WINTHROP, Mass. - For the first time in Great Northeast Athletic Conference history, one institution has swept the league's top graduating student-athlete honors.

Seth Varin '26 of the Norwich University men's cross country team and Reilly Laitala '26 of the women's swimming & diving team have been named the 2025-26 GNAC Athletes of the Year, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.

Varin was selected as the GNAC Athlete of the Year for Men's Sports, while Laitala earned GNAC Athlete of the Year honors for Women's Sports. Together, they become the first pair of student-athletes from the same institution to sweep the awards in the same academic year.

The honors continue one of the strongest runs of conference-wide recognition in Norwich Athletics history. Varin becomes the third consecutive Cadet to receive the GNAC Athlete of the Year award for Men's Sports, joining men's swimming & diving standouts Benjamin Stark '24 and Will Thompson '25. Laitala becomes the second Norwich student-athlete to earn the GNAC's top women's honor, joining Emily Oliver '19, who received GNAC Woman of the Year recognition in 2019 after a standout three-sport career in women's volleyball, women's basketball, and softball.

The GNAC Athlete of the Year awards recognize graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers through academic achievement, athletic excellence, leadership, and service.  Both Varin and Laitala will now become the GNAC's 2025-26 Division III Commissioner's Association (DIIICA) Men's and Women's Sports Student-Athlete of the Year award nominees.

"This is an extraordinary moment for Seth, Reilly, and Norwich Athletics," said Ed Hockenbury, Director of Athletics. "To have one student-athlete selected for this award is a tremendous honor. To have both winners in the same year, and to be the first institution in GNAC history to accomplish that, speaks volumes about the caliber of young people we have representing Norwich University.

"Seth and Reilly are very different student-athletes in many ways, but they share so many of the qualities we value most at Norwich. They are exceptional competitors, outstanding students, humble leaders, and people who have used their college experiences to prepare themselves for lives of service and impact. Seth's growth from someone who had never run cross country before college into a GNAC champion and future educator is a remarkable story. Reilly's success as a three-time GNAC Diver of the Year, nursing student, Corps leader, and future military officer represents the very best of what a Norwich student-athlete can be.

"We are incredibly proud of both of them, and we are grateful that our colleagues across the GNAC recognized the excellence, leadership, and character that Seth Varin and Reilly Laitala have shown throughout their careers."

Varin's selection caps one of the most remarkable developmental arcs in recent Norwich men's cross country history. After arriving at Norwich having never previously competed in cross country, the Danielson, Conn. native steadily progressed into one of the top runners in the conference before closing his career as the 2025 GNAC Individual Champion and GNAC Runner of the Year.
 
Varin won the 2025 GNAC Championship on Norwich's home course, crossing the finish line in 26:44.9 to claim the league's individual title. His championship-winning performance capped a senior season that also included four GNAC Runner of the Week selections, a second straight GNAC First Team All-Conference honor, GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team recognition, and a top-75 finish at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships.

His success also continued a strong stretch for Norwich men's cross country. Varin helped the Cadets capture the 2024 GNAC Championship as a team, placing sixth overall and finishing as Norwich's second-fastest runner at the conference meet. Norwich also finished as the GNAC runner-up in both 2023 and 2025, with the 2025 team ending just two points shy of the conference title.

Varin was twice named Norwich University Men's Cross Country Team Performer of the Year and received the D3 Runner Coaches' Award in 2023. His progression from first-time collegiate cross country runner to conference champion became one of the defining stories of the program's recent success.

In the classroom, Varin graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and a minor in Health, finishing with a 3.67 cumulative grade-point average. He earned multiple Dean's List and President's List honors, was a three-time GNAC Academic All-Conference selection, and received both the Morin Smith Education Award and the SHAPE Vermont Outstanding Future Professional Award.

He also received the Vermont Teacher Incentive Scholarship from 2024 to 2026 and accepted a position as a K-8 physical education teacher in Vermont immediately after graduation.

"Receiving the 2025-26 GNAC Men's Athlete of the Year award is an incredible honor and something I will cherish for the rest of my life," Varin said. "To me, this award represents far more than athletic achievement. It reflects the countless hours of hard work, perseverance, and support from the people who helped me grow throughout my time at Norwich. Being recognized for my accomplishments as a student, athlete, leader, and member of the Norwich community is truly humbling.

"Norwich University gave me so much more than the opportunity to compete. It gave me lifelong friendships, exceptional mentors, and experiences that shaped me into the person and future physical education teacher I am today.

"I want to sincerely thank Coach McGrane and the entire Norwich cross country program for believing in me and pushing me to become the best athlete, teammate, and leader I could be. I am also deeply grateful to Coach Maxham, Professor Angie Carpenter-Henderson, and the entire Norwich Physical Education program for preparing me to pursue my dream of becoming a physical education teacher. Their guidance, encouragement, and belief in me have had a lasting impact on my life.

"Thank you as well to my teammates, professors, Athletic Communications, family, and everyone who supported me throughout this journey. Representing Norwich has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I will always be proud to call myself a Cadet."

