Worcester, Mass. – Five Worcester State University student-athletes have been honored for their outstanding sportsmanship as members of the 2023 Spring Sportsmanship Teams.
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. A student-athlete from each institution is selected by their coach to be placed on the Sportsmanship Team of the sport in which they compete. “I want to recognize the 35 outstanding MASCAC student-athletes who earned spring sportsmanship team honors,” MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann said. “These student-athletes displayed a core principle of the MASCAC and NCAA’s mission of exemplary sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.”
The sports that are represented on the spring team are baseball, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and softball. Starting off the 2023 Spring Sportsmanship team list is baseball.
Joey Molis of Bridgewater State, Joseph Hartnett of Fitchburg State, Lucas Basile of Framingham State, Bobby Lane of MCLA, Zach Sylvia of Massachusetts Maritime, Brihiam Ortega of Salem State, Billy Casey of Westfield State and Danny Bourget of Worcester State make up this year’s squad.
Next on this year’s team are the honorees from women’s lacrosse which are Katie O’Brien of Bridgewater State, Delaney Ponder of Fitchburg State, Hailey Baker of Framingham State, Agnieszka Ramirez of MCLA, Caleigh Tompkins of Massachusetts Maritime, Jenna Wells of Salem State, Cassidy Connolly of Westfield State and Lauren Mcintyre of Worcester State.
For men’s outdoor track and field, Corey Stalters of Bridgewater State, Taban Manyok of Fitchburg State, Josh Rousseau of Massachusetts Maritime, Shane Clark of Westfield State and Colin Brennan of Worcester State are this year’s honorees.
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field is next with Janelle Murphy of Bridgewater State, Erin Donelan of Fitchburg State, Emily Newcomb of Framingham State, Marnay Acri-Burns of Massachusetts Maritime, Mia McDonald of Westfield State and Erica Hanlon of Worcester State earning the sportsmanship recognition.
Rounding out this year’s Spring Sportsmanship teams is softball with Madison Dana of Bridgewater State, Isabell Sousa of Fitchburg State, Zoe Smyth of Framingham State, Maggie Closinski of MCLA, Carleen Harring of Massachusetts Maritime, Isabella Perrotti of Salem State, Christina Ciampa of Westfield State and Jordan Geloso 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 and Castleton University in 2024. Anna Maria College and Rivier University will join as affiliates during the 2024-25 season in men’s ice hockey.