GILBERT, AZ - Junior Michaila Parent (Westborough, Mass.) has been named as the 2017 Zag Field Hockey / NFHCA Division III National Scholar Athlete. The National Scholar Athlete Award is presented to the 2017 Division III NFHCA All-American honoree who earns the highest cumulative GPA through the first semester of the 2017-18 academic year.
"We are so proud of Michaila's accomplishment," commented head coach Alexa Carlson. "This is such a prestigious honor and one Michaila is so deserving of. Finding the balance between being a stellar athlete and staying on top of your academic studies is no easy feat, yet Michaila does it seamlessly."
Parent led Worcester State to the program's first-ever Little East Conference (LEC) regular season championship and the 2017 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season championship while tallying a program record 21 goals and 15 assists for 57 points. She was named the university's first-ever field hockey All-American and garnered LEC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Parent earned Little East Conference, MASCAC, NFHCA National Academic Squad, and NFHCA Scholar of Distinction honors for maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher.
"Michaila has continued to vastly improve as an athlete each season, as indicated by her All-American status," said Carlson. "In addition to that, her major, Chemistry is a time intensive program that requires excellent time management skills and Michaila consistently rises to the occasion."
2016 proved to be Parent's breakout season for the Lancers. She earned LEC Second Team honors, registering 11 goals and nine assists for 31 points. She led Worcester State to the MASCAC regular season championship and the No. 2 seed in the LEC. Parent earned Little East Conference, MASCAC, NFHCA National Academic Squad, and NFHCA Scholar of Distinction honors.
Parent transferred to Worcester State after spending her freshman year at St. Joseph's College (Maine).
Parent will enter her senior season with 88 career points (32 goals, 24 assists). She currently stands atop the Worcester State record books in goals, assists, and points in a single season and is fifth on the Worcester State All-Time Scoring list.
"Michaila embodies the mission of being a Worcester State student-athlete and this award is just another indication of her commitment to our program band her own future," concluded Carlson. "We couldn't be more excited to have one more year of Michaila being a part of our program."
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