On Monday, May 2nd the Worcester State University Athletic Department held their annual 2021-22 Athletic Awards Ceremony on the campus of Worcester State.
The Department of Athletics honored players, teams, coaches, and support staff over the course of the evening. Keynote speaker, professional runner and 32-time marathon finisher, Rick Muhr, also addressed the athletes with messages of perseverance and becoming your best version of yourself to start off the evening.
The ceremony kicked off by celebrating the success of many members of the Lancer’s Athletic Department for their accomplishments over the 2021-22 season. Worcester State’s largest class of Chi Alpha Sigma student-athletes were recognized for their induction into the athletic honor society. The several all-conference student athletes were recognized for their accolades. The men’s Cross-Country team, women’s hockey team, and the women’s volleyball team were recognized for winning either the regular season or post-season tournaments. The women’s 4x200m relay team and several individual winners on the track and field team were recognized for earning individual event titles including Riley Sanderson, Kyle Haley, Drew Fottler and Sthanisha Moreau. Bernie Chase (Women’s Volleyball) and Eliza Kelley (Women’s Hockey) were also honored for receiving Coach of the Year accolades.
The major athletic department award winners included,
Male Rookie Athlete of the Year: Ke’Vaughn Davis (Football) and Ryan Rubenskas (Men’s Basketball)
Female Rookie Athlete of the Year: Emma Lanpher (Softball) and Angela Colonis (Volleyball)
Male Athlete of the Year: Ke’Vaughn Davis (Football)
Female Athlete of the Year: Clare Conway (Women’s Hockey) and Riley Sanderson (Track and Field - Javelin)
Rich Korzec Athletic Service Award: Tim Ramstrom (Football/Wellness Center), Mark Clemente (Men’s and Women’s Hockey) and Jillian Torres (Sports Information)
Male Senior Lancer Award: Michael Chaves Jr. (Baseball)
Female Senior Lancer Award: Denise Hoxha (Volleyball)
Margaret “Peg” Nugent Scholar Athletes: Drew Fottler (Cross-Country/Track and Field), Max Roth (Men’s Hockey), Sarah Ward (Volleyball) and Julia Ravenelle (Women’s Hockey/Lacrosse)
and the Robert Devlin Senior Athlete Award for honoring an outstanding athletic performance by an athlete throughout the course of their career at Worcester State,
Male Robert Devlin Senior Athlete: Chris Cardoso (Men’s Basketball) and Erik Bjorn (Men’s Basketball)
Female Robert Devlin Senior Athlete: Gigi LeMay (Women’s Basketball) and Natalie Gillis (Volleyball).
The department also recognized that the spring sports (Women’s Lacrosse, Softball, Baseball and Outdoor Track and Field are still competing and their all-conference and other athletic awards are yet to be announced. It was a celebratory night for all student-athletes.
Learn more about the major award recipients:
Rookie Athlete of the Year: for outstanding athletic performance and achievement by a male and female, freshmen student-athlete
Multi-award recipient Ke’Vaughn Davis was named both the Rookie Athlete of the Year and the Athlete of the Year. Davis was a 1st Team All-MASCAC selection, name to the Worcester Area Football All-Star Team, the New England Football Writers All-New England Team and D3 Football All-Region Team. He was the most productive wide receiver in the MASCAC with 70 receptions, 1,132 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was ninth in the nation in yards per game and top 15 in receiving touchdowns and total receiving yards.
Ryan Rubenskas was a 4-time MASCAC Rookie of the Week and name the MASCAC’s Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Year. Over the season he averages 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. He was 5th in the conference in rebounds and 3rd in blocked shots per game.
Emma Lanpher was credited as an outstanding starting shortstop who had played every inning and every game over the course of the season. She has tremendous speed on offense and range on defense. Through 20 games, she has 17 hits including 5 doubles and 12 RBI’s. She also holds a 3.9 GPA. *Lanpher was named the MASCAC's Rookie of the Year following the athletic awards ceremony.
Angela Colonis was named MASCAC 1st Team All-Conference and led the women’s volleyball team and was 5th in the MASCAC in assists. She played in 26 matches and provided versatility with strong play both at setter and as a right side.
Athlete of the Year: for outstanding athletic performance and achievement over the course of the 2021-22 academic year.
Highly decorated two-sport athlete Clare Conway was the ECHA Player of the Year and 1st Team All-ECHA. She led the team and the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Alliance in nearly all offensive categories. She was one of the top players in the nation in points per game and power-play goals. She helped make the Lancers the 7th best power-play in the country and 10th best offense. Conway was also the leader in goals (51) and points (60) on the women’s lacrosse team.
