Molly Saylor, David Marcano Selected as America East Conference Woman, Man of the Year Nominees

NJIT student-athletes Molly Saylor and David Marcano have been selected 2021-22 America East Conference Man and Woman of the Year Nominees, the league office announced June 9.

Nineteen institutional nominees for the 2021-22 America East Man and Woman of the Year nominees are up for the honor that recognizes the conference's senior male and female student-athlete who has best distinguished himself and herself throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership. 

Molly Saylor - Women's Soccer
In three seasons as the Highlanders' primary keeper, the South Park, PA native has started all 44 games she has played, made 251 total saves and holds the program record for career shutouts (14) and single season shutouts (America East leading nine in 2021, tied with Amelia Sapirman). 

Honored by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) as NJIT's Woman of the Year, Saylor has earned conference honors in two leagues (Second Team America East, 2021, All-Freshman and All-Tournament ASUN, 2019) and was named America East Defensive Player of the Week twice in her career (Oct. 18, 2021; Mar. 2, 2021 - 2020 season).

A three-time captain, Saylor's leadership of the NJIT defensive unit earned the Highlanders the No. 3 seed in the 2021 America East Tournament and hosted the first home league tournament contest since NJIT joined the conference in July 2020. 

Academically, Saylor - who was named to the America East All-Academic Team in 2021, graduated Magna Cu Laude on May 17, 2022 with a BS in Civil Engineering.  Saylor was named to the Dean's List for eight semesters of undergraduate studies, inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society (2021) and was selected NJIT Civil Engineering & Leadership Freshman of the Year in 2019.   She will pursue a MS in Structural Engineering at NJIT with an expected graduation date of May 2023.

Saylor spent time at the Community Foodbank of NJ and Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, assisting in packing of food in a warehouse to prepare for community distribution.  The NJIT women's soccer team visited Camden St. Elementary & Mt. Pleasant Elementary Schools as an annual reading program, which was also done during COVID virtually.
 

David Marcano - Baseball 
Marcano concluded his collegiate career, starting in more than 180+ game, becoming the all-time stolen base leader with 58, second in career batting average (.309) and third all-time in career hits (228) over the course of his five-year career as a Highlander.  

The Highlanders co-captain, and Albert Dorman Honors scholar, set NJIT's single season hits record (77), while starting 52 games this season, primarily at shortstop. He also led the team in batting average (.344) while ranking second in home runs (eight) and RBIs (38). Earlier this season, Marcano hit in 20-straight games, the longest hitting streak by a Highlander since 2007.

A 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District II and two-time America East Conference All-Academic team honoree, Marcano earned his MS in Mechanical Engineering, graduating from NJIT on May 17, 2022.  As an undergrad, Marcano graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in May 2021 while being named to the Dean's List for eight semesters, when he helped lead NJIT to its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance. 

He was selected NJIT's Innovation Showcase Overall Winner and member of the Chi Alpha Sigma and Pi Tau Sigma Honors Society.

Marcano spent time volunteering at the Newark Breast Cancer walk in Newark, NJ, Community Foodbank of NJ and Extra Mile Ministry Program.
 

To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2022 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2022 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale). Institutions are permitted to submit up to two nominees for each award if at least one is an international or ethnic minority student-athlete.

The nominees will be narrowed down to three finalists per gender, who will be announced on Thursday, June 16. The 2021-22 America East Man and Woman of the Year will be unveiled on Thursday, June 24.

America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015. All-Time America East Man & Woman of the Year Award Listing.