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Date: July 7, 2005
Contact: Bill Sodoma

 

Hockey player Bayley earns prestigious ECAC academic honor

WATERVILLE, Maine ---- Nick Bayley (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada) graduated from Colby College in May, but the honors have not stopped for the former men's hockey player.

Bayley earned the prestigious Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Robbins Scholar-Athlete Award on Monday. Bayley was selected as the male Division III winner by the ECAC, the nation's largest athletic and only multi-divisional conference with 324 Divisions I, II and III colleges and universities from Maine to North Carolina.

Bayley and the other honorees will be presented with the ECAC Robbins Scholar-Athlete Awards during the ECAC Convention Honors Dinner on Sunday, September 25, in Cape Cod.

"Nick clearly exemplifies the type of student-athlete we attract at Colby College," Colby men's hockey coach Jim Tortorella said. "He epitomizes the traits of courage, heart and determination in accomplishing all his goals on and off the ice. The award is truly a reflection of the extraordinary character that Nick possessed as a student-athlete."

Bayley is just the second New England Small College Athletic Conference athlete (male or female) to earn the Robbins Scholar-Athlete Award since the ECAC began the honor in 1994.

Bayley earned the 2004-05 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men's At-Large Division First Team honor three straight years. He was the only Division II or III athlete in the At-Large Division to earn first-team honors in all three years of eligibility.

Bayley, who majored in biology at Colby, was a three-time NESCAC all-conference selection in hockey and also earned NESCAC All-Academic honors in all three years of eligibility. Colby honored Bayley with the Donald P. Lake Award for outstanding leadership, academic accomplishment and athletic ability.

Bayley participated in Colby Cares About Kids, a one-on-one mentoring program for at-risk elementary school students. He was a member of the Educational Policy Committee of Colby's Board of Trustees and the Colby Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2004-05. Bayley earned Colby's Lieutenant John Parker Holden II Award in 2003 for a student who exemplifies the ideals of citizenship, integrity and loyalty.

Colby's hockey team went 62-28-10 in Bayley's four seasons. He led the Mules in scoring each of his four years and finished third all-time in scoring at Colby with 61 goals and 87 assists for 148 points.

The award is sponsored by Robbins Sports Surfaces, a Cincinnati-based company, and honors outstanding academic and athletics achievements of student-athletes representing ECAC schools in Divisions I, II and III. Voting is based on achievements in academics, athletics and community service. Three committees of athletic administrators handled the voting.