Colleen Kelly Selected as NEWMAC's Woman of the Year Nominee

BABSON PARK, Mass. – Recent Babson College graduate Colleen Kelly '11 (Milton, Mass.) has been selected as the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Woman of the Year honoree and will be nominated for the National Award by the conference. Kelly, the 2010 NEWMAC Field Hockey Player of the Year, was chosen by a vote of the league's Athletic Directors. She will move on to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee where she will be considered among other Division III conference nominees for selection as one of the Top 10 honorees nationally within the Division. She is the first athlete in Babson history to earn this honor.

Kelly is a wonderful example of the NEWMAC's values and ideals, as her resume is overflowing with examples of academic and athletic excellence, leadership and service. Prior to graduating Magna Cum Laude from Babson this May with a degree in Finance and Legal Studies, Kelly served as field hockey team captain for two years. She was a three-time All-Conference and All-Region selection and was a First Team All-America honoree and the NFHCA New England East Player of the Year as a senior. She was a leading member of the Babson Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and also completed the Babson Women's Leadership Program during her undergraduate tenure.

"My experiences as a student-athlete on campus have helped me realize the importance of being involved in a variety of communities," Kelly remarked on her nomination. "I know that so much of giving back has to do with helping others discover their strengths. I had the opportunity to be able to be part of a team from day one, and learned lessons on and off the field that allowed me to have more opportunities while at Babson than I ever imagined."

Kelly was magnificent on the field in her senior season, recording 13 goals and tying for Babson's single-season record with 17 assists for a total of 43 points from the midfield. She finished her illustrious career as the program's all-time leader with 42 assists while also ranking fifth all-time with 36 goals and fourth with 114 total points. As a result, she was named Babson's Athlete of the Class at its 2011 Senior Athletics Awards Banquet last month.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. From 1998 through 2005, an average of 410 female student-athletes per year were nominated for the award; and since the program's inception in 1991, 1729 women have been recognized as state or conference honorees.

All conference nominees will be forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year.

NOTE: Portions of this story taken from a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference press release.