WATERVILLE, Maine - Lesley University women's tennis alum Jessica Legendre (Leesville, La.) '26 has been nominated for the North Atlantic Conference Woman of the Year award. The award encompasses all aspects of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete experience.
Legendre graduated in May, majoring in Animation & Motion. She earned a 3.83 grade point average and has been a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection each of the past two years. In addition, she was named to the NAC All-Academic Team three times while earning the NAC Women's Tennis Senior Scholar Athlete honors this past fall. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was on the Universities' Dean's List for all eight semesters of her undergraduate enrollment.
On campus, Legendre served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) from 2024 through 2026. She was a Lesley Ambassador (Tour Guide) as well as a free lance graphic designer for the University and was an illustrator for the Lesley Student Magazine. In addition, she served as a Project Manager for the Clambake Animation Studio, a content team that is closely affiliated with Lesley's Art & Design program. Throughout her LU career, she collaborated with countless film and art students on Senior Animation Thesis projects as well as lending a hand in editing the Animation Senior Awards Showcase in 2026 and directing the Junior Class film in 2025. She earned the Lesley Senior Excellence Award in Animation and Motion Media.
On the court, Legendre served as a team captain during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns and played out of the No. 1 & No. 2 singles and doubles positions her entire career with the Lynx. In addition to helping lead the program to the 2024 NAC Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth, the Louisianna native earned NAC Co-Player of the Year honors in 2023 and 2025. She was a three-time recipient for NAC First Team All-Conference honors in both singles and doubles action and also earned a First Team All-Conference, All-Rookie Team and All-Tournament Team nod during her 2022 campaign when Lesley competed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).
Legendre will go down as one of the most decorated players in program history, wrapping her LU career with an incredible overall record of 96-16-4 (.793) which included 46 wins in both singles and doubles action. During her sophomore season, she posted a perfect 11-0 mark in No. 1 doubles play before going 13-1-1 in single actions in 2024 during the NAC Championship run. She was named the Lesley MVP in 2024, Unsung Hero in 2025 and earned the Athletic Department Senior Athletic Achievement Award in 2026.
Legendre reflected on how her experiences at Lesley have shaped her. "Joining the Lesley University tennis team was one of the most transformative experiences of my college career. When I arrived, the team was coming off a losing season, but each year we improved and built a culture centered on commitment, accountability, and growth. Through the dedication of my teammates and the guidance of our great coaching staff that progress culminated during my junior year when we finally won Lesley University's first-ever NAC Women's Tennis Championship. Being part of that achievement taught me the value of teamwork and most of all leadership."
"Over the course of my collegiate career, I finished with a combined record of 96 wins and 16 losses. While I am proud of those athletic accomplishments, I am equally proud of my academic success. I consistently performed at the top of my class and learned how to balance the demands of both athletics and academics. Learning how to be disciplined enough in my time management."
"From everything I learned on the court, I used to complete internships that expanded my experience in leading others to completing their goals. Serving as my team's captain gave me opportunities to guide and motivate others. I carried those skills into my academic projects where I helped organize pipelines, manage workflows, and guide multiple projects to completion. The leadership abilities I developed through athletics provided several opportunities that shaped my academic and professional growth. My experience at Lesley prepared me to not only contribute but succeed in any challenges I may pursue."
The LU tennis standout is pursuing local coaching opportunities in the Greater Cambridge/Boston community while she continues to collaborate on an animation team for the indie video game Villagers.
Legendre is among eight deserving female student-athletes that have been nominated for the NAC Woman of the Year award. The NAC Woman of the Year award is modeled after the NCAA Woman of the Year program which honors graduating student athletes who distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service, and leadership. The NAC also selects a Man of the Year using the same model, nominees for which will be released on June 18. These are the two preeminent awards presented annually by the conference.
Member schools nominate student athletes from their own institution, then NAC Athletic Directors and Senior Woman Administrators vote to select the Woman of the Year. Scoring for the academic achievement section is based on the undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of the nominee. Scoring for athletic excellence is based on the nominee's honors and accomplishments including awards and championships, and scoring for service and leadership is based on their involvement in campus and community activities and organizations over the course of their collegiate career. Administrators also consider a short personal statement written by each nominee.
The NAC Woman of the Year will be announced on June 23, and will be honored on her campus during the upcoming academic year.