Patrick Reese, a member of the Saint Francis men's tennis team, has been named a Northeast Conference (NEC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Reese was one of three male and six female student-athletes in the NEC who graduated with a 4.0 grade point average.
Reese, who graduated with a 4.0 grade-point average in finance/accounting, registered 29 singles and 24 doubles wins with the Saint Francis men's tennis team. Reese recorded a career-high 10 wins in both singles and doubles play in his freshman campaign. In 2023-24, the team went 12-8 overall and 5-1 in NEC play, advancing to its first NEC Championship Game since 2017. Reese was named the Phillip Benham Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Athletics Banquet in April.
In its 19th year, the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, which is sponsored by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives, goes to the male and female team student-athletes who have graduated after compiling the highest grade-point average in the Conference at the conclusion of the academic calendar.
Similar to the success the Red Flash has seen in the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each sports award, Saint Francis has posted an NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 12 of the 19 seasons and has had 16 student-athletes earn the distinction, the most in the league. The 10 female and six male student-athletes are the most in the NEC for both males and females.
Reese becomes the third men's tennis player to receive the award, joining Washi Gervais (2015-16) and Matt Blose (2021-22). Ian Butcher (Men's Track and Field, 2007-08), Sean O'Reilly (Men's Soccer, 2010-11), Gregory Hielder, Men's Golf, 2019-20), and Scott Meredith (Men's Basketball, 2019-20) have also bestowed the title of NEC Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Erin Reifsteck (Field Hockey, 2008-09), Sara Ross (Women's Bowling, 2015-16), Taylor Allison (Women's Basketball, 2016-17), Elise Dumouchelle (Women's Volleyball, 2018-19), Shannon Cody (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, 2020-21), Kaite Conte (Women's Bowling, 2022-23), Kelly Dickson (Women's Lacrosse, 2022-23), Jeanie Egdington (Women's Volleyball, 2022-23), Kaitlyn Maxwell (Women's Basketball, 2023-24), Savannah Schoonmaker (Women's Soccer, 2023-24) are the nine female student-athletes to earn the distinction.
