Mansfield, Mass. - The Northeast-10 Conference announced on Monday its list of 28 student-athletes that have been nominated for 2020-21 Man and Woman of the Year awards. Both honors are selected by the league's Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) Council.

Each nominee is a senior student-athlete that has excelled in all areas of their collegiate careers – on the playing surface, in the classroom and in the community. The two winners are set to be announced the night of Monday, June 7, as part of a pre-recorded live awards show on NE10 NOW.

This year, the Adelphi University athletic department nominated men's soccer student-athlete Giancarlo Vacca and women's lacrosse student-athlete Alison Johnson as its nominees for the 2020-21 school year. 

Vacca, a three-year member and two-year captain of the soccer program has made the decision to graduate early and pursue a degree in veterinary science with the hopes of becoming a veterinarian. During his time at Adelphi, Vacca immersed himself in campus life, becoming a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Northeast-10 SAAC E-board, as well as the Newman Club, the Pre-Professional Club and the Environmental Action Coalition. He boasts a cumulative grade point average of 3.704 and graduates this month with a degree in Biology. 

Johnson has been a five-year member of the women's lacrosse team, taking advantage of the additional year granted due to COVID-19, and was a part of two Division II National Championships in 2017 and 2019. This month she graduates with a degree in Childhood Education after completing the five-year TESOL program with a perfect GPA at the graduate level. 

Both awards have 14 nominees, as each member institution has selected one male and one female student-athlete to represent its school. The 2020-21 academic year marks the ninth time that the league will award the NE10 Man of the Year honor, while the NE10 Woman of the Year honor has been awarded since 2005-06 and will be put forth as the league's official NCAA Woman of the Year candidate.

Men's and women's lacrosse lead all sports with six nominees each, while softball is second with four, baseball has three and men's track & field has three under consideration.

Since joining the conference in the fall of 2009, Adelphi has had two ultimate winners of the award in Chelsea Abreu (2018-19) and Brenna Martini (2017-18).