DIII New England Champion Riley Sanderson was a MASCAC Champion who defended her title in Women’s Javelin by more than 15-meters at the MASCAC Championships. She had a distance of 42.66m. Over the course of her career Sanderson had six individual wins and would go on to become the women’s DIII New England Champion the weekend following the awards ceremony.
Rich Korzec Athletic Service Award: is someone who has exemplified outstanding service to the Athletic Department. This award is in memory of Rich Korzec, a former golf coach at Worcester State.
Tim Ramstrom spent two seasons assisting the Worcester State football team. He was a team manager and a special teams coach. He has helped with practice organization and in the coach’s box on game day. This spring he is assisting with spring practices while the program is down a coach.
Mark Clemente worked with both the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. He helped with daily practices, organization, game operations and served as an assistant coach at times on the women’s team. He has a passion for the history of Lancer hockey and is working to build a database that connects former alumni back to the University.
Jillian Torres was an integral part of publicizing and promoting the achievements of Worcester State University student-athletes. She joined the Sports Information Department as an intern in the fall of 2021 and proved invaluable with her knowledge of sports, versatility of media skills and willingness to jump in and lead a project or learn a new skillset.
Senior Lancer Award: exemplifying dedication to their program, leadership qualities and good sportsmanship.
Michael Chaves Jr. was a four-year member of the baseball team and a two-time captain. He has appeared in 80 games over his four-year career and had over 200 at-bats. More important than his on-field production has been his leadership abilities. He has earned the trust and respect of both his teammates and his coaches. He is a dependable leader and a reliable advocate for his teammates.
Denise Hoxha is a captain and right hand to Coach Chase. She has taken on many roles to help the team, including assisting with practice plans, selecting team jerseys and gear, and running the team social media account. She has played in all 27 matches this year and was first on the team with 48 aces and second 285 digs.
Margaret ”Peg” Nugent Scholar Athlete: for outstanding performance by a senior student-athlete in the classroom as well as in athletic competition.
Drew Fottler is a three sport Academic All-American and the captain of the men’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field teams. He was all-conference in Cross Country and finished 3rd in the MASCAC and 1st on the team. He guided the team to its first ever MASCAC Championship. He was the 2021 and 2022 MASCAC champion in the steeplechase. He currently has a 3.90 GPA.
Max Roth was one of the top two defensemen in the MASCAC, earning all-MASCAC honors. He is an assistant captain for the men’s hockey team and carried a perfect 4.0 GPA for both the Fall and Spring of 2021. He was among the team leaders for time on ice, playing on the penalty kill and power play units.
Julia Ravenelle is a two-sport standout with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Over the course of the academic year, in hockey she was a team captain, a 1st Team All-ECHA selection and 2nd on the team in defensive scoring She was an invaluable part of the Lancer power play and penalty kill. In lacrosse she scored 16 goals and 22 assists in 17 games played. She was also 2nd on the team in draw controls and assists.
Sarah Ward is a member of the women’s volleyball team who has maintained a 3.8 GPA in a very difficult Occupational Studies program. She was first on the team in assists and assists per sets. She also landed 5th in the MASCAC in those same categories. She will continue her education in Worcester State’s Occupational Therapy Master’s program.
Robert Devlin Senior Athlete Award: for outstanding athletic performance and achievement by a senior student-athlete throughout the course of their career at Worcester State; named after former athletic director, Robert Devlin in 2009.
Chris Cardoso was a 1st Team All-MASCAC selection, after leading the Lancers in scoring with 15.1 points per game. He was the second in the MASCAC in free throw percentage, fourth in assists and third in steals. A team captain for his final season, Cardoso finished his career with over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, ,200 assists and 100 steals. He will go down as one of the most complete players in the program’s history.
Erik Bjorn was a 1st Team All-MASCAC selection and one of the best rebounders in DIII basketball, ranking eight in the country in rebound category. He also ranked in the top 20 in offensive rebounds and total rebounds per game. Over his career, he average 10 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and is the team’s representative in the Athlete Mentor Program.
A two-time All-MASCAC selection, Gigi LeMay, has average 11.6 points per game in 54 contests on the women’s basketball team. She has a career shooting percentage and is among the top players in the country in field goal percentage, field goals made, steals and rebounds. She has averaged 8.7 rebounds per game over her career, including 11.1 rebounds per game this season.
MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year, Natalie Gillis, was a 1st Team All-MASCAC selection. She led the Lancers with 260 kills, 800 total attacks and 306 digs this season. In her career, she played in 76 matches and 220 sets averaging 2.85 kills per set. She was a 2019 2nd Team All-MASCAC selection and has been a part of two undefeated MASCAC seasons and the 2018 MASCAC Tournament championship.