HADLEY, Mass. – Six student-athletes have been nominated to represent the NESCAC as its Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year nominee. A committee of conference administrators will select the NESCAC's representative for the award, with Justin Finkel (Cheshire, Conn.) and Peter Silvester (Smiths Parish, Bermuda) the nominees from Conn College.
 
The DIIICA Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year Awards honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership. The nominee representing the NESCAC will be announced on Tuesday, July 8.
 
As a biological sciences major, Finkel graduated from Conn with a 3.67 GPA. During his career, the swimmer was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American four times, a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American twice, a College Sports Communicators All-District honoree three times, and was a three-time NESCAC All-Academic Team selection.

Finkel was heavily involved in Zachs Hillel House at Conn. College. He served as a board member for three years and was the Shabbat programmer. He also shared his Conn. College experiences with newcomers and prospective students through the Connections at Conn. College program. Off campus, Finkel volunteers at the Department of Veterans Affairs, assisting various medical departments.

A four-time national champion and two-time CSCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year, Finkel finished his career as a 12-time All-American and is the current owner of the NCAA Division III record in the 200 butterfly. Finkel was voted the NESCAC Swimmer of the Year three times and won eight NESCAC titles while earning 13 All-NESCAC awards. He closed out his four years owning 10 Conn. College records and three NESCAC marks. The College awarded Finkel the Anita L. DeFrantz Award, and he was the recipient of the 2025 Jay Fiedler Outstanding Jewish College Athlete of the Year Award presented by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association.

A quantitative economics major and finance minor, Silvester graduated from Conn with a 3.71 GPA.

Silvester was the team liaison between the men's soccer program and Team Impact. He organized events with their Team Impact athlete. Silvester also volunteered with the Bermuda Goalkeeping Association.

A United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American, Silvester helped the Camels win the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer title in 2021 and finish as the national runner-up in 2024, where he was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. He was a two-time All-Region and All-NESCAC honoree, leading the Camels to their first NESCAC title in team history in 2024.

Eric Lundgren, Tufts Men's Swimming & Diving

• Lundgren graduated from Tufts with a 3.69 GPA as an environmental engineering major. He was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American, a NESCAC All-Academic Team honoree, and a four-time CSCAA Scholar All-American. He was presented with the Tufts CEE Department Cataldo Scholar Award in 2024. Lundgren served as an engineering ambassador and the swimming & diving civic life ambassador, where he coordinated and volunteered at community service events for the Tufts program. He also co-founded Tufts Engineering Discovery Week, a two-week-long event that introduces students to engineering majors, and served as a Tufts Eco Rep, organizing sustainability-themed events. As a team captain, Lundgren was the team MVP three times and voted as the Tufts Individual Male Athlete of the Year in 2025. At the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships, Lundgren was part of the Jumbos' 200 medley relay that claimed the national title. He won 10 NESCAC titles in his four years and received 20 All-NESCAC awards. He finished his career with 17 All-America citations.

Thomas Perry, Middlebury Football

• Perry graduated from Middlebury with a 3.94 GPA and a degree in molecular biology and biochemistry. A two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-American and three-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree, Perry was presented with the Charles B. Allen Memorial Prize and the Hazeltine-Klevenow Memorial Trophy by Middlebury. Off the field, Perry served as a volunteer at a local elementary school and a research assistant in the molecular biology lab. A three-time winner of the Panthers' Richard C. Rapp Award as the most outstanding offensive lineman, Perry received AFCA and Walter Camp Division III All-America honors as a senior. He was a three-time All-NESCAC selection and earned All-New England honors three times. Perry was invited to the East/West Shrine Game and named to the Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist.

Luke Wheeler, Bowdoin Men's Ice Hockey

• Wheeler graduated with a 3.89 GPA as a neuroscience major at Bowdoin. He was presented with the Bowdoin College Sarah and James Bowdoin Scholar in 2024 and was a three-time All-NESCAC and ACHA Scholar All-American. Wheeler was heavily involved in coordinating community outreach events while at Bowdoin and was a nominee for the NCAA Hockey Humanitarian Award. He founded and organized a Military Appreciation Game and a Hockey Fights Cancer Game. He also participated in Habitat for Humanity, Unified Hockey, and Polar Bear Skates events. Wheeler volunteered for several organizations on and off campus during his time as a Polar Bear Wheeler helped the Polar Bears win the NESCAC Championship in 2023 and was a semifinalist for the Joe Concannon Award. A team captain as a senior, he was given the Bowdoin Athletics Frederick G.P. Thorne Award for Outstanding Male Leadership and the Bowdoin Men's Ice Hockey Hugh Munro Jr. '41 MVP Memorial Trophy in 2025.

Truman Williams, Bates Men's Track & Field

• Williams posted a 3.63 GPA as a classic and medieval studies major and was a member of the Eta Sigma Phi Classical Studies Honor Society. He was a six-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree and garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic honors in 2024. Williams was named a Bates Senior Scholar Award winner in 2025. Williams founded and served as co-president of the Bates College Classics Club and served as a volunteer coach for the Montclair Track & Field program. During the indoor season in 2024, Williams was part of the Bates Distance Medley Relay team that garnered All-America honors. He also earned All-America distinction in the 400 meters during the 2025 indoor season and finished his career as the Bobcats' indoor record-holder in four events. Williams was a three-time Maine State Champion in the 400 meters and owns the third fastest time in Division III history in the 500 meters. Williams earned All-Region honors three times and All-NESCAC honors in the 400 meters during the outdoor season.