BOSTON – Emily Manfra sealed her spot among the best-of-the-best of Suffolk University Athletics as the senior cross country/track & field star was honored as the Charles Law Student-Athlete for the second straight year, Director of Athletics Cary McConnell announced Thursday.
The recipient of this distinguished award is recognized in honor of the late Charles Law, whose work ethic and due diligence embodied what it means to be a student-athlete; excel both academically and athletically.
Law established Suffolk University's Athletic program in 1946 and remained as the University's Athletic Director for 33 years. Throughout that time, he coached the Rams' men's basketball team for three decades, winning the admiration of his players and peers as "Dean of New England Basketball's Coaches" and directed his last two teams to NCAA Division III post-season tournament play to complete his career with 295 victories. He also served as the President and Treasurer of the New England Basketball Coaches Association and was nominated for membership to the Citizen Savings Athletic Foundation's Coaches Hall of Fame.
Manfra, who was the first junior and first runner in the history of the award, which was handed out since 1967-68, to be acknowledged for her work on the course and in the classroom, added more history to her name as the first Suffolk student-athlete to be bestowed the honor twice in her career.
"Emily had a tremendous senior year," Will Feldman, the head coach of track & field/cross country said. "Although it was cut short due to COVID-19, she put together a year for the ages."
The Stoneham, Massachusetts native wrote an undefeated cross country regular season to prep for the conference, regional and national stages.
On the GNAC's first-ever female 6K course in Standish, Maine, she cruised to her first individual title, becoming the second Ram to do so. Along the way she paced the Rams to a runner-up finish for the second straight season and garnered all-league accolades for the third time in her career, which ties a program best with her co-captain Emma Weisse.
Manfra's fall season carried into regionals where she captured 14th overall, the best Suffolk student-athlete showing at New Englands in program annals. The performance, which garnered her an all-region nod, punched her ticket to nationals for the second consecutive campaign, another first for the blue-and-gold's program.
The 2019 GNAC Cross Country Runner of the Year saved her best performance for the NCAA Championships where she clocked in a 22:23.1 to finish 54th out of the 277 competitors, to wrap up her cross country collegiate career as the most decorated runner in Suffolk's program history.
On the track in the winter season Manfra posted personal bests in every event from the 800 through the 5K and qualified for New Englands in four events: 800, mile, 3K and 5K.
The long-distance runner paced the blue-and-gold at the inaugural indoor GNAC Championships, where the Suffolk squad placed second. Individually, Manfra left Boston University's Indoor Track & Field February 16 as the most decorated Suffolk female athlete with a pair of individual conference crowns in the 800 and mile, respectively, in which she picked up all-league nods in each event.
A dozen days later, the 2020 GNAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year highlighted the Rams at the New England Championships with a second-place finish in the mile to seal her spot at NCAAs for the second straight season.
The two-time all-region honoree headed to Winston Salem, North Carolina, for her second chance at All-America status. Her venture was called off a day early, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even with her season ending too soon Manfra will leave Suffolk having rewritten the record books. She holds the cross country 5K and 6K records along with the indoor 800, mile, 3K and 5K best marks.
It's hard to determine what is more impressive for Manfra, her athletic success or her academic accomplishments.
As a biology major, she has maintained a 3.9 grade point average, while serving as a research assistant within the university's biology department, holding a part-time job and applying to graduate school.
"How she did it I still don't know," Feldman commented. "She handled it all with grace, and was a pleasure to coach."
Manfra, who was a 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-American and a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection, will be pursuing her Doctorate at Boston College this fall.
CHARLES LAW STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD
2019-20 Emily Manfra
2018-19 Emily Manfra
2017-18 Brady Chant / Alexandra Nagri
2016-17 Matthew Brenner / Chuck Gibson
2015-16 Justin Selep / Caleb Unni
2014-15 Sarah Chasse
2013-14 Jake Cintolo / Jennifer Ruys
2012-13 Jacqueline Vienneau
2011-12 Leslie Hayden
2010-11 Jeff Rose
2009-10 Bobby Barrett
2008-09 Jess Ferreira / Brian Small
2007-08 Stephanie Morrissey
2006-07 Jenn Fogg
2005-06 Jill Grant / Trevor Grimshaw
2004-05 Matt Batchelder
2003-04 Erin Pagel
2002-03 Tom Carey
2001-02 Kate Librandi / Heather Orkney
2000-01 Dan Florian
1999-00 Kate Norton
1998-99 Kristine Smith
1997-98 Shona Mutambirwa
1996-97 Erica Petersen
1995-96 Dave Allen
1994-95 Rob Zeytoonian
1993-94 Christian Dwyer
1992-93 Dave MacDougall
1991-92 Brian Gruning
1990-91 James Ignazio
1989-90 Anna Christine Kruse
1988-89 John Cristiani
1987-88 Jeremiah Wallace
1986-87 Ellen Crotty
1985-86 Donan Gariboldi
1984-85 Susan Hurley
1983-84 Elaine Buckley
1982-83 James McHoul
1981-82 Brian Callahan
1980-81 Dan Doherty
1979-80 Richard Longergan
1978-79 Rick Williams
1977-78 Karen Kellher Mason
1976-77 Christos Tsiotos
1975-76 Philip Tarallo
1974-75 Jeffery Strungis
1973-74 Ken Anderson
1972-73 David Gillon
1971-72 Kenneth Busa
1970-71 Ronald Corbett
1969-70 Anthony Gallgui
1968-69 Ed Belczinski
1967-68 Scott Davis