC Academic and Commissioner's Honor Roll lists five times apiece. She compiled a 3.98 GPA and graduated with an Accounting degree in three years, then went on to earn her MBA with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Her decorated five-year career now complete, Saban has accepted a position to work with PNC in the finance and accounting department.