NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) announces its eight nominees for the 2026 Division III Commissioner's Association (DIIICA) Student Athlete of the Year award. There are two men's athletes and one women's athlete nominated from the MAC Freedom, one men's athlete and two women's athletes nominated from the MAC Commonwealth, and one men's athlete and one women's athlete nominated from the MAC with representation from York, Stevens, Messiah, Widener, and Lebanon Valley.

The DIIICA Student Athlete of the Year Award honors men and women student-athletes who have exhausted their athletic eligibility (graduating seniors or graduate students that have not been nominated in previous years are the only eligible student-athletes). These student-athletes exhibit excellence both in the classroom and on the course, field, court and mat while also serving their local communities.

A conference may elect to submit up to two nominations for each award if at least one nomination is an international student/ethnic minority. The DIIICA regional selection committees will honor their selections based on the 10 predetermined NCAA regions. The MAC Freedom nominees are placed in Region IV and the MAC Commonwealth nominees are placed in Region V.

The Regional winners will be announced around the third week of August. Those individuals will be forwarded to the committee to be considered for the DIIICA Men and Women Student Athlete of the Year to be announced in early September.
The MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom nominees were selected by the MAC Awards Committee. The committee reviewed the MAC Senior Scholar-Athletes from the previous year that competed in the 2025-26 season. The eight nominees are listed below.

• Jacob Fripp, York (MAC Commonwealth Men)
• Ethan Hagen, Stevens (MAC Freedom Men)
• Kyle Tang, Lebanon Valley (MAC Freedom Men)
• Ryan Smith, Stevens (MAC Men)
• Tahlia Lloyd, Messiah (MAC Commonwealth Women)
• Liv Monturo, Messiah (MAC Commonwealth Women)
• Lauren Sullivan, Stevens (MAC Freedom Women)
• Gabby Nye, Widener (MAC Women)

MAC Commonwealth Men
Fripp capped his career on the York men's golf team as the 2025-26 MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year and Individual Champion. He earned First Team All-Conference and GCAA/PING All-Region recognition while serving as team captain, and was twice a member of an NCAA-competing team and twice a member of a conference champion team. A Political Science major, Fripp holds a 3.53 GPA and has been a CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-MAC honoree, along with six trips to the Dean's List. He is now pursuing a Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership and Management at York while working as a First Assistant Golf Professional. Off the course, Fripp served as a Student-Athlete Mentor, taught junior golfers, and volunteered at Rice Hope Animal Hospital.

MAC Freedom Men
Hagen was a defensive anchor for Stevens men's soccer, earning MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025 along with two First-Team All-Region selections and back-to-back MAC Freedom First Team nods (2024, 2025) after a Second Team selection as a sophomore. A Mechanical Engineering major, he carries a 3.904 GPA and has been recognized as a Second Team United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American and CSC Second Team Academic All-American, with three Academic All-District selections. Hagen served as team captain and a Leadership Group member for Stevens soccer, conducted undergraduate research in the Stevens Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, tutored fellow engineering students, and represented Team USA at the Maccabiah Games in Israel, where he also volunteered near the Gaza border and with a national food-rescue nonprofit.

Tang closed out his career as a four-year starter and captain of the Lebanon Valley men's basketball team, playing in 98 career games with 86 starts at point guard. He earned MAC Freedom Honorable Mention in 2025-26 after leading the conference in steals and ranking 64th nationally in assists per game, and he led the MAC Freedom in assists and total assists the year before. A Biology major with a 3.786 GPA, Tang has been a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection and a six-time Dean's List honoree. He served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, worked as a peer tutor in biology and organic chemistry, coached youth basketball, and volunteered with the Lebanon County Special Olympics floor hockey team and his college's Biology Club.

MAC Men
Smith finished his wrestling career at Stevens as a four-time All-American, four-time Regional Champion, and four-time MAC Champion, placing fourth at the 2025-26 NCAA Championships. A Business & Technology major, he holds a 3.774 GPA and has been named an NWCA Scholar All-American and CSC Academic All-District honoree. Smith served as a two-year team captain, represented Stevens wrestling on the Athletic Advisory Committee, participated in the Stevens Student Managed Investment Fund, and was active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and his local church's community outreach.

MAC Commonwealth Women
Lloyd anchored the Messiah women's soccer defense, earning United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American and MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025, along with First Team All-Region recognition and back-to-back years on the All-MAC Commonwealth team. A Business Administration major, she holds a 3.99 GPA and was named a CSC Academic Second Team All-American in 2025, a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection, and a four-time MAC Academic Honor Roll member. Lloyd served on her team's senior leadership group, was part of the Messiah honors program, and traveled twice to Colombia on mission trips coaching children and serving local communities.

Monturo led Messiah women's basketball to a standout senior campaign, averaging 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while adding 54 assists, 38 steals and 38 blocks. She ranked fifth nationally in total points and became the 27th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points in just three seasons. Her 2025-26 season earned her WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, D3hoops.com Third-Team All-American, First Team All-Region V, and MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year honors. Now pursuing a graduate degree in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership after completing a 3.95 GPA as an undergraduate, Monturo has been a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection. A team captain, she also served as a Graduate Assistant for Commuter Student Services and First Year Experiences, represented her team on SAAC, and traveled to the Dominican Republic on a basketball mission trip with SCORE International.

MAC Freedom Women
Sullivan wrapped up a decorated career on the Stevens women's lacrosse team as a Second Team IWLCA All-American, three-time IWLCA All-Region First Team honoree, and three-time MAC Freedom Defender of the Year, helping the Ducks to four conference championships and a program-first Sweet 16 appearance during her two years as captain. A Chemical Engineering major, Sullivan graduated valedictorian with a perfect 4.000 GPA and was named a First Team CSC Academic All-American and Academic All-MAC honoree. She co-developed a soft-robotic exoglove for stroke and arthritis patients that earned first place in a senior design competition and was published in an academic journal, completed four medical-device internships, and coached youth lacrosse clinics in the Hoboken community.

MAC Women
Nye closes her Widener career as one of the most decorated distance runners in program history, earning 2026 NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American honors in the 3000m Steeplechase and 5000m, plus Second Team NCAA Indoor All-American honors in the mile in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. She was a two-time MAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and set championship records in the mile and 3000m, and she holds Widener school records in the mile, 3000m and 5000m. A Biology & Spanish major now pursuing her Doctorate of Physical Therapy, Nye graduated with a 4.000 GPA and was named a 2026 NCAA Elite Scholar Athlete and CSC Academic All-American First Team honoree, among numerous other academic honors. Nye served as president and leader of Widener Newman, mentored fellow DPT students, volunteered for years with the Mission of Mercy dental outreach, and worked in the student-run Chester Community Clinic providing pro-bono physical therapy services.