The second awards being presented as part of Worcester State’s Virtual Awards Week are the Senior Lancer Awards.
The Lancer Awards are presented annually to a male and female senior student-athlete that exemplifies dedication to their program, leadership qualities, and good sportsmanship that may or may not have translated into superior statistics and/or accolades in competition.
This year, we will be presenting Lancer Awards to two male student-athletes and one female student-athlete.
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The first of two Male Lancer Award recipients is a four-year member of the men’s ice hockey program. While injuries prevented him from seeing major minutes in goal over the course of his career, this athlete’s presence on campus and in the community never waned. This athlete accumulated 17 career wins in net for the Lancers, posting four shutouts, a .905 save percentage, and a goals against average of 2.85. He was an active member in both the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Athlete Mentor Program (AMP). He served as social media coordinator for SAAC, and organized canned food drives. He was the president of AMP, and led a pen pal initiative at nearby May Street School, which linked up Lancer student-athletes and elementary school children as pen pals. When he wasn’t on the ice or helping out around campus, this athlete could regularly be found in the bleachers, cheering on the other 19 Lancer teams.
The first Male Lancer Award winner today, from the men’s ice hockey team, is JOSH REINSTEIN!
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The second Male Lancer Award winner is a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, who served as a team captain in his senior season. This athlete came off the bench for the Lancers throughout his career, but made huge contributions away from the court. A two-year member of the Athlete Mentor Program and five-time MASCAC All-Academic Team selection, this athlete was vital to the men’s basketball team’s gradual academic improvement in his four years on the team. He assisted his teammates with a variety of academic issues, from finding tutors to assisting with course registration. Even after his final season ended this past February, this athlete continued to meet with his teammates and helped them to choose classes for the Fall 2020 semester. Coach Tyler Hundley referred to this athlete as one of the best teammates Worcester State has ever seen, and attributes the men’s basketball program’s turnaround to this athlete just as much, if not more, than any other individual.
The second recipient of the Male Lancer Award, from the men’s basketball team, is JASON TRUAX!
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The Female Lancer Award winner represents the women’s tennis team. This athlete played toward the top of Worcester State’s lineup in her freshman and sophomore seasons, but an injury forced her to miss the entirety of her junior season. Rather than just cheer on her team from the sidelines however, this athlete served as student assistant coach under first-year head coach Stephen Ferris. This athlete served as a key liaison between the women’s tennis program and the athletic department with score reporting, helped bridge the gap between Coach Ferris and a young team of strictly freshmen and sophomores, ran practices, and even served as the team’s unofficial treasurer in her year as assistant coach. She returned to the roster this past season, serving as the team’s only senior, and was named team captain. She represented the women’s tennis program on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Athlete Mentor Program, and upon returning to the court, led the Lancers to their most single season LEC wins in program history. At the end of the season, she was rewarded by being named LEC All-Conference in both singles and doubles.
The 2020 Female Lancer Award recipient, from the women’s tennis team, is LAUREN TAYLOR!
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Stay tuned on Wednesday as we announce two more awards on day three of Virtual Awards Week, the Margaret “Peg” Nugent Scholar-Athlete Awards and the Blue & Gold Perseverance Award!
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