Nick Harms of CWRU and Zay Freeney of NYU Named UAA Reps for DIIICA Men's Student-Athlete of the Year
Case Western Reserve University baseball alum Nick Harms and NYU basketball alum Zay Freeney were selected as the University Athletic Association's representatives for the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA)'s annual Division III Student-Athlete of the Year Award for Men’s Sports.
Nick Harms
Harms finished with a 3.976 grade point average majoring in computer science and minoring in business management and economics with concentrations in computer systems, networks, and security. He is a three-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honoree, garnering a first team selection this past season. He graduated summa cum laude, earned Dean's List honors all eight semesters, and earned three UAA All-Academic honors.
Off the field, Harms volunteered with the Zion Lutheran Church rehabilitation team and the Green Bay Rockers youth camp and its 'Miracle Game,' which gives young people ages 4-19 with mental and/or physical challenges the opportunity to play baseball. He was part of the engineering honor society and spent his college career working as a research assistant. Harms served as captain of the Spartans' baseball team that reached the super regionals of the 2025 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship and founded the Baseball Bible Study.
Harms excelled on the field, was named to the All-UAA Baseball Team four times, three on the first team. This past season he was named the 2025 UAA Position Player of the Year while earning D3baseball.com first team All-America accolades. He was also selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Regional All-Defensive Team. Harms was named the 2025 NCAA Division III Cleveland Regional Most Valuable Player in leading the Spartans to its first regional title. He finished his career with a program-record 45 home runs (13 more than the next closest player) and ranked second all-time in hits and runs batted in.
"Possessing high academic expectations while playing a rigorous, time-consuming collegiate sport, performing research, and taking on the role of risk manager at my fraternity created considerable stress for me. I experienced stress in high school but adapting to the college workload quickly overwhelmed me. My stress manifested physically and I found myself unable to eat in the mornings. This was amplified at peak stress times around exams or before big baseball games when I experienced intense nausea. Despite the facade that I had everything figured out, I was battling stress physically daily and losing," Harms described. "I had to adapt by researching and adopting new stress management techniques. Vocalizing my stressors helped me deal with the pressure. I realized that at a university like CWRU, many other people were experiencing similar feelings as highly-driven people creating pressure for themselves and struggling to find a healthy outlet."
Harms was awarded the CWRU Risk Manager of the Year in 2023 for displaying exemplary leadership and for encouraging his fraternity's chapter to remove the stigma and start the conversation surrounding stress and mental health. "I wanted to help other people who felt alone, like they were the only ones dealing with this level of stress," said Harms, who created a mental health form fraternity members could fill out to share their own concerns. "Deep conversations, camaraderie, and new stress management strategies stemmed from it. As I move into my postgraduate life, I will continue to use the stress management techniques I learned from collegiate athletics daily. These skills don't only equip me to assist others dealing with stress in their professional life, but also any curveballs life chooses to throw my way."
“Nick embodies everything college baseball is meant to be about. He is tough, dedicated, and an incredible teammate. He was a great player and somehow a better person. Simply put, Nick is the best,” said CWRU head baseball coach Matt Englander.
“A model student-athlete, his performance on the field has been nothing short of elite, but what truly sets Nick apart is his leadership, integrity, and commitment to his teammates and the university. He embodies the values we strive for at CWRU, and we’re incredibly proud of all he has accomplished,” commented CWRU Assistant Vice President/James C. Wyant Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education TJ Shelton.
Zay Freeney
Freeney graduated with a 3.673 grade point average while earning a degree in sport management at NYU. He earned three College Sports Communicators (CSC) All-District honors, two National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court awards, and was a three-time UAA All-Academic honoree. Freeney was selected as NYU's 2025 Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award winner.
He interned with the Major League Baseball/MLB Players Association's Youth Development Fund (YDF) in Summer 2024 and managed the YDF social media pages during major annual events. He represented NYU men's basketball as part of the first NYU Shanghai Campus Invitational, a week-long cultural exchange program for the NYU men's and women's basketball programs in August 2024. Freeney served as captain of the team this past season, helping lead the Violets to the outright UAA men's basketball title and a run to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship title game.
Freeney earned second team All-UAA honors each of his final two seasons, adding NABC District IV second team honors, D3hoops.com Region IV third team recognition, and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association second team accolades in 2025. He finished his career ranked fourth in three-point field goals, sixth in field goals, and seventh in scoring.
"Being a scholar-athlete and leader at NYU has given me the rare opportunity to grow in the classroom, on the court, and in spaces where my voice can influence change. Each of these experiences has not only shaped my identity but empowered me to make a meaningful impact. One of the most powerful moments came when I was chosen to represent NYU at the University Athletic Association's DEI Summit. Sitting across from athletic directors and key decision makers from peer institutions, I was able to speak candidly about the challenges and hopes of today's student-athlete, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. My time in the conference highlighted the value of direct collaboration between student-athletes and leadership, and the responsibility that comes with being part of that connection," Freeney explained.
Freeney served as a panelist for the Sports Major Collective at Nike headquarters in New York City. "I joined a group of industry professionals and educators to discuss the future of sports education and the implementation of sports majors across universities. Participating on this panel gave me immense pride knowing that I was representing the voice of student-athletes across the country in front of those shaping curriculums to meet the evolving sports landscape," said Freeney, who called the team’s trip to Shanghai one of his greatest memories. "The trip was an opportunity to immerse myself in Chinese culture through events, historical tours, and off-court activities that expanded my global perspective. I came away with a deeper understanding of how sport connects people across borders. The mentors and coaches in my life instilled the need to commit time to both aspects of my college experience. Navigating high-rent, late-night study sessions, and the pressures of leadership has tested my resilience. I've learned that my purpose is larger than any setback. My journey is about more than personal access. It is about opening doors for others and using my experiences to inspire and impact wherever I go.”
“Zay represented everything the UAA is about. He thrived on and off the court. He was the team’s unanimous captain, earning all-UAA honors and helping NYU reach the NCAA championship game for the first time in 30 years. He also crushed it in the classroom,” said University of Florida assistant men’s basketball coach Dave Klatsky, who served as Freeney’s head coach at NYU. “Zay has been a common name in the UAA for his four years and positively affected anyone he crossed paths with. Any team would be better having a leader like Zay as part of it.”
“We couldn’t be prouder of Zay for being nominated for DIIICA Male Student-Athlete of the Year. His dedication, leadership, and consistent excellence both on and off the court truly sets him apart. This recognition is a testament to the hard work he's put in and the impact he's had on our entire athletic community. Zay is an outstanding representative for what it means to be a student-athlete at NYU,” stated NYU Director of Athletics and Recreation Jake Olkkola.