MEDFORD, MA (July 30, 2026) – Recent Tufts University graduates
Scott Gyimesi and
Hannah Jiang have been selected as New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) nominees for the 2026 Division III Commissioners Association Men's and Women's Sport Athlete of the Year Award.
A committee of NESCAC athletic administrators selected Gyimesi and Jiang to represent the conference for regional consideration for the Division III Commissioners Association honor. Gyimesi is the lone men's nominee, while Middlebury College's Caroline Adams joins Jiang as women's nominees.
These prestigious awards, now in their fourth year, recognize graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in athletics, academics, leadership, and service throughout their collegiate careers. Regional winners will be selected later this summer and advance 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 on September 3.
Scott Gyimesi, Tufts Men's Basketball
In May, Gyimesi graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tufts with a 3.90 GPA and a degree in economics with minors in finance, architectural studies, and history.
He was a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America, a three-time NESCAC All-Academic Team selection, and a three-time CSC Academic All-District Team honoree. Gyimesi also earned a spot on the Dean's List every semester at Tufts.
The 2026 NESCAC Player of the Year was a three-time All-NESCAC selection. He garnered NABC Division III All-America First Team honors and was the 2026 NABC District 1 Player of the Year. Gyimesi was also a two-time Jostens Trophy Finalist, one of 10 players selected nationally.
Gyimesi graduated as Tufts' all-time leading rebounder (949) and finished his career with 1,308 points. He led the NESCAC in rebounding as a senior, averaging 9.1 rebounds per game, and ranked 10th in NCAA Division III with 15 double-doubles in 2025-26.
Overoming an ankle injury, Gyimesi helped lead Tufts to just its second Elite 8 appearance in program history and was a part of four NCAA Tournament qualifying teams.
A team captain for two seasons, Gyimesi served as a Tufts Athletics Civic Life Ambassador, founded the Tufts Real Estate Group, organized a 3x3 charity basketball tournament for Team IMPACT, volunteered at the Boston Food Bank, and was a Teaching Assistant for an Entrepreneurial Finance class.
Hannah Jiang, Tufts Women's Rowing
Jiang graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tufts with a 3.88 GPA as a cognitive and brain science major and a philosophy minor.
A two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American, she was also a three-time NESCAC All-Academic Team selection, a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, and a College Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholar-Athlete. Jiang was presented with Tufts' Human Factors Engineering Prize in 2025–26 and garnered the Rudolph J. Fobert Award from the Tufts Athletic Department for her athletic and academic performance.
As a coxswain, Jiang helped Tufts win three consecutive NCAA Championships and was the coxswain for the first-place NCAA 1V8 boat in all three championsihps. She was a three-time CRCA First Team All-American, a two-time NESCAC Team Champion, and competed at the 2025 Henley Royal Regatta in England.
During Jiang's career, Tufts won three Head of the Charles Collegiate Eights trophies and four Points Trophies at the National Invitational Championships.
Jiang served as the women's rowing team's DEIJ Officer, was President of Tufts' Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and served as Head of Design for JumboCode (pro bono nonprofit software). She also worked as a Course Assistant for two upper-level courses and co-designed and co-taught a peer course on sports psychology while also mentoring high school coxswains and serving as a Campus Tour Guide.
The D3CA was established in 1992 to provide a collaborative network for Division III commissioners to share knowledge, resources, and best practices. Working alongside key organizations such as the NCAA and NACDA, the association is committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience through innovation and collective leadership.
Content provided by NESCAC used in this release
--JUMBOS--
