HADLEY, Mass. – Bates College track and field standout Truman Williams has been named one of six student-athletes nominated by the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) for the prestigious Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year award. A committee of NESCAC administrators will select the conference's representative for national consideration.

The award honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership.

Williams, a classics & medieval studies and U.S. history double major with a 3.63 GPA, was a six-time NESCAC All-Academic selection and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors in 2024. A member of the Eta Sigma Phi Classical Studies Honor Society, Truman was named a Bates Senior Scholar Award winner in 2025.

A leader in the classroom and on campus, Williams founded and served as co-president of the Bates College Classics Club and volunteered as a coach for the Montclair (N.J.) High School Track & Field program.

On the track, Williams was an All-American, earning the distinction as a member of Bates' Distance Medley Relay team in 2024. He graduated as the program's indoor record holder in four events and owns the third-fastest time in Division III history in the 500 meters. He was a three-time Maine State Champion in the 400 meters, a three-time All-Region selection, and earned All-NESCAC honors in the 400 meters during the outdoor season.

Williams is joined by five other exceptional nominees from across the conference:

• Justin Finkel, Conn. College Men's Swimming & Diving
  A biological sciences major with a 3.67 GPA, Finkel is a four-time national champion, 12-time All-American, and owner of the NCAA Division III record in the 200 butterfly. He was named CSCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year twice and earned the Anita L. DeFrantz Award from Conn. College. He was also the 2025 Jay Fiedler Outstanding Jewish College Athlete of the Year.

• Eric Lundgren, Tufts Men's Swimming & Diving
  Lundgren graduated with a 3.69 GPA in environmental engineering. A 17-time All-American and 10-time NESCAC champion, he won a national title in the 200 medley relay in 2025. Off the pool deck, he co-founded Tufts Engineering Discovery Week, served as a civic life ambassador, and received the CEE Cataldo Scholar Award.

• Thomas Perry, Middlebury Football
  Perry earned a 3.94 GPA in molecular biology and biochemistry and was a two-time Academic All-American. He was a three-time All-NESCAC selection and an AFCA and Walter Camp All-American. He earned multiple academic and athletic awards from Middlebury and was named to the Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist.

• Peter Silvester, Conn. College Men's Soccer
  A quantitative economics major with a 3.71 GPA, Silvester helped Conn. College win the 2021 NCAA title and finish as national runner-up in 2024. He was a two-time All-NESCAC selection, NCAA Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2024, and active with Team Impact and the Bermuda Goalkeeping Association.

• Luke Wheeler, Bowdoin Men's Ice Hockey
  Wheeler graduated with a 3.89 GPA in neuroscience and was a three-time ACHA Scholar All-American. He organized Military Appreciation and Hockey Fights Cancer games, was involved in numerous community service initiatives, and led the Polar Bears to the 2023 NESCAC title. He received the Thorne Award for Outstanding Male Leadership and was a Joe Concannon Award semifinalist.