2022 2022: Two Student-athletes named Little East Conference Woman and Man of the Year

Track & Field stars Kaitlyn Bernier and Edward Lundy honored for academic and athletic achievements

The Little East Conference (LEC) has named recent UMass Dartmouth graduate Kait Bernier its 2021-22 Woman of the Year, and Edward Lundy its 2021-22 Man of the Year in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the classroom, in the community, and in intercollegiate athletics.
 
Bernier is just the second Corsair to be named the LEC Woman of the Year since the NCAA format changed to allow conference recipients in 2006. The first was former women's basketball and lacrosse standout Colleen Kane in 2016.
 
"Majoring in engineering, while also participating in three seasons of sports was never easy, but it taught me many lessons," Bernier said as part her application's personal statement. "Persevering through every obstacle throughout my academic and athletic career has made me who I am."
 
A native of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Bernier earned a near-perfect 3.98 grade point average while completing her bachelor's degree in bioengineering this past spring, and plans to pursue her master's in biomedical engineering and biotechnology at UMass Dartmouth in the fall. She has received a number of accolades in recognition of her academic performance, including annual selection to the LEC All-Academic Team, U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team and Chancellor's List, while maintaining UMass Dartmouth's Dean's Scholarship all four years. Bernier was named the 2022 UMass Dartmouth Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year after being named the University's Freshman Outstanding Academic Award recipient following her arrival on-campus.
 
Bernier's first season as a member of the track & field team in 2019-20 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned in dominant fashion, winning LEC outdoor titles in the 200m (26.53) and 400m (59.26) on her way to being named the 2021 LEC Outdoor Rookie Track Athlete of the Year. Her success continued into this past season, which saw her named the 2022 LEC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year after she won the 400m with a time of 58.59 that ranked her 21st in the nation, and placed third in the 200m (26.71).

A four-year member of the women's soccer program, Bernier produced 15 points in 55 career matches. She scored the game-winning goal in her first collegiate contest against Fredonia on Aug. 31, 2018.  Bernier registered a career-high five points, on two goals and an assist, to lift the Corsairs to a victory at Salem State this past fall.
 
Named the 2022 UMass Dartmouth Female Athlete of the Year, Bernier finished her undergraduate career as the UMass Dartmouth indoor 400m record-holder (57.73), while ranking in the top-five in the indoor 200m (fourth, 26.32), outdoor 200m (fifth, 25.99) and outdoor 400m (second, 58.00). In addition to her LEC honors, she was a two-time All-Division III New England performer and was named All-Region by the USTFCCCA four times. 

Lundy earned a 3.67 GPA while completing his bachelor's degree in marketing, with a minor in management at UMass Dartmouth, where this past year he served as Senior Class President and a member of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Search Committee. He was also an active member of the University's National Society for Black Engineers, where he took on the role of Programs Chair as a senior, while also serving as a student ambassador and peer mentor. Off-campus, Lundy volunteers at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence in the education center, and The West Parish Church scholarship fundraisers.
 
The Lawrence, Massachusetts native was an annual selection to the LEC All-Academic and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic teams and Dean's List, while earning the added distinction of being a Chancellor's List honoree both semesters as a senior. He also earned UMass Dartmouth's Center for Marketing & Research and Carrier-Pisarczyk Scholarships as an undergrad.
 
"Just like being a student-athlete, being a scholar requires commitment, responsibility, discipline, and perseverance," Lundy said as part of his application's personal statement. "As a student-athlete, my experience at UMass Dartmouth has been excellent. Prior to returning to campus in the fall of 2021, I began exploring how I can make my impact felt beyond the track. This exploration led me to apply to leadership roles, which allowed me to grow my network, develop leadership skills, work in teams, and gain valuable soft skills."
 
On the track, Lundy helped lead the Corsairs to back-to-back LEC indoor championships (2020, 2022) and the 2022 LEC outdoor title. Individually, he was the indoor 55m champion in 2022 (6.61), was a five-time conference runner-up in varied sprint events, which earned him Second Team All-LEC honors, and ranks in the top-six in program history in the indoor 60m (fourth, 7.04), indoor 200m (sixth, 22.72) and outdoor 100m (third, 10.90) events.

Learn more about Kaitlyn Bernier and Edward Lundy on the Corsair Athletics website.