May 8, 2012

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Senior field hockey standout Kelly Newton (Vancouver, British Columbia) is Maine's institutional nominee for 2012 America East Woman of the Year, as announced on Tuesday afternoon by the conference. Eleven nominees were chosen as senior female student-athletes on their respective campuses that best exemplified a commitment to service, leadership, athletics and academics during their collegiate careers.

To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2012 spring season or received her undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2012 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).

The nominees will be narrowed down to three finalists on Wednesday, May 30 via a release on the conference web site with the America East Woman of the Year being announced at the conference's Annual Meeting in Annapolis, Md. on Wednesday, June 13.

The America East Woman of the Year will then be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will select the top 10 winners in each NCAA division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the CWA will vote from among the top nine to determine the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Newton's accomplishments on the field hockey field are second to none. She was named a 2011 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Third-Team All-American for the second-straight season.

Newton led the Black Bears to one of the top scoring offenses in the nation as she tallied 13 goals and 25 assists for 51 total points. Along the way over the past four years, Newton has put together the best offensive career of any student-athlete in Maine Field Hockey history. The co-captain will graduate with seven individual University of Maine field hockey records including most goals in a career (57), most assists in a game (3), most assists in a season (25), most assists in a career (49), most points in a game (10), most points in a season (51) and most points in a career (163). Newton was also a member of the squad that scored a new school-record of 89 total goals in the 2011 season.

The senior forward's prior accomplishments this season include being named a unanimous selection to the All-America East First time for the fourth-straight season, becoming the first Black Bear to be named to the conference's first team all four years. Newton, a two-time America East Player of the Week, was also selected to the All-Northeast Region First Team for the third time in her career.

-U-M-