WORCESTER, Mass. – Worcester State University's 1980 women's basketball team has been inducted into the inaugural Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Hall of Fame class, as announced by the conference Wednesday (May 30) afternoon.
"This is an exciting day for our conference as we announce our first-ever MASCAC Hall of Fame Class," MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann said. "The MASCAC has over 45 years of rich history and we are excited to have the opportunity to recognize the achievements of those that helped to shape our conference and help it excel."
There are five categories for nomination: student-athlete from a men's team, student-athlete from a women's team, overall team, administrator and coach. The 2018 MASCAC Hall of Fame Class is as follows:
- Paul Bogan, Howard C. Smith, James Sullivan - Administrators
- Evelyn Oquendo, Salem State University – Student-athlete from a female team
- Peter Laviolette, Westfield State University – Student-athlete from a male team
- Dee Dee Enabenter-Omidiji, Bridgewater State University - Coach
- Worcester State Women's Basketball 1980 - Team
Before joining the NCAA, women's teams in the MASCAC competed in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). In the AIAW, all teams competed against each other no matter the division. The Lancers would go on to win the 1980 AIAW National Championship in a thrilling 76-73 win over University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. The team, led by head coach Donna Devlin, finished 24-2 that season and beat local Division I team Holy Cross on their way to the title.
The inductees will be recognized at a formal MASCAC Hall of Fame induction which will be coupled with a MASCAC athletic championship or event at the site in which the individual competed or was housed during the 2018-19 year.