Nethaway, Royals Named To Helping Hands Team

AMERICA EAST RELEASE

BRETTON WOODS, N.H. — Eighteen America East student-athletes were named to the conference’s first-ever America East Helping Hands Team on Tuesday evening at the conference’s annual awards dinner on Mount Washington in Bretton Woods, N.H. Senior baseball player Josh Nethaway and junior women’s basketball player Sarah Royals represented the University at Albany on the squad.

The honor recognizes a male and female student-athlete from each America East institution for their dedication to bettering their communities through service.

“This team was created to recognize all the good America East student-athletes in their communities,” said America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen. “It is so impressive to see all the time, selfless acts and leadership these and countless other America East student-athletes give in addition to their academic and athletic commitments.”

Royals and Nethaway are both actively involved in UAlbany’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and have led the Great Danes in a number of community service projects. Projects include; annually raising money to help the American Cancer Society and participating in the Breast Cancer Awareness walk, organizing canned food drives to benefit local communities, as well as partaking in the Adopt-a-Family Program through the Albany County Department for Children, Youth and Families, assisting families in need during the holiday season. Royals will serve as UAlbany’s SAAC president in 2014-15.

The America East Helping Hands Award was established in 2013 to recognize a male and female student-athlete from each of the conference’s nine institutions for their exemplary efforts in the area of community service while remaining in good academic standing. Each institution, at its discretion, selects a male and female representative to be recognized annually by the America East Conference.