Portions of this release are courtesy of WPI Athletic Communications

WESTWOOD, Mass. - As part of the NEWMAC's 25th Anniversary celebration, the conference is taking time throughout the 2022-2023 academic year to reflect on some of the pivotal moments that have transpired in the membership since its inception in 1998. These moments honor the dedication and positive influence of administrators, coaches, and student-athletes over the past two-and-a-half decades that have helped the NEWMAC, and its member institutions become champions of academic and athletic excellence and a preeminent conference in Division III.
 
WPI’s Ama Biney capped off a stellar career when she was named a recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award in 2019. The annual award, selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, recognizes former student-athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

 
Biney was a decorated basketball and softball student-athlete for WPI, graduating in 2018. She was a co-captain of the softball team and was named the 2018 NEWMAC Athlete of the Year and a 2018 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) first-team All-American. In basketball, Biney was the NEWMAC's 2018 Co-Athlete of the Year. Biney was also named the NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018. In 2016, she helped the Engineers to NEWMAC tournament titles in both basketball and softball. Biney also led WPI softball to a pair of NCAA Division III Softball Championship regional titles in 2015 and 2016 and aided WPI women's basketball to a Division III women's basketball tournament appearance in 2016.
 
The management engineering major’s success carried over into the classroom, for which she earned College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSida) Academic All-America honors for softball in 2016 and 2018 and NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honors throughout her career at WPI.
 
Biney was also a leader on campus and in her native Worcester community. For four years, she was a volunteer mentor with Big Brother Big Sisters of America. Additionally, she volunteered monthly with Girls Inc. and belonged to several student organizations while serving as a WPI camp counselor. In both 2017 and 2018, WPI recognized Biney's leadership with the Crimson and Gray Award, given to students who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities and make significant contributions to improve the quality of student life at the university. 

Biney, along with the other nine honorees, were honored at the 2019 NCAA convention, held in Orlando, Florida.



About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 11 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, 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 five Associate Members: Catholic University of America (Football), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports. Salve Regina University will become the conferences 12th core member effective June 1, 2023, while N.Y. Maritime will be joining as an Associate Member in football.