Fall NEWMAC sportsmanship team spotlight

WESTWOOD, Mass.-- Liv Forbes, Ty Gallagher, Georgia Costello, Ben Tomas, Zoe Cox, Kate Murphy and Luke Maruca have been named to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference fall sportsmanship team. 

The conference chooses one student-athlete to represent each team at every NEWMAC institution, based on coaches' nominations. Athletes who act with a high degree of sportsmanship, exemplify the code of conduct and uphold NEWMAC ideals are selected.

The fall team is comprised of athletes from women's cross country, men's cross country, field hockey, football, men's soccer, women's soccer and women's volleyball. Head women's cross country coach and men's cross country coach Kacie Gallo, head field hockey coach Jennifer Foster, head men's soccer coach Craig O'Rourke, head women's soccer coach Tanya Roberts, head women's volleyball coach Sebastian Noordzy and head football coach Kevin Gilmartin all had the opportunity to nominate an exemplary representative. 

Liv Forbes, a senior from North Attleboro, Massachusetts represented the women's cross country program on the sportsmanship team. Forbes has been a contributing member of the team since the 2020-21 season. She is honored for her encouragement and support of teammates regardless of her own results.  

"Liv didn't race at Western New England University," said coach Gallo. "She watched as a spectator, cheering on and encouraging each of her teammates during the race. That race several girls had their PR. Liv was the first one to congratulate her teammates at the line, praising them for all their hard work paying off. Seeing this showed me the kind of teammate Liv was. She was happy for teammates successes."

Ty Gallagher was the second runner to receive the accolade. Gallagher represents Salve Regina men's cross country on the NEWMAC sportsmanship team. A Junior from Goffstown, New Hampshire, Gallagher has competed on the team since the 2021-2022 season. Gallagher is known by his teammates as a welcoming and approachable leader for new athletes. 

"Ty's determination and positive attitude make him incredibly deserving of the NEWMAC sportsmanship team honor," remarked coach Gallo. "Ty always includes the freshmen and makes them feel welcome by pushing them in workouts."

Gallagher is joined by Georgia Costello, who earned the field hockey nomination. Costello finished her second year competing as a Seahawk with the completion of the 2023 season. The Sophomore from North Easton, Massachusetts has influenced her teammates and elevated the program through their first season in the NEWMAC. 

"Georgia is admired by her teammates and coaches for how she conducts herself on and off the field," stated coach Foster. "She can always find the positive and pick up a teammate when they are down. She brings an energy to our team that shows in how she plays and leads. She shows respect for her coaches, teammates, opponents and officials daily and has set the example for our team to how you act, win or lose."

The next Seahawk athlete who received the honor is Ben Tomas from the men's soccer team. Tomas, a sophomore midfielder from Danbury, Connecticut is recognized for his persistence of excellence and effort. Regardless of the team's result Tomas showed exceptional respect and acted with principal during the team's NEWMAC debut year.  

"Ben exemplified this award by always respecting his opponent," recalled coach O'Rourke. "He never brought anything less than his maximum effort and preparedness to each and every match throughout the season. As the season went on, it became more and more apparent that our opponents knew who he was and what he was capable of doing in our system of play. They were always preparing ways to stop his ability to pull the strings and run our midfield.  At times, he was getting man-marked, if not double-teamed, and he always maintained his composure and readiness.  He is a true competitor, and I am very happy to see the conference recognize him in this way."

On the women's soccer side Zoe Cox, a senior midfielder from Whitman, Massachusetts joins Tomas on the sportsmanship team. As a senior captain, Cox served as a role model for her teammates due to her ability to keep composure in high-stress situations and empower her teammates to compete. 

"As we transitioned into a new conference Zoe was a big part in leading the team and setting an example of increasing the level of play," said coach Roberts. "Zoe was our senior captain. On the field she led the team with her physical play and her ability to stay focused, not allowing the opponent to get in her head. She did this by setting an example of calm in an environment of competitiveness. Zoe wasn't the loudest player on the field, she is someone our team looks up to with her organization, tone and pure joyfulness. As we started to find our team culture in the NEWMAC, Zoe taught our younger players to stay positive and keep an open mind by staying true to how we wanted to be represented." 

Kate Murphy, who went from a freshman walk-on in the fall of 2019 to graduate student captain in 2023 achieved the women's volleyball team NEWMAC sportsmanship team honor. Murphy reached 1000 digs during the fall 2023 season, an exceptional milestone in college volleyball. However, Murphy's work ethic, support of her teammates and passion for sharing and teaching the sport of volleyball with others earned her the sportsmanship honor. 

"Kate Murphy's is a phenomenal example of sportsmanship," said coach Noordzy. "She is someone who loves the sport and wants to grow the game, and everyone involved in the sport (coaches, teammates, opponents, refs, etc.), to have a positive experience. On the macro lever, Kate is the driver for Salve Volleyball's charitable initiatives, but she never loses sight on the micro level, making connections with refs and support staff and even going out of her way to check in with injured opponents and send them well-wishes." 

The final Seahawk to earn a sportsmanship team honor is Luke Maruca, A junior from North Haven, Connecticut, Maruca received Salve Regina football's nomination. Maruca is known by his teammates and coaches not only for his effort and good sportsmanship on the field, but for his impact off the field and his selflessness. 

"Luke was a DNA match for someone with cancer," said coach Gilmartin. "He did all the pre work and found out he was a 98% match. He then agreed to donate his white blood cells and save that person's life. He went into the hospital every day for a week for injections to raise his white blood cell blood cells. He then went in for the operation and donated the cells which were then immediately flown to the patient's hospital."

The seven Salve Regina honorees joined a team of 72 total NEWMAC student-athletes who have been recognized for their exceptional sportsmanship. Winter and spring teams will be chosen following the completion of their respective 2023-24 seasons.  

NEWMAC sportsmanship team release: https://newmacsports.com/news/2023/11/21/field-hockey-newmac-announces-fall-sportsmanship-team-honorees.aspx