Zachary Simmons of Mitchell College was selected as the New England Collegiate Conference Male Student Athlete of the Year, the conference announced on Wednesday.

The award is given annually to the top male senior from among the nine NECC institutions and determined by a vote of the league's athletic directors. The award recognizes athletics and academics successes while also factoring in leadership and community service components.

"Zachary is deserving of this honor, and we are so proud of his accomplishments" Mitchell Director of Athletics Maureen White said. "He has been a shining example of everything we look for in a student-athlete at Mitchell. He excels in both the classroom and on the field, and he possesses the character and leadership that you can build successful programs around. He is the type of person that every coach wants on his or her team."

A two-sport athlete at Mitchell, Simmons graduated in May following a two-year career as a member of the men's soccer and tennis programs. He majored in business administration and held a cumulative grade point average of 3.92, the highest of any male student-athlete at Mitchell. A four-time NECC Academic All-Conference Team selection (twice in each sport), he was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma (National College Athlete Honor Society) in 2013. Simmons is from Coventry and is an East Catholic graduate.

Simmons was a two-time all-conference selection in men's soccer and led the Mariners to consecutive NECC Championship berths. As a senior he was honored as the NECC Player of the Year, the first Mitchell men's soccer player to ever earn the distinction. He led Mitchell in scoring this past season with five goals and two assists for 12 points in league play.

- Day staff reports