WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University Director of Athletics & Recreation Erica Schuling was named the 2023-2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Executive of the Year announced by the league on Thursday morning.
 
"I am absolutely honored that my colleagues casted their votes for me," says Schuling. "I have the utmost respect for every administrator around the conference and know how much time and energy it takes to manage the ever-changing demands of college athletics. I wouldn't be able to do it without the support of my incredible staff at Simmons. They make me look good all of the time and I am incredibly grateful for their selfless dedication to our student athletes."
 
Completing her third year at the helm of the athletic department, Schuling has Simmons athletics thriving on all levels. At the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, Schuling welcomed three new full-time staffers – Head Field Hockey Coach, Tori Shaffer, Athletics Operations Manager, Ben Youngmark and Director of Sports Medicine, Katy Annunziata – to Simmons community.
 
The Sharks exploded out of the gate in the fall. Second year Head Coach Pat Helmas guided the volleyball to a perfect 15-0 conference mark and top seed in the GNAC, culminating in three major awards, including the 2023 GNAC Coach of the Year at the end of the season. The success continued for the Sharks well into the winter season with sophomore Carli Quinlan dominating the 2024 Swimming and Diving Championship Meet. Breaking the conference's 200-yard freestyle record, Quinlan was named the 2024 Swimmer of the Year.
 
As the weather grew warmer so too did the Simmons' spring teams. Veteran softball Head Coach Brook Capello guided the Sharks to back-to-back GNAC titles with a second GNAC Championship, upsetting Saint Joseph's College of Maine in early May. In addition, sophomore right-hander Piper Kinney was selected as the GNAC Pitcher of the Year after season that saw her ranked amongst the nation's top-10 in strikeouts.

Away from the playing surface, Schuling brought a number of new initiatives to the department, including the return of the indoor and outdoor track program bringing Simmons' sport sponsorship to 11. In addition, she spearheaded the department's transition to a new website platform with SideArm Sports, expanding the department's video stream capabilities with Hudl and exponentially increasing Simmons' Alumnae Giving Day participation.