MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--  The NEWMAC is pleased to announce the recipients of the annual NEWMAC Student-Athlete of the Year Award. The men's sport honorees are Brandon Grover (Ashland, Mass.) of Salve Regina University and Kekoa McArdle (Pittsfield, Mass.) of Clark University. On the women's side, Babson College's Olivia Soffer (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and MIT's Natalie Barnouw (Los Angeles, Calif.) garnered the accolade. The recipients were selected by a committee made up of Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators, Sports Information Directors and Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designees. The Student-Athlete of the Year Award focuses on the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

Grover graduated Summa Cum Laude from Salve Regina in 2024, with a major in Business Administration. He obtained his MBA with a concentration in Cybersecurity Issues and boasted a 4.0 GPA in the program. In 2024, Grover was the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner in baseball, which is awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships. This year, he was recognized as the Salve Regina Athletics Graduate Student-Athlete of Distinction.

For the Seahawks, Grover participated in five NCAA regionals, contributing to Salve Regina winning four regular season titles, two conference championships, two Regional Championships, and was a key part of the Seahawks' Division III College World Series run in 2024. He was named the NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Year in 2025. A four-year captain, Grover was also named to the NEWMAC Sportsmanship Team in 2025.

Off the field, Grover was a member of the Salve Regina Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) during his undergraduate tenure, serving as Vice-President in 2023-2024.  

Salve Regina head baseball coach Eric Cirella '05 recognizes that Grover was a one-of-a-kind student-athlete. "He's a winner and he is the poster boy for everything that you want in a student-athlete.  He holds himself accountable first, he works hard, he's prepared for everything, he hates losing but he is also a great sport, he never makes excuses, and he makes everyone around him better," proclaimed Cirella. "Brandon is a generational talent of a human being who I may never see the likes of again. His impact on everyone around him was far greater than any impact we had on him."

Executive Director of the NEWMAC, Patrick B. Summers, is impressed by the accomplishments and successes of the honorees in their respective sport, in the classroom, and in the community.

"These four individuals truly define what it means to be a NEWMAC student-athlete," declared Summers. "They've left their mark not only through athletic and academic success, but by lifting up their teammates, classmates, and communities. Their impact has been meaningful and lasting, and we're proud to recognize them with this honor."

The recipients of the 2024-2025 awards will move on as the NEWMAC nominees for the Division III Commissioners Association Student-Athlete of the Year award and the NCAA Woman of the Year award.

About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, United States Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and United States Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.