WATERVILLE, Maine — The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) announced its Women's Basketball postseason awards on Wednesday afternoon, honoring the top talent from across the conference during the 2025–26 season. The University of Maine at Farmington enjoyed a tremendous season, earning its first conference title since 2007. Today, the Beavers collected one major award, had a pair of athletes garner All-Conference honors, and placed three players on the conference's All-Tournament Team.
Junior forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) was named NAC Defensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-Conference honors and the NAC Tournament MVP award. Sophomore guard Jadyn Pingree (Jay, Maine) received Second Team All-Conference and All-Tournament Team recognition. Senior forward Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) was also tabbed to the All-Tournament Team.
The Defensive Player of the Year award highlights Dow's role as the anchor of the Beavers' defense. Over the course of the season, she led the team in steals per game (3.0), blocks per game (0.9), and defensive rebounds per game (4.0). Within the NAC, she ranked second in steals, eighth in blocks, and tenth in defensive rebounds. Aside from her impressive statistical output, Dow possesses a knack for disrupting opponents' ball-handlers. Her 5-11 frame, coupled with her speed and athleticism, wreaked havoc on the defensive end of the floor, making it difficult for opponents to get into their offensive sets effectively. In 24 of the Beavers' 28 games this season, Dow recorded two or more steals, including 10 games with at least four steals.
Dow spearheaded a team defense that tied for third in the conference in opponents' points per game, allowing just 52.3 per contest. As a team, Farmington forced a conference-best 24.6 turnovers per game. Additionally, the Beavers held opponents to just 33.7% shooting from the field and 25.6% from beyond the arc, both ranking fifth overall.
In addition to being named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, Dow earned NAC First Team All-Conference honors. For the season, she averaged 12.6 points per game, the second-highest mark on the team, while also leading the Beavers with 2.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds per night. She ranked seventh in the conference in scoring and ninth in assists, placing her in the top 10 in multiple major statistical categories. Dow scored in double figures in 19 of the 28 games this season, including six games with 20 or more points. She also recorded five double-doubles, all in victories. Efficiency-wise, Dow had the best shooting season of her career, connecting on 45.4% from the floor, 32.0% from beyond the arc, and 72.1% from the free-throw line.
After being named the NAC Rookie of the Year a season ago, Pingree continued her upward trajectory, earning Second Team All-Conference honors for her efforts. She led the Beavers in scoring and ranked fourth in the conference with 15.3 points per game. Pingree tallied a conference-best 427 total points this season. Beyond her scoring ability, she did so with exceptional efficiency, shooting a conference-leading 49.2% from the floor. She also shot 32.6% from beyond the arc and 71.8% from the free-throw line, converting 84 free throws — the second-most in the conference. Pingree added 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, contributing on both ends of the floor. Her 1.9 steals per game ranked tied for sixth in the NAC.
Pingree opened the season on a torrid pace, scoring 20 points in each of the first three games, including an average of 22.5 points per game while shooting 71.4% from the floor during Farmington's opening weekend, earning NAC Player of the Week honors. She finished the season with 21 double-digit scoring performances, including nine games with 20 or more points. Her season high came on December 13, when she poured in 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting to lead the Beavers to their first win over Husson University since 2007.
After being crowned NAC Champions on Saturday, Dow was named NAC Tournament MVP, while Pingree and Poli were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Dow was brilliant during the Beavers' three-game playoff run, averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 steals, and 4.0 assists per game while shooting an outstanding 69.0% from the field. Her tournament performances included a 10-point, eight-assist, five-steal, and four-rebound outing against Lyndon in the quarterfinals; a 24-point, six-rebound, six-steal performance against Husson; and a 19-point, seven-rebound, three-steal effort in the championship game.
Pingree averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game to help propel the Beavers to their conference title. She opened the playoffs with 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals against Lyndon. In the semifinals against Husson, she posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists and two steals. She saved her best for last, shooting 11-of-18 from the floor and scoring a game-high 25 points while grabbing nine rebounds and three steals against Maine Maritime in the championship.
Poli delivered her best performance of the season in Farmington's opening round of the tournament, scoring a season-high 12 points and adding nine rebounds while controlling the paint defensively in the Beavers' 80-44 victory over Lyndon. She shot an efficient 5-of-9 from the field in the win. Poli also secured nine rebounds against Husson and added six points in the championship game against Maine Maritime.
In addition to her All-Tournament selection, Poli was named to the NAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
