Rafter Earns Ninth NEC Scholar-Athlete Of The Year Award
The Blue Devils had 78 student-athletes recognized for their athletic and academic success
Central Connecticut track and field standout Angie Rafter was named the 2023 Northeast Conference Scholar-Athlete for women's indoor track and field the conference announced Thursday. The NEC also released its winter Commissioner's Honor Roll and Academic Honor Roll recipients, which included 78 CCSU student-athletes on the academic list and 27 on the Commissioner's Honor Roll.
COMPLETE NEC RELEASE
ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL
COMMISSIONER'S HONOR ROLL
Rafter completed her final campaign in championship fashion, earning Most Valuable Performer and Most Outstanding Track Performer in leading the Blue Devils to a repeat as Indoor Champions. She won every event she competed in at 2023 NEC Indoor Track and Field Championships including the mile (5:03.36), the 3000m race (9:52.30), the 5000m race (17:32.07), and the distance medley relay (12:14.54). In her final race as a Blue Devil, she won the mile at the 2023 Indoor IC4A/ ECAC Championships, setting a new program record (her third of the year) of 4:40.38. She leaves CCSU with six NEC Championships; four consecutive cross country titles and the two indoor championships.
The Danielson, CT native didn't just excel on the track, but in the classroom as well. Rafter, who earned her undergraduate degree in English with a 3.96 GPA, graduated in May with a perfect 4.0 in her psychology graduate courses. She was named the 2021-22 NEC Student-Athlete of the Year and was the leagues nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award and was a semifinalist for that honor.
Arguably the most honored student-athlete in CCSU Athletics history, Rafter captured 19 Northeast Conference titles during her time in New Britain. Her indoor accolades marked the fifth time she earned an NEC Most Outstanding Performer in her storied career and the third Most Outstanding Track Performer honor. She graduated with six NEC team championships, helping the Blue Devils to four straight cross country crowns, in addition to the back-to-back indoor titles. Rafter was named the 2023 receipent of the Gail Rutz Award, presented to the top CCSU senior female athlete and is the most presegiouts award a CCSU student-athlete can win in their CCSU career.
All scholar-athlete award winners must have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours at their institution, maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20 and participated with distinction as a member of a varsity team.
Along with the scholar-athletes, the NEC announced its Winter Academic Honor Roll, consisting of 893 student-athletes with a 3.20 or better grade point average, the third highest total in conference history. There were also 345 student-athletes named to the Winter Commissioner's Honor Roll, recognizing those superior student-athletes with a 3.75 or better grade point average. That figure was the second most in league annals.
