Five GNAC Student-Athletes Receive ECAC Weekly Honors Across Four Sports

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINTHROP, Mass. – Five GNAC student-athletes across four different spring sports have received weekly honors from the Eastern College Athletic Conference, as announced by the ECAC office on Tuesday evening.

University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) senior Dayna Gambino was named the ECAC Division III New England Women’s Lacrosse Player of the Week, while Saint Joseph’s College of Maine senior Kim Jordan (pictured) earned ECAC Division III New England Softball Co-Player of the Week recognition.

Gambino tied a single-game school record with 10 points on six goals and four assists in a 16-8 victory over Green Mountain College in the Blue Jays’ only game last week. With USJ leading 4-3 after a tight start, she had five goals and three assists in a 10-0 run that helped the Blue Jays build a 14-3 lead. She is the first USJ lacrosse player to ever earn an ECAC New England honor.

Jordan ECAC weekly honor marks her second in a span of three weeks. In a doubleheader split at Albertus Magnus College on Saturday, Jordan went 6-for-7 with a run, a double, a triple and a home run. The 12 total bases were good for an incredible 1.714 slugging percentage.

Three other GNAC players received rookie honors from the ECAC, headlined by Saint Joseph’s of Maine freshman Brendan Barrett, who was honored as the ECAC Division III New England Men’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Week after registering five goals and 12 assists for 17 points over a stellar 3-0 stretch for the Monks.

Albertus Magnus College freshman Melissa Castillo garnered ECAC Division III New England Softball Rookie of the Week honors. She recorded back-to-back walk-off hits to lead the Falcons to a pair of 5-4 wins over Brooklyn College last Thursday. In the first game, it was a two-run walk-off home run in extra innings before she hit a walk-off double in the second game. Overall in a 3-1 week, Castillo hit .467 (7-for-15) with five RBI and a .733 slugging percentage.

Anna Maria College freshman Nate Frederick was recognized as the ECAC Division III New England Baseball Rookie of the Week. He hit a walk-off three-run home run to lead the AMCATS to a 6-3 win against UMaine Presque Isle in the first of two games this past Sunday. Frederick went 5-for-10 overall during the doubleheader with two doubles, a triple, and the home run for a 1.200 slugging percentage. In addition, Frederick pitched four innings in the Game One win, surrendering just one earned run while striking out four.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.

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