Five Gulls Named NSCA All-Americans

BEVERLY, Mass. – The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) has selected five Endicott student-athletes as 2022-23 All-American Athlete Award recipients.

The five Gulls honored include Claire Boncek (Hamden, Conn.), Amanda Gilbert (West Falmouth, Mass.), Hector Johnson (Worcester, Mass.), Jacy Kuhlman (Severna Park, Md.), and Caleb Shpur (East Canaan, Conn.).

The NSCA All-America award is given to student-athletes based on athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength and conditioning. Please note, the deadline for nominations is March 1, which allows spring student-athletes from the previous academic year to be included, such as Kuhlman, in the following year's pool of award winners.

Below, are thoughts provided by Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance / Health Care Administrator Dr. James T. Daley, EdD, LAT, ATC, NREMT, CSCS, PES as well as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Jack Dustin M'23 and members of the strength and conditioning staff on each All-American student-athlete.

CLAIRE BONCEK

Over the past four years, Claire has made a huge investment in the performance center, playing field, and classroom. She has excelled in all three areas and that is a tribute to her work ethic and competitive mindset. Claire is a natural leader who has earned the respect of her teammates through positive action and role modeling. Changing positions this past season and continuing to find success shows the adaptability and perseverance that Claire displays. Claire is now a two-time NSCA All-American (2021-22).

AMANDA GILBERT

Amanda understood what it took to be a successful student-athlete and embraced the performance center as a significant piece of that from the start. She achieved consistent gains and was a vocal as well as physical presence in the weight room. Being able to be part of three conference titles as well as achieving some individual accolades, like surpassing 1,000 kills are both testaments to her commitment to conditioning, durability, and health over a sustained period of time.

HECTOR JOHNSON

Hector is a hard worker and was a key member in helping the football team win back-to-back conference championships. This past season he was voted the Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Lineman of the Year, First Team All-Conference, All-Region, and a Cliff Harris Award finalist. Hector has a great work ethic which shows as he is able to balance the challenges of being a college student and athlete. His fellow players recognize him as a natural leader, and a man of character. They are willing to follow him in every practice, training session, and game. In the performance center, Hector has never been late or missed a workout and is pound for pound one of our strongest players. He leads in the weight room the same way he leads on the field with his work ethic, energy, and effort. He doesn't tire, he doesn't give up.

JACY KUHLMAN

Jacy is the epitome of what it takes to be an NSCA All-American. Jacy's leadership in the performance center is undeniably her greatest strength. She not only was a great lifter but also made sure her teammates were consistently working their hardest. She created a culture shift within her team to push harder and understand the benefits that they can find in the performance center. This did not end with her team. Her ability to lead others to push the boundaries of strength & conditioning was endless as a female role model on campus. Her ability to move heavy weight was impressive but her ability to push others to pursue greatness was even more impressive. Jacy was undoubtedly one of the hardest-working athletes in recent history. Jacy has made us better coaches, athletes, and teammates.

CALEB SHPUR

Caleb's desire for personal improvement, strong work ethic, and team-first mentality have all been major contributing factors to both our team's success and his individual success. Caleb's personal commitment to strength and conditioning was absolutely one of the key factors that led to his high level of production on the field last year, resulting in the program's first NCAA Regional Championship and Caleb earning athletic All-American accolades.

Caleb's contributions to his team go well beyond the field and in the performance center. Caleb was named co-captain of the 2023 team due to his many leadership qualities. He genuinely cares about his teammates and coaches and effectively communicates with all members of the program. Caleb also carries over a 3.6 cumulative GPA in a rigorous, Finance and Applied Mathematics double major.

ABOUT THE NSCA

Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world.

The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles. 

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(Photo Credit - Nick Grace '20)