Varin's leadership and service centered heavily on education, youth development, physical activity, and inclusion. He served as president of the Norwich Physical Education Club from 2023 to 2026, helping organize campus events, professional development opportunities, and programming for future educators. He also served on the SHAPE Vermont Student Board, presented at the SHAPE Vermont Annual Conference, and represented men's cross country on the Norwich Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Beyond campus, Varin volunteered with Special Olympics Vermont basketball and soccer events, served as a youth soccer referee, worked as a substitute teacher in Killingly Public Schools, and spent summers as a sports director and sports specialist at Camp Wallaby, where he planned and led physical education and recreational programming for students in grades 1-8.

Laitala, meanwhile, leaves Norwich as one of the most accomplished divers in program and conference history after a four-year career that helped elevate Norwich women's swimming & diving into one of the GNAC's premier programs.

A native of Sterling, Mass., Laitala became a three-time GNAC Women's Diver of the Year, earning the honor in 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26. She was an eight-time GNAC All-Conference selection and a seven-time individual diving GNAC Champion, winning at least one conference diving title in each of her four seasons.

Her success helped anchor Norwich's run of four consecutive GNAC Women's Swimming & Diving Championships from 2022-23 through 2025-26. During that stretch, the Cadets returned to the top of the conference after not having won the GNAC title since 2003 and then built one of the most dominant championship runs in program history.
 
Laitala also became the first NCAA Diving Regional qualifier in Norwich women's swimming & diving history during the 2023-24 season. She qualified for and competed at the ECAC Championships in 2022-23 and 2024-25, and she holds two GNAC diving records, including the 3-meter 11-dive mark with 386.05 points and the 1-meter 6 optional mark with 238.65 points. Her 1-meter 6 optional score also stands as a Norwich program record.

A two-year team captain, Laitala was named the Norwich University Women's Swim & Dive Team Athlete of the Year in 2023-24 and was a 17-time GNAC Diver of the Week selection across her final three seasons. She also received the Garrity Award in 2026, presented annually to the senior military student-athlete who has distinguished herself athletically and academically while displaying leadership in the Corps of Cadets.

"Receiving this honor is something I never expected, and it's hard to put into words how much it means to me," Laitala said.  "I'm so grateful to my family for always believing in and supporting me, to my coaches for challenging me to be my best while reminding me why I love this sport, and to my teammates for becoming some of my closest friends. Thank you to everyone who cheered me on from the stands. Your support made my time at Norwich so much more than just four years of diving. It gave me the opportunity to build lifelong friendships, find incredible mentors. Most importantly, it gave me a second chance to fall in love with a sport that will always be a part of who I am.

"Growing up, I never imagined I would return to diving in college after stepping away from it during my freshman year of high school.  Over the past four years, every diving competition has been about rediscovering my love for the sport rather than chasing scores or records. If someone asked me what my best score was, I honestly couldn't tell you. I competed because I loved being part of the Norwich team. The community, friendships, and lessons I've gained through diving have shaped me into the person I am today."

Academically, Laitala graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a minor in Leadership Studies, finishing with a 3.57 cumulative GPA. She was a Dean's List student throughout her Norwich career and a three-time GNAC Academic All-Conference honoree.

Her academic and professional development included 168 clinical hours during her senior practicum at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and 136 hours through the Army Nurse Summer Training Program at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Cavazos, Texas. She also participated in a nursing service trip to Costa Rica, where she assisted refugee families by helping provide medical care, health education, and essential supplies.

Laitala's leadership extended well beyond the pool. A member of the Norwich University Corps of Cadets and Army ROTC, she served as a Cadet Captain in 2025-26, commanding a company of more than 100 personnel and helping oversee daily training, discipline, development, and integration of first-year cadets into the Corps. She also served as Battalion S2 in Army ROTC, a Cadet Staff Sergeant, and a Cadet Athletic Liaison, helping strengthen communication between Corps leadership and varsity athletics.

Her service background also includes work as a medical assistant at Heywood Healthcare, volunteer experience with Maroon & Gold Key Club, organizing an American Red Cross blood drive, and years of service with Wachusett Mountain Ski Patrol as a National Ski Patrol member and Senior Level Outdoor Emergency Care Technician.

With Varin and Laitala's selections, Norwich now owns five total GNAC Athlete of the Year honors, the second-highest among any GNAC institution, only behind Saint Joseph's College of Maine. The Cadets have produced three men's recipients in the last three years and two women's recipients all-time.

The 2025-26 sweep also adds another chapter to Norwich's recent run of major GNAC recognition. Stark became Norwich's first GNAC Athlete of the Year for Men's Sports honoree in 2024, Thompson followed in 2025, and Varin now extends the streak to three consecutive years. On the women's side, Laitala joins Oliver in Norwich history while becoming the first Cadet from women's swimming & diving to earn the GNAC's top graduating student-athlete honor.

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and more than 4,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC sponsors and administers championships while emphasizing academic integrity, athletic opportunity, and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

Note: Jennifer Boyden is the earliest documented GNAC Woman of the Year recipient. Earlier conference honorees, if any, have not been verified.