By: NESCAC.com
HADLEY, Mass. - Seven student-athletes have been nominated to represent the NESCAC as its Division III Commissioners Association (D3CA) Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year nominee, with Connecticut College's Grace McDonough among those nominated. A committee of conference administrators will select the NESCAC's representative for the awards.
The DIIICA Women's Sports Student-Athlete of the Year Awards honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership.Â
Grace McDonough, Conn. College Women's Cross Country & Track & Field
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McDonough graduated from Conn. College with a 4.00 GPA as a triple major in psychology, human development, and educational studies. She was a Phi Beta Kappa and a Psi Chi Honor Society inductee.
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She was a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American, a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection, a four-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete, and a nine-time NESCAC All-Academic Team selection. McDonough was a Langer Scholar, a Founders Scholarship recipient, and earned Dean's High Honors every semester.
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Was a seven-time USTFCCCA All-America and garnered USTFCCCA All-Region honors 13 times. The 2025 NESCAC Outdoor Track & Field Most Outstanding Performer, she was a three-time NESCAC Champion and a five-time All-NESCAC athlete.
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McDonough earned the Debbie Aitken Award (Most Outstanding Track Performer) at the 2026 New England Division III Championship and was a seven-time New England Division III Champion. She was presented with the 2026 Anita DeFrantz Award as Conn. College's top female student-athlete. McDonough competed in nine NCAA Championship meets, the most by a woman in program history.
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She was the team representative for One Love, a mentor for Caring Camels, a pediatric hospital volunteer at Elliot Hospital, and a special-education classroom support across several local schools.
About the DIIICA: The Division III Commissioners Association became a stand-alone organization in January 1992, after previously serving as a combined group with the Division II Commissioners Association. The association is comprised of 43 NCAA Division III conferences, representing over 440 public and private institutions. The purpose of the DIIICA is to empower commissioners to effectively lead their conferences and positively impact Division III intercollegiate athletics by identifying challenges, developing solutions, and taking collective action that reflects the conference perspective.
