SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 19, 2024) – The Conference of New England office has announced their Women's Cross Country and Men's Cross Country postseason awards. Nina Garofalo and Joshua Farrell have both been named to the CNE Community Service Teams for Women's Cross Country and Men's Cross Country, respectively.

The CNE's Community Service Team is one of the most recent additions to the CNE postseason awards for each sport. It looks to highlight a member of each conference member's team who serves their campus community and the community outside campus above and beyond.

Nina Garofalo has been named to the CNE Women's Cross Country Community Service Team after participating in multiple philanthropic causes through WNE's College of Pharmacy. Garofalo has assisted in helping the community of Springfield, MA by making holiday cards and letters for Baystate Long-Term Care patients. Garofalo has also fundraised for many different charities and associations to support communities in the New England region and all around the world. The Berlin, Connecticut native has also participated in events to bring awareness to different causes through walks and runs for those causes. 

Joshua Farrell has been named to the CNE Men's Cross Country Community Service Team after being a major advocate for youth athletes in the sport of track and field. Farrell has been a major supporter of the WNE community through being a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee E-Board member. Farrell has assisted in arranging donation drives to help combat food insecurity in the Springfield, MA community. The Pawtucket, Rhode Island native volunteers with track and field programs around Massachusetts and Rhode Island to help foster the sport of track and field and grow the love of the sport in young athletes all across the region.

Garofalo and Farrell have truly been leaders for the women's cross country and men's cross country teams, as well as the entire community inside and outside of Western New England University.