Cole Anderson Receives GNAC Man of the Year Award

WINTHROP, Mass. – Continuing to be recognized for his considerable contributions both to the Regis Pride track and field program and to the Regis College community, recent graduate Cole Anderson (Falmouth, Maine) has been selected as one of two recipients of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Man of the Year Award, announced Thursday, July 29, by the league office.

Anderson adds this award to other honors, including the Male Regis-Casserly Award, the highest award given out by Regis Athletics recognizing excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service. He shares this major GNAC award with Jordan Lynch-Rexroth from the Dean College men's basketball program.

A four-year letterwinner for the Pride track and field squad, Anderson won the discus throw at the 2018 GNAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, helping the team to the overall conference title. He set the school indoor record in the weight throw of 15.31 meters at the 2020 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, finishing second for All-GNAC honors. He also holds the school outdoor record in the discus throw, posting a mark of 40.30 meters at the 2019 Eastern Connecticut State University Invitational.

During a 2020-21 academic year filled with continual change in several ways, Anderson served as President of the Student Government Association, voted into the position by the Regis student body. He also filled the role of treasurer for the Regis Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and continued for a second year as a resident assistant on campus.

During his undergraduate tenure at Regis, Anderson participated in four service trips to two different locations, taking on a student leader role during his second trip to each locale. He made two trips to New Orleans to assist the St. Bernard Project in providing housing to those affected by Hurricane Katrina as well as two trips to the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota on behalf of non-profit organization Simply Smiles.

As he expressed in his personal statement within the GNAC Man of the Year Award nomination form, Anderson's view of the college experience changed after his first trip to South Dakota in the summer of 2018. He wrote, "I realized that the undergraduate years are not preparation, but opportunities to benefit others while also on a path of individual success."

His understanding of the collegiate athletic experience also changed after the team's conference championship in 2018, as he explained later in the personal statement – "In the following years, our team mentality shifted. It became less about the outcome and more about the pride you feel."

"Nothing will ever compare to the pride and sense of importance you feel when you hear a teammate screaming your name from across the track," Anderson continued, "It has given me the opportunity to be the individual screaming in support. It has given me the opportunity to change others' perception of success from simply showing that you care more than just about yourself."

Anderson received his bachelor's degree in sport management this past May, finishing his undergraduate studies with a 3.85 grade point average. He will remain with the Pride track and field program as an assistant coach while he pursues his master's degree at Regis.

The GNAC Man of the Year is selected with the same parameters as the NCAA's Woman of the Year Program, which is centered on academic achievement, athletics excellence, service & leadership and a personal statement.