BOSTON — Senior Elizabeth Lodge from the women's track and field team is one of three female student-athletes to be named a finalist for the America East Woman of the Year Award, the organization announced Wednesday. 

Lodge, a native of Manchester, Conn., has the opportunity to become Hartford's first-ever Woman of the Year. She joins UMBC's Catherine Evans and Stony Brook's Chelsie DePonte as a finalist for the prestigious award, which recognizes the league's female student-athletes who have distinguished herself throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of 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 2021 spring season or have received his or her undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the 2021 summer term. Student-athletes must also hold a minimum grade-point average of 2.4 on a 4.0 scale.
 
A native of Manchester, Conn., Lodge is coming off an illustrious career that concluded with a record-breaking performance at the America East Outdoor Championships, taking home the gold medal in both the heptathlon and high jump. Breaking school record in both events, she also shattered the program record in the long jump. Earning Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Championships, her mark of 1.76m in the high jump was ranked the 28th-best in the East Region, and the 61st-best mark in the nation.
 
Lodge, who recently graduated with a degree in marketing, collected a plethora of academic awards during her career as well. An eight-time member of the Dean's List, she was recently named an America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete for completing her undergraduate career with a cumulative GPA above 3.75. 
 
Vice President of Hartford's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Lodge was heavily present in her community, volunteering with Junior Achievement at her local high school. She also participated and donated to Food Share for food insecurity.
  
Men's soccer's Nyrik Antoine was a nominee for America East Man of the Year, but was not selected as a finalist.a four-year midfielder from Baldwin, N.Y., he appeared in 34 games for the Hawks during his career. Antoine, who was heavily involved in Hartford's SAAC as co-Vice President, graudated with a degree in criminal justice. 
 
The 2020-21 America East Man and Woman of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, June 22, at 11 a.m.
 
The America East Woman of the Year will then be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee, which will choose the top 10 winners in each NCAA division (I, II and III). From 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 among the nine to determine the 2021 Woman of the Year.