WINTHROP, MASS. - On Wednesday, it was announced by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) that Colby-Sawyer field hockey player,
Julia Lanctot was awarded the GNAC Woman of the Year. She is the first to take home the honor from Colby-Sawyer, who joined the GNAC in 2018-19.
Lanctot will automatically be put forth for the nationwide award, which includes student-athletes across all three Divisions. Each nominee must be a graduating student-athlete, and the selection process is based upon service & leadership, academic achievement, athletics excellence.
Each nominee was required to write a personal statement, Julia's is below:
"January 23rd, 2017. Two days before my 18th birthday, I officially made the decision to become a Division III student-athlete at Colby-Sawyer. Before this decision I felt overwhelmed with the optionsm and the pressure of committing to a Division I school like most of my friends. However, when I walked onto the field overlooking the most beautiful mountain range with my future teammates, I knew it was where I belonged. At Colby-Sawyer, I was able to excel on the field with many accolades as well as in the classroom, earning the Baccalaureate Award in Business Administration. I was able to study abroad in Florence, Italy, fully immersing myself in their language and culture. Most importantly, I was able to build a community of love and support. As we grow up, our goals change constantly depending on our interests at that given time. For me, it was always to continue playing for as long as I could. Looking back, if someone asked me why I played, I would say it was for the love of the game, for the competition, and the camaraderie. However, when the game was taken from me, like it was for millions of athletes in 2020, I learned my true 'why.'
I don't play field hockey for the awards or championship games. I play for the little things, for the unnoticed moments that happen every day. I play for the conversations on the walk to the field, for the laughs in our huddles, the karaoke on the bus, and for the drive it gives me academically. At Colby-Sawyer I was able to be a leader on my team, in my major, and in the community. As a student-athlete, I was nominated to the SAAC, where I worked my way up to president. While president, we were faced with many challenges as COVID introduced severe limitations. With perseverance and adaptations, we were able to take part in The Clothesline Project, an organization so important to me. The Clothesline Project works to raise awareness for survivors of sexual assault and abuse by using visual displays of t-shirts created by survivors. As athletes, we came together to unload thousands of t-shirts to create a display for the campus and local community, creating a cascade of impact and empowerment. Field hockey and collegiate athletics have had such a positive impact on my life that I have felt a sense of responsibility to bring that same opportunity to every girl possible. I am currently working with a company, assisting with showcases and tournaments for all levels of play to give these girls the same opportunities that I had. I want them to know that you do not have to be the world's best player or the top player on your club team to be a collegiate athlete, to be a leader, or to make an impact on someone's life. I am living proof of this."
Lanctot has been a leader in New London from the second she stepped on campus. The Sandown, N.H. native serves as the SAAC president for the Charger student-athlete community, as well assisted with the GNAC SAAC Commissioner's Council. In addition, she has worked as a Student Ambassador for the Office of Admissions, was the Vice President of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society, an Advancement Ambassador for the Office of Advancement, Assistant to the Program Manager in the Colby-Sawyer athletics department, and a member of the Presidential Blue Sky Society (PBKS). She is also a three-time member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Scholar of Distinction list. Members of the list must maintain a 3.9 or higher cumulative grade-point average during the fall semester of the school year.
After her senior year, Lanctot received a number of awards from the Colby-Sawyer community. She received the Barbra Johnson Sterns Award which is given to a Charger senior that has demonstrated leadership and dedication to the college community. At the 2021 Colby-Sawyer athletics awards banquet, she received the Wynn Jesser McGrew Scholar-Athlete Award, which is given to a graduating female senior who has made a significant impact to both the scholastic and varsity programs of the College.
On the field hockey turf, Lanctot has played in 52 games in her Charger career. She ranks third in career assists with 12, sixth in career points with 36 and eighth in career goals with 12. As a junior, she was awarded All-GNAC second team after she posted a season that included four goals and four assists.
