Trevor Bates of the University of Maine is among the nominees for the 2015 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, it was announced on Tuesday.
The award recognizes a select group of college football players who are committed to helping others and making a positive impact on their communities.
Bates, a senior from Westbrook, has worked with a 13-year-old boy as part of Black Bear Mentoring, a program that strives to enrich the lives of area children from disadvantaged households. He also has volunteered at local elementary schools as part of a reading program and has participated in Athletes for Sexual Responsibility and Male Athletes Against Violence, campus organizations that work to raise awareness of campus violence and assault.
A list of 22 men, 11 from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 from the Football Championship Subdivision, will be recognized as finalists from among 197 nominees.
Past winners included Super Bowl champion quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, ESPN analyst Matt Stinchcomb, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III and two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Colt McCoy.
UM women’s hoop team 24th in academic rankings
The UMaine women’s basketball team ranked 24th in the 2014-15 Division I Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Honor Roll.
The Black Bears were the lone America East program on the list, representing with a 3.399 team grade point average for the year. A team must have a 3.000 or better GPA to be nominated.
Previously, junior Liz Wood and sophomore Sigi Koizar were named to the America East All-Academic team.
Wood also was named the America East Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
NAC announces man, woman of year nominees
Several athletes from Maine colleges have been nominated for the North Atlantic Conference Man and Woman of the Year awards.
The honor is bestowed to graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
Man of the Year nominees include Brian Potter of Husson University in Bangor, Nicholas Betti of Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Joe Sullivan of the University of Maine-Farmington and Wiscasset’s Manson Brewer of Lyndon State, along with Bryce Kaler of Castleton State and Brandon Currier of New England College.
Up for NAC Woman of the Year are Kayla Merrill of Husson, Allyson Fuehrer of MMA and Chelsea Morley of UMF. Others include Meghan O’Sullivan of Castleton, Kelsey Cahill of Colby-Sawyer, Jillian Emery of Lyndon and Kayla Lawlor of NEC.