WESTFIELD, Mass. – 27 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) student-athletes have been honored for their outstanding sportsmanship as members of the 2023 Winter Sportsmanship Team.
The MASCAC Sportsmanship Team is intended to recognize one student-athlete from each team, in every sport that best demonstrates the values of the MASCAC and its Sportsmanship Statement, regardless of their overall performance or statistics for the season.
The sports that are represented on the winter team are men’s and women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s indoor track and field. A student-athlete from each institution is selected by their coach to be placed on the Sportsmanship Team.
Starting off this year’s sportsmanship teams is men’s basketball. Alex Gonzalez of Bridgewater State, Mikal Garcia of Fitchburg State, Ivan Nyantenji of Framingham State, Reece Racette of MCLA, Jaden Castillo of Salem State, Joe Meade of Westfield State and Ryan Rubenskas of Worcester State are the honorees.
For women’s basketball, Kylee Piche of Bridgewater State, Stephanie Hart of Fitchburg State, Regan Fein of Framingham State, Kristie Zator of MCLA, Alyssa Genness of Salem State, Maddie Pond of Westfield State and Abby St. Martin of Worcester State earn sportsmanship team honors.
Skating their way onto the Men’s Ice Hockey Sportsmanship Team are Josh Miller of Fitchburg State, Matt Irwin of Framingham State, Myles Abbate of Plymouth State, Sky Silverstein of UMass Dartmouth, Kyle Waldusky of Salem State, Valtteri Valtonen of Westfield State and Brendan Ronan of Worcester State.
Ben Sacramone of Fitchburg State, Shane Clark of Westfield State and Jack Houlihan of Worcester State are the Men’s Indoor Track and Field Sportsmanship Team award recipients.
Wrapping up the winter sportsmanship team honorees is the Women’s Indoor Track and Field Team with Erin Donelan of Fitchburg State, Paige Moroney of Westfield State and Jillian McMenemy of Worcester State.
The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the nation’s oldest Division III men’s and women’s playing conference, has a rich and storied tradition of competitive success while celebrating excellence in the classroom. MASCAC member schools include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. Two other institutions, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University, are affiliate members of the conference in the sports of football and men’s ice hockey, while Western Connecticut State University joined the conference as a football affiliate member in 2013. Dean College, Eastern Nazarene College, Elms College, Mitchell College and Springfield College joined as men’s golf affiliates in 2019 and New England College in 2021.