Waterville, ME - Vermont State University Lyndon student-athlete Aiden Trapani (Deltona, FL) has been nominated for the North Atlantic Conference Man of the Year award, as announced by the conference today. The award encompasses all facets of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete experience.
Trapani graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science, Individualized Program of Study concentration designed as a pre-medical track. He finished with a 3.66 grade point average and has been named to the Dean's List and the President's List on multiple occasions. Trapani was selected as the student speaker at Lyndon's Robing Ceremony. He was inducted into Lyndon's Arthur B. Elliot Honor Society and was the recipient of the Exercise Science Academic Excellence Award.
Trapani was named to the College Sports Communicators Men's Basketball Academic Allo-District Team this past season. He has also been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court twice, and is a multi-time NAC All-Academic Team selection.
Trapani has been heavily involved in the Exercise Science department. He has been a student strength & conditioning coach for men's basketball, softball, and women;s soccer. Trapani has also been a student rehabilitation intern and student athletic trainer, and has written evidence based exercise programs for older adults. He also has been a tutor for exercise physiology and a mentor to incoming exercise science students. Trapani was an Exercise Science lab assistant and a student ambassador for the department. He has also been a member of the Sports Medicine Club and was the club's Vice President.
Trapani has served on Lyndon's Student Athlete Advisory Committee in each of his four years. He was elected as SAAC President in each of the last two years, and was the NAC SAAC President in each of the past two years. Trapani has also represented SAAC in Lyndon's Student Government Association. Under Trapani's leadership, SAAC conducted several community service projects, including Trunk or Treat and Save Second Base.
Trapani also volunteered in several campus and community programs. Those included Toys for Tots, the Red Cross Blood Drive, the VTSU Lyndon Summer Basketball Camp, the Caledonia County Fair, basketball clinics for Good Shepard Catholic School and Kingdom East School District, and stacking wood for local residents.
A four-year member of the Lyndon men's basketball team, Trapani was a captain in his senior season. He played in 78 games over his career, scoring 308 points, grabbing 214 rebounds, and handing out 78 assists.
Trapani was also a three-year member of the Hornet men's lacrosse team, and was a captain in his sophomore and junior seasons. He played in 23 games and accumulated 36 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers.
Trapani plans to enroll in medical school and continue on his career path of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. He looked back fondly on his time as a Hornet. "Being a student-athlete has taught me that the team comes before yourself in order to benefit everyone in the long run, and team dynamics follow you throughout your lifetime. Coming to Vermont from Florida, these experiences and the people involved have gave me countless support with every thought or decision I have made, giving me a sense of home away from home. Lyndon as a community, coaches, professors, and peers all impacted and guided me to become the person I am today, helping achieve my true potential and fulfill all of the goals I have for life whether personal, academic, or professional."
Trapani is among six outstanding male student-athletes that have been nominated for the NAC Man of the Year award. The NAC Man of the Year will be announced in early July and honored on his campus during the 2024-25 academic year.
The NAC Man of the Year award is modeled after the NCAA Woman of the Year program, which honors graduating student athletes who distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership. The NAC also selects a Woman of the Year using the same model, nominees for which were released on June 26, 2024. These are the two preeminent awards presented annually by the conference.
Member schools nominate student athletes from their own institution, then NAC Athletic Directors and Senior Woman Administrators vote to select the Man of the Year. Scoring for the academic achievement section is based on the undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of the nominee. Scoring for athletic excellence is based on the nominee's honors and accomplishments including awards and championships, and scoring for service and leadership is based on their involvement in campus and community activities and organizations over the course of their collegiate career. Administrators also consider a short personal statement written by each nominee.
