MANSFIELD, Mass. – Six Saint Anselm College student-athletes were selected to the Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference team for the 2024 fall season, the league announced on Thursday afternoon.
Seniors
Josie Pecor (Williston, Vt.) of the women's soccer team and
Brandon Potts (Bowie, Md.) of the football team both earned NE10 Academic All-Conference recognition for the third straight year, while senior
Ava O'Donnell (Raynham, Mass.) of the women's cross country team received the distinction for the second straight season.
Seniors
Riley DiGilio (Danvers, Mass.) of the women's soccer team,
Andrew Edwards (Cibolo, Texas) of the football team, and
Ava Rayfield (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine) of the field hockey team each collected their first Academic All-Conference honor.
To be eligible for selection to the NE10 Academic All-Conference team, a student-athlete must have started at least half or played in at least two-thirds of the team's competitions as a significant contributor and achieved at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (4.0 scale).
This year, there were a total of 99 honorees from across the conference for the fall season. Adelphi led the league with 15 selections, while every NE10 school had multiple picks. Field hockey and women's soccer led all fall sports with 22 honorees each.
A member of the NE10 All-Conference Third Team and the New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) Division II All-New England Second Team, Pecor earns a spot on the Academic All-Conference squad for the third straight year. The Social Work and Criminal Justice double major started in 17 matches for the Hawks this past fall, recording four goals and four assists for a total of 12 points. Her goal and point totals were second-most on the team, while her assist total ranked third on the squad and cracked the top 10 in the conference. The senior forward wrapped up her career with 15 goals and 14 assists for 44 points in 70 matches played, 58 of which she started.
Potts also earns Academic All-Conference honors for the third straight year. The NE10 All-Conference Second Team and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection capped off an impressive senior campaign, finishing his final season with new career-highs in both solo tackles (28) and total tackles (44) while starting in all 10 games. His 28 solo tackles led the team, while his 44 total tackles was the most on the squad for a defensive back. The Criminal Justice major recorded one interception, was tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles, and broke up four passes. Potts finished his career with 24 passes defensed, putting him in sixth place in program history.
A Psychology major, O'Donnell receives Academic All-Conference plaudits for the second consecutive season. The NE10 All-Conference Second Team pick ran in all six meets for the Hawks this fall and earned 11th place with a personal-best time of 23:04.11 at the Conference Championship, helping Saint Anselm finish in third place as a team. O'Donnell also tabbed 16th place with a time of 22:37.0 at the NCAA Division II East Regional, which was enough to earn a spot on the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region team.
DiGilio was named to the Academic All-Conference roster for the first time in her career. She also earned spots on the NEWISA Division II All-New England First Team, the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First Team, and the NE10 All-Conference Second Team at the conclusion of the season. DiGilio finished her career with a bang in her final season on the Hilltop, setting single season career-highs in goals, assists, and points. Across 18 starts this past fall, the senior forward posted a team-best 10 goals and dished out five assists for a team-high 25 points. She ranked second in the conference in goals, was tied for sixth in assists, and was tied for second in points. The Biology major was named the NE10 Player of the Week on October 21st following a two-goal game at Assumption. DiGilio wrapped up her career with 15 goals and 12 assists for 42 points while starting in all 62 games she appeared in across four seasons of play.
Another first-time recipient of Academic All-Conference honors, Edwards had a standout senior season on the Hilltop. The wide receiver, who also earned CSC Academic All-District recognition as a Behavioral Neuroscience major, led the team in both receiving yards (426) and receiving touchdowns (five) while hauling in the fourth-most catches (29) on the squad. Edwards appeared in all 10 games for Saint Anselm this season and had two games with over 100 receiving yards. On November 2nd at Franklin Pierce, Edwards hauled in four catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns.
Rayfield, an Accounting and Finance double major, earns placement on the Academic All-Conference team for the first time as well. The senior helped her team win the 2024 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship in November, the first national title in both program and school history. Rayfield appeared in all 24 games this season for Saint Anselm and started in 23 of them. She scored eight goals, a new single season best and the third-most on the team, and provided two assists for 18 points.
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