Canton, Ga. - August 26, 2026 - Recent MIT women's swimming and diving graduate and former standout student-athlete Annika Naveen has been named as the Division III Commissioner's Association (D3CA) Region II Women's Sport Athlete of the Year.
Naveen is the third NEWMAC student-athlete to earn the honor since the inception of the award in the summer of 2022. Naveen joins former MIT student-athletes Karenna Groff (women's soccer, 2022) and Matthew Kearney (men's cross country/track and field, 2023) as D3CA Regional Athletes of the Year.
In total 20 student-athletes from across the country - two (one male, one female) from each of the ten regions - were selected for the award this year. This prestigious award, now in its fifth year, recognizes graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in athletics, academics, leadership, and service throughout their collegiate careers.
Each regional winner now advances to the national ballot for the D3CA Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year and D3CA Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year awards, which will be announced in September.
Naveen helped lead MIT to the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Swimming & Diving National Championship while capturing three NCAA relay national titles, earning nine First Team All-America honors and four Second Team All-America honors during her collegiate career. A four-time NEWMAC individual champion and NCAA Elite Scholar Athlete Award recipient, Naveen established herself as one of the nation's premier student-athletes in the pool.
A Biological Engineering major with minors in Computer Science and Finance and a concentration in Science, Technology and Society, Naveen graduated with a perfect 4.00 GPA. Her academic achievements included recognition as the CSC Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year, while her undergraduate research at MIT, Boston Children's Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania resulted in multiple publications and provided opportunities to mentor fellow researchers.
Beyond her athletic and academic accomplishments, Naveen served as president of Every Nation Campus, volunteered in children's ministry and mentored undergraduate researchers. Her commitment to encouraging and investing in others reflected the values that defined her collegiate experience.
This year's 20 honorees from across the country can be found below:
Region I:
Men's Sport: Scott Gyimesi, Tufts University (Basketball) | NESCAC
Women's Sport: Caroline Adams, Middlebury College (Lacrosse) | NESCAC
Region II:
Men's Sport: Levi BenAvram, Brandeis University (Fencing) | UAA
Women's Sport: Annika Naveen, MIT (Swimming & Diving) | NEWMAC
Region III:
Men's Sport: Isaiah Brunache, Cortland (Track & Field) | SUNYAC
Women's Sport: Maddie Lowney, St. John Fisher (Lacrosse) | Empire 8
Region IV:
Men's Sport: Ethan Hagen, Stevens Institute (Soccer) | MAC Freedom
Women's Sport: Lauren Sulliva, Stevens Institute (Lacrosse) | MAC Freedom
Region V:
Men's Sport: Logan Campbell, University of Scranton (Cross Country/Track & Field) | Landmark
Women's Sport: Molly White, University of Scranton (Track & Field) | Landmark
Region VI:
Men's Sport: Matt Conroy, Shenandoah University (Football) | ODAC
Women's Sport: Elyse Warren, Millsaps College (Basketball) | SAA
Region VII:
Men's Sport: Ethan Manske, Kenyon College (Swimming & Diving) | NCAC
Women's Sport: Sophie Bull, Calvin University (Track & Field) | MIAA
Region VIII:
Men's Sport: Adrian Manchado-Cano, MSOE (Basketball) | NACC
Women's Sport: Jessa Alderman, MSOE (Track & Field) | NACC
Region IX:
Men's Sport: Eric Kincaid, Loras College (Wrestling) | ARC
Women's Sport: Jess Palmer-Sammons, Macalester College (Water Polo) | CWPA & MIAC
Region X:
Men's Sport: Rabbit Barnes, Colorado College (Cross Country/Track & Field) | SCAC
Women's Sport: Alison Mueller-Hickler, Colorado College (Cross Country/Track & Field) | SCAC
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.