QUINCY, Mass.- Eastern Nazarene College Department of Athletics announced its second annual ExcellENCE Awards, Thursday afternoon. Student-athletes were recognized for exemplifying the four core values of ENC Athletics: Faith, Academics, Competition, and Service.

The ExcellENCe Awards in the category of Faith were presented to Gabrielle DiCamillo, Rebecca Hayner, and Tim Eddings.

DiCamillo, a three-year member of the women's volleyball team, was named to the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Del Malloy Sportsmanship Team in 2019.

Hayner, a four-year member of the softball team, is a two-time NECC Del Malloy Sportsmanship Team honoree and has been involved in summer ministry through ENC's Office of Spiritual Development. The senior has helped the Lions claim two NECC Championships and garnered All-NECC first team accolades this spring.

Eddings, a four-year member of the men's soccer and men's volleyball programs, has served as a resident assistant on campus while being a key contributor to both the men's soccer and men's volleyball teams. The senior helped the Lions' men's soccer team capture the 2019 NECC championship and also picked up All-NECC second team honors at the conclusion of the 2021 men's volleyball season.

The ExcellENCe Awards in the category of Academics were presented to Didac Gomes Castellvi and Rebecca Thorne.

Castellvi, a three-year member of the ENC men's soccer team, will graduate with a degree in Chemistry and has obtained a full scholarship to the University of California Irvine to pursue and Ph.D. in Chemistry. A two-time Academic All-NECC honoree, he was recently named the Outstanding Senior in Chemistry by ENC's Life Sciences Division.

Thorne, a four-year member of the women's volleyball program, will graduate in May with a degree in Elementary Education. In 2019, she helped the Lions clinch their first-ever NECC title and earned All-NECC second team honors.

The ExcellENCe Awards in the category of Competition were presented to Courtney Barba and Leon Zaffonato.

Barba, a three-year member of the women's basketball team, paced the squad with 15.1 points per game this season en route to collecting D3Hoops.com All-East/Northeast Regional Second Team laurels.

Zaffonato, a two-year member of the men's soccer team, powered the Lions to their first-ever NECC crown in 2019. Zaffonato was tabbed the NECC Tournament MVP while also claiming All-NECC first team honors and United Soccer Coaches All-New England Region third team accolades in 2019.

The ExcellENCe Awards in the category of Service were presented to Stephanie MacFarland and Ozzy Traill III.

MacFarland, a four-year member of the women's soccer program, served on ENC's Executive Student Government Association as the Vice President. As a part of her Scout Summit Rank project, MacFarland raised funds to purchase and present the ENC Athletic Department with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Traill, a four-year member of the men's basketball team, has been involved with ENC's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as well as serving as an Orientation Leader during New Student Orientation this past fall. He also completed a year-long internship with the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) this academic year.

The Eastern Nazarene College Athletic Department mission is captured in two key phrases: Pursuing Excellence – Service to God and Community. These statements reflect a desire to use our talents and abilities to honor Christ through the core values of Faith, Academics, Competition, and Service. Achieving these goals requires a commitment to purposeful and continual growth throughout the department.

Faith:  We seek to foster a distinctly Christian living and learning community in order to guide student-athletes to grow in their faith. Individuals are challenged to understand and deepen their relationship with God, learning how that will be manifested in their daily lives.

Academics:  We view athletics as part of the educational experience that extends formal academic learning. The model applied is one of transference, where athletic participation enhances academic performance. Academic success is defined as achieving one's very best in effort and outcomes.

Competition:  Our student-athletes and coaches know that athletic excellence is an expected outcome. To achieve comprehensive excellence, it is necessary to be successful in competition while building individuals with strong character and integrity. We work to develop character in our student-athletes that can be witnessed in sportsmanship during competition and commitment to the team.

Service:  The opportunity to participate in intercollegiate athletics is a privilege that also comes with responsibilities. Our desire is to recognize the importance of looking beyond ourselves and find ways to serve God and community. Following the model of Christ, we are devoted to the development of servant-leaders as a central part of the athletic experience.

2021 ExcellENCe Awards