Two Highlanders Nominated for 2023-24 America East Conference Man and Woman of the Year

NJIT student-athletes Aria Myers and Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar have been selected 2023-24 America East Conference Man and Woman of the Year nominees, the league office announced on Monday.

Eighteen institutional nominees for the 2023-24 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. 

Aria Myers - Women's Basketball
A four-year member of the NJIT women's basketball team, Myers is a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team selectee (2024, 2023). She graduated magna cum laude in May 2024 with a biomedical engineering degree.

This season, she appeared in 30 games, including 14 starts, averaging 4.7ppg and 3.0rpg, and a season-best 13 points at UMBC (2.29.24).

For her career, Myers appeared in over 100 games, combining for 535 points, 247 rebounds, 71 assists and 61 steals.

Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar - Men's Swimming & Diving
A chemical engineering major and three-time America East All-Academic honoree (2024, 2023, 2022), Horstkamp-Vinekar maintained his perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA this year and repeated as the America East Elite 18 winner in 2024 for men's swimming and diving after winning in 2023. 

Horstkamp-Vinekar won two silver medals (100 Free, 800 Free Relay) to move his program-leading America East career medal count to 18. The Highlanders were crowned 2023 ECAC Winter Champions, the fifth championship title in program history. 

He earned 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and Inaugural CSC Academic All-America third team.

To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2024 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2024 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 Wednesday, May 29. The 2023-24 America East Man and Woman of the Year will be unveiled on Wednesday, June 5 at the America East Conference Awards Dinner.