University of Connecticut Athletics
Five Huskies Recognized as NSCA Strength & Conditioning All-Americans
4/27/2026 11:19:00 AM | General
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce that UConn student-athletes, Emma Eryou (Nepean, Ontario) and Megan Woodworth (Berwick, Nova Scotia) of women's ice hockey, Jake Pervical (Avon, Conn.) of men's ice hockey, Chioma Okafor (Blantyre, Malawi) of women's soccer, and Nick Connelly (Scarborough, Maine) of men's track and field as 2025 All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year Award recipients. This award recognizes the student-athletes' athletic accomplishments and their dedication to strength and conditioning.
Emma Eryou played in all 39 games this season for the women's hockey team, serving as team captain. As a defender, she scored three goals and recorded five assists totaling eight points on 62 shots. Eryou's 63 blocked shots ranked third on the Huskies roster. In her final season in Storrs, she guided the Huskies to a Nutmeg Classic Championship and the program's second Hockey East Tournament Title. She scored the first-ever NCAA Tournament goal in program history, helping lead UConn to their first win in the tournament over Princeton.
"Emma has displayed all of the qualities that we look for in a student-athlete. She has a phenomenal work ethic, high character and a great attitude. Through her hard work, Emma has made one of the greatest physical and performance transformations in program history. Her consistent approach to training over the course of her career has propelled her from being ranked 20th overall in team performance as a freshman to 2nd overall as a senior. Emma's physical capabilities have really improved over the course of her career but her personal development has afforded a quiet freshman to grow into a confident leader and team captain as a senior. Combining her unwavering positive attitude and high level of self-drive, Emma has provided a template for her teammates to emulate that will continue to drive our team performance standards in the future." – Joel DeMarco, Director of Olympic Sports Performance
Megan Woodworth played in all 39 games for the women's hockey team this past season, leading the team in goals with 16. Woodworth recorded 11 assists and 112 shots. She led all forwards with 41 blocked shots. Woodworth's efforts aided in UConn's Nutmeg Classic Championship and Hockey East Tournament Title this year.
"Megan (Woody) has shown tremendous growth and resilience over the course of her career as a Husky. She has endured multiple shoulder surgeries as well as a significant away-from-sport injury in the past four years and she has not wavered in her commitment to excellence. Woody has the makeup of a great athlete; she is fast, strong and powerful but her commitment to training and making sure her body is always ready to compete at a high level is elite. Her determination and resilience are always at the forefront of her process. The injury rehabilitation process is difficult for any athlete to endure, and Woody has faced this adversity on three major occasions with a great attitude and a consistent approach to get better each day. Her dedication and work ethic have helped propel her eleven spots in our team performance rankings to 4th overall as a Junior and Senior. Woody has been a driving force that has helped elevate our team performance standards for years to come." – Joel DeMarco, Director of Olympic Sports Performance
Jake Percival served as one of the most consistent members of the UConn men's hockey team this past season, playing in all 38 games, scoring eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. He scored the game-winning goal in the Connecticut Ice Tournament against No. 6 Quinnipiac, helping the Huskies lift their second consecutive CT Ice Tournament trophy.
"Jake is highly deserving of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award. Since the summer before his freshman year, Jake has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to year-round training, fully embracing the discipline and consistency required to excel. His dedication to the process has led to measurable improvement every single year, elevating him into the top 10% of the team as he enters his senior season. Jake exemplifies the work ethic and leadership this award represents. He is a quiet but relentless worker who leads by example, consistently modeling proper technique, intensity, and focus in the weight room. He takes initiative in helping teach and mentor younger teammates, reinforcing a culture of accountability and excellence within the program. Equally impressive is Jake's commitment to academic success. As an excellent student, he demonstrates the balance and discipline required to succeed both in the classroom and in athletics. His dedication to strength and conditioning, continuous improvement, leadership in the weight room, and academic achievement make him a truly deserving candidate for this honor." – Maureen Butler, Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance
Chioma Okafor was a Third Team NSCAA All-American as well as a First Team All-BIG EAST performer. She started all 18 matches and was second on the team with 1492 minutes played. She led the Huskies with eight goals and 17 points.
"Chioma embodies what the NSCA All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award represents: an athlete whose performance reflects consistent dedication to strength training, conditioning, and the daily habits that drive long-term development. She approaches the weight room and training environment with purpose, discipline, and coachability, setting a standard for effort and execution. She trains with intent and embraces challenging work. Thus, resulting in reliable performance improvements on and off the field that elevate the teams standards. Everyone is better when Chi is around. She is dependable, accountable and brings integrity with everything she does. She is respected by her peers and coaches and consistently demonstrates maturity and professionalism. It has been an absolute pleasure having Chioma these last 4 years and her impact will be felt for many years to come." – Amanda Kimball, Associate Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Nick Connelly has served as team captain this year of the track and field team. In 2024, he was the BIG EAST Outdoor Silver Medalist in the Shot Put and Indoor Silver Medalist Shot Put Champion.
"Since day one his freshman year, Nick has been one of the most driven, competitive, and motivated athletes towards training that I have ever come across. He is focused, detailed, passionate, and interested. Nick asks questions, provides feedback, and works tirelessly. Nick is so passionate about training, he and I have had countless discussions outside the weight room about program design to a level where he has sparked ideas and thoughts for me regarding our Throwers training program. He also motivates, competes with, assists, and leads his teammates in the weight room. Performance wise, Nick has always been in the top 10% of the roster both in relative and absolute strength and power anytime he participated in the full testing battery. Unfortunately, last year Nick suffered a serious injury while throwing. However, as a true testament to his character and all his qualities I've stated above, he attacked his rehab process with an effort and focus that resulted in one of, if not the quickest and strongest returns that I have been a part of. Nick is as deserving of this recognition as any of my athletes before him and I am proud to be able to recognize him." – Mike Rozzi, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
About the National Strength & Conditioning Association
Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world.
The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence- based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.
