Cambridge, Mass. - October 25, 2026 - WPI football sophomore placekicker, Nathan Napier (Natick, Mass.) has been named the recipient of this week’s Division II/III New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Award presented by Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Napier delivered a career performance in a 36-12 victory over Maritime, connected on all four field-goal attempts from 20, 53, 55 and 44 yards. He established a new WPI career long with a 53-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, then broke his own record with a 55-yarder in the fourth quarter. Napier added a pair of PATs to account for 14 points and dropped a punt inside the Maritime 20 in the win.
Napier and the Engineers, the tenth ranked team in the Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football weekly rankings as of last Monday, defeated Maritime for its third New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory of the fall. WPI improved to 5-2 overall and will host Merchant Marine on Saturday, October 31 at noon in a conference clash of two of the top programs in the NEWMAC this year.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), 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 seven Associate Members: New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.