Saint Francis University track and field's Madeline Murphy (Cresson, Pa./Bishop Carroll) and men's basketball's Luke Ruggery (Duncansville, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) were the Saint Francis athletics nominees for Female and Male Northeast Conference Student-Athlete of the Year. 
 
The criterion for selecting the winner is broken down to four parts: academic achievement (30 percent), athletic excellence (30 percent), service and leadership (30 percent) and a personal statement (10 percent). The selection committee is comprised of the NEC Commissioner and the chairs of the Student-Athlete Athletic Committee, Athletic Directors, Faculty Athletic Representative and Senior Woman's Administrators. 
 
Murphy, a senior jumper for the Red Flash track and field team, was named the 2023 NEC Outdoor Track and Field Performer of the Meet for the jumps and the Most Valuable Performer after winning both the long and triple jump. The senior, who broke the program record and a 17-year-old conference record in the triple jump, placed fifth in the triple jump at the IC4A/ECAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships and 39th at the NCAA East Preliminary Round. Murphy, who owns the school record for long and triple jump for both the indoor and outdoor seasons, also won both events at the indoor championships and was named Track and Field Performer for jumps at that meet. A biology major, she registered a 3.83 grade point average.   
 
Murphy was named to the Dean's List every semester and the President's List in her last three semesters. Along with being named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team, she joined Kappa Mu Epsilon in 2022.She volunteered at the Cambria Care Center nursing home. 
 
Ruggery, who has a 3.85 GPA and is working on his MBA, appeared in 31 games with 10 starts and is averaging 4.7 points and 1.4 rebounds per game with 17 assists and 16 steals this season. Ruggery has registered double figures four times this season, including a career-high 18 points against Saint Vincent on his birthday on December 8. The redshirt junior has already completed his undergraduate degree in finance and accounting with a 3.90 GPA.  
 
Ruggery was named to the Dean's List and the President's List four times each. He was selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team. Ruggery with the men's basketball team, helped setup for the Ebensburg Potato Fest, sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home and attended multiple middle schools to speak and interact with the students.  

Both Murphy and Ruggery received a medal for being selected as a nominee.Ashley Dana was named the Female NEC Student-Athlete of the Year, while Sokol Ymeraj was selected as the Male NEC Student-Athlete of the Year.