BOSTON -- Seniors Noelle Lambert (Londonderry, N.H.) and Grant Lardieri (Ada, Mich.) of the UMass Lowell Lacrosse programs have been named two of 20 nominees for the 2019 America East Woman and Man of the Year, respectively, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.

The honor recognizes the conference's senior male and female student athlete that best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in areas like academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership. To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2019 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2019 term, while having maintained a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 (4.0 scale).

"We are excited to have Noelle and Grant represent UMass Lowell for this prestigious award," said UMass Lowell Director of Athletics Peter Casey. "They have been great ambassadors over the last four years not only for our lacrosse programs, but for the University and its entire community."

One of 10 female nominees, Lambert recently received the Chancellor's Courage Award for her comeback after losing her left leg above the knee in a moped accident on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 2016. She returned to UMass Lowell with a newfound sense of determination and worked tirelessly to get back on the field. Lambert received her first running prosthesis in April 2017 and was cleared to play for her junior year. In her first game back with her prosthetic leg, she scored a goal en route to the River Hawks' 16-1 victory against Hartford on April 7, 2018. She played in seven games in her final season in Lowell and finished her River Hawk career with a 3.557 GPA as a Criminal Justice major. She also was recently awarded with the Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award earlier this month for her comeback on the field and in the classroom. She also started the Born to Run Foundation, a nonprofit that is dedicated to provide child amputees with a specific prosthetic that will allow them to run again. 

Lardieri is among 10 male nominees for the America East Man of the Year Award. He recently earned two University awards last week prior to graduation. He received he Scholar-Athlete Award for having the highest cumulative grade point average of all graduating River Hawk student-athletes. He finished his four-year collegiate career with a 3.992 GPA in Chemistry in the Kennedy College of Sciences. He also received the Chancellor's Medal for Academic Achievement, which recognizes the top undergraduate achievers in each of the university's schools and colleges. He registered a 4.0 GPA in seven of eight semesters on campus, while serving as the Vice-President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) this past season. He is a two-time captain of the River Hawks and was part of the Team IMPACT leadership team. He was named America East All-Academic Team twice during his collegiate career and was also selected to the AE Winter/Spring Honor Roll in 2018 and 2019 and was also a Commissioner's Honor Roll selection both of those years. Lardieri also earned the David J. Boutin Award at the UMass Lowell annual awards banquet, given annually to a male River Hawk student-athlete who encompasses academic and athletic excellence, as well as leadership and service. Lardieri started 12 of 14 games for the River Hawks in his senior season. In conference play, he ranked first among America goalies with 14.1 saves per contest.

The nominees will be narrowed down to three male and three female finalists, which will be announced by the conference office on Wednesday, May 29. The winners of the 2018 America East Man and Woman of the Year will be honored at the league's annual end of the year awards dinner on Thursday, June 6th.

Kelly Freitas of the River Hawk Field Hockey team was honored as the 2016 America East Woman of the Year.

The America East Woman of the Year will then be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will select the top 10 winners in each NCAA division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) will vote from among the top nine to determine the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year.

America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015. All-Time America East Man & Woman of the Year Award Listing