Orono, Maine – The University of Maine Athletic Department is proud to announce that Anne Simon (women's basketball) and Michael Gerace (football) are the recipients of the 2023 'M' Club Dean Smith awards.
 
The 'M' Club Dean Smith award is the most prestigious award presented annually to the top male and female student-athletes at the University of Maine. To be considered for this award, athletes are nominated by their coaches and must have demonstrated outstanding academic and athletic achievement, be of outstanding character and a contributor and leader within their community.
 
It was in 1993 that the 'M' Club named the award after former UMaine student-athletes standout Dean Smith. In 1990, Smith had the top grade-point average among electrical engineering majors at UMaine and was the Northeast Atlantic Conference scoring leader in men's basketball. He was a three-time Academic All-American, and he received the prestigious NCAA Walter Byers Award as the nation's top scholar-athlete.

Simon, from Sandweiler, Luxembourg, will graduate in May with a bachelor of science degree in psychology with a minor in child development & family relations. A seven-time Dean's List honoree, Simon was selected to the 2022 America East All-Academic team and is a three-time member of the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll. Simon, who is a UMaine scholar-athlete gold medalist for achieving a 3.0+ grade point average four times, was a part of the women's basketball team which achieved the number one and number three cumulative team grade point averages in the respective years.

On the court, Simon has excelled and will go down in the record books as one of the top players in UMaine women's basketball history. In 2022, Simon became just the fifth player in America East history to be named both the Player and Defensive Player of the Year. A two-time America East all-conference first team selection and all-conference second team selection in 2020, Simon has registered four America East Player of the Week accolades during her stint with the Black Bears. She was named the America East Rookie of the Year in 2020 after achieving seven America East Rookie of the Week honors. At the time of writing, Simon ranks 12th on Maine's all-time scoring list (1,273) and eighth on Maine's all-time steals list (189).

Simon has dedicated her spare time to giving back to the Orono community in numerous ways over her years with the Black Bears. The senior guard offers her time to meet with members of the Dirigo Pines assisted living community along with volunteering at the Pass it Forward Women's Basketball Coaches Clinic and many youth clinics offered by the Black Bears. A member of Athletics for Sexual Responsibility, Simon has spent time away from school and the court giving back at the Old Town/Orono YMCA, Orono's 'Trunk or Treat' initiative, and the Black Bear Food Exchange. She is also an active member of UMaine's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee where she manages the group's social media channels.

Gerace, a Bel Air, Md. native, earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting and finance and currently has achieved a 3.72 postgraduate grade point average as he pursues his masters in business administration. Throughout his tenure at UMaine, Gerace is a four-time Dean's List recipient and has been selected to the Colonial Athletic Association's academic honor roll on four occasions. A Presidential Scholar, Gerace is a UMaine scholar-athlete platinum medalist for achieving a 3.0+ grade point average for five years.

The former offensive lineman, who was selected by his teammates as a two-year captain of the football program, achieved All-CAA second team honors in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons while also being named to the 2022 preseason All-CAA roster. He was named the team's Jack Butterfield Outstanding Offensive Player in 2021 and was a semifinalist for the William Campbell trophy, presented annually to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. Gerace was a true leader on the gridiron where he made 46 starts for the Black Bears including an impressive 45-straight starting streak.

Gerace volunteered many hours of his time in the community, including helping lead the charge to get students and staff registered for the 'Get in the Game' bone marrow match program, reading to students at the Asa C. Adams Elementary school, and spending his time during multiple seasons participating in the team's "walking school bus" event in which members of the team would help escort students from their homes to local schools. In 2022, Gerace served as a team captain for Maine's "Team Impact" endeavor with local youth Mayson, an 11-year old with cystic fibrosis who was 'signed' to Maine's roster.

The M Club, founded in 1932, is the letter winner association of the University of Maine and has been a fixture in supporting athletics since then. Varsity athletic competitions began at the University in 1881, and nearly 20,000 men and women have earned their letter in more than 30 different sports. It is through active letter winner and honorary member dues that the club has given financial support back to the athletic development for 91 years. The club's motto reads; "dedicated to Maine Athletics: past, present and future."

-UMaine-