Nate Oropollo is the third straight football player and the first men’s swimmer since 1984 to win the Most Outstanding Male Athlete Award. On the gridiron, Oropollo was named Second Team All-East Region by D3football.com thanks to his relentless work as a defensive end this season. The team captain led the MAC with 10.0 sacks and finished second with 16.0 tackles for loss, helping him earn First Team All-MAC honors. The Cardinal O’Hara graduate had a breakthrough day in an upset win over Delaware Valley, posting four sacks to help him earn MAC Defensive Player of the Week and D3football.com Team of the Week honors. He also posted six tackles and two sacks to earn MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors against FDU-Florham.
In the swimming pool, after not competing for his first three years at the College, Oropollo joined the team as a senior and made a huge impact while leading the Warriors to an 8-1 dual-meet record, the best season for the team since 1964-65. At the MAC Championships, while helping the team to a record-tying third-place finish, Oropollo earned Second Team All-MAC honors in the 50-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relay and First Team All-MAC honors in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay, where he helped the team set a school record. Oropollo is the 20th football player and third men’s swimmer to earn the Most Outstanding Athlete Award in the award’s 57-year history.
