Athletics Department Holds Annual Senior Awards Banquet

The Worcester State College Athletics Department hosted their annual senior awards banquet in the Blue Lounge of the Student Center. The event is customarily held on the final day of classes to recognize the achievements of the senior class.

The Senior Male/Female Athlete Award, given to the most outstanding athletes of the senior class, was recently named after former athletic director Robert Devlin who passed away this past November. Devlin was college’s first full-time athletics director and he was responsible for the department’s growth.

Joey Lucier (Brockton, MA) and Maurice Horton (Detroit, MI) were the Co-Bob Devlin Senior Male Athlete Award winners.

Lucier is a three-time All-MASCAC first team top of the rotation starter for the baseball team. With the baseball team still competing in the baseball tournament, Lucier has the chance to pass Chad Cosby for first place in innings and strikeouts.

Horton, a transfer from Quinsigamond Community College, scored 1,110 points in his two years here at Worcester State. Horton was a two-time All-MASCAC first team selection, named to the D3hoops.com All Northeast Region team last year and as an ECAC New England All-Star this past season. Horton joined his brother Mario Horton as the 22nd member of the 1,000 point club.

Lauren Saylor (Swansea, MA) and Andrea Ouellette (Salisbury, MA) earned the accolade of the Co-Bob Devlin Senior Female Athlete Award.

Saylor was a four-time All-MASCAC volleyball player who ended her career with 1,126 kills, 896 digs and 130 aces. Saylor was a team captain last season and helped the volleyball team reach the MASCAC tournament in each of the last three years.

Ouellette was a standout jumper and hurdler on the women’s track & field team as she helped lead the squad to their first ever Indoor and Outdoor MASCAC Championship crown. Last season as a sophomore Ouellette was the conference champion in the indoor and outdoor triple jump, she provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the triple jump and she eclipsed the school record in the event. Ouellette earned enough credits to graduate in three years.

Mike Borowiec (Spencer, MA), Pat Hamilton (Templeton, MA) and Stasia Twomey (Groton, MA were recipients of the Senior Co-Male/Female Lancer Award which recognizes “student-athletes who exemplify dedication to their program, leadership qualities and good sportsmanship that may or may not have translated into superior statistics.

Borowiec was a four-year top of the rotation starter for the baseball team who came back from Tommy John surgery in his junior year. Borowiec led his team by example and off-season conditioning workouts. Hamilton, a team-captain of the basketball team this past season, was known for his tenacity as he helped lead the team on the court and in the locker room. Twomey helped lead the women’s basketball team to the championship game this past season and she was involved in the Student Athletics Advisory Committee (SAAC) as well as several community service projects.

Associate Athletic Director Karen Tessmer recognized the recipients of the Senior “Peg” Nugent Award named for Margaret Nugent who helped establish the Women’s Varsity Intercollegiate program at Worcester State. In her remarks Tessmer noted that 31 of the 55 senior’s were graduating with a 3.0 grade point average or over and of that number, 23 sported GPA’s higher than a 3.2.

The male recipients of the Co-Senior Male “Peg” Nugent Award were Justin Beach (Tucson, AZ) of the Men’s Soccer team and Norman Everett (W. Bridgewater, MA) of the Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field team. Beach a three-year member and captain this past season helped lead the soccer team to the ECAC New England Semifinals in 2007. Everett was a team captain for the harriers in the fall and again for the distance group in the winter and spring.

Bri Flanders (Southampton, MA) and Colleen O’Brien (Shrewsbury, MA) were honored as the female honoree’s of the Co-Senior Female “Peg” Nugent Awards.

Flanders was a four-year forward on the women’s basketball team and a team captain this past season. Flanders was also involved in a host of community service activities, she finished her career with 628 points and 623 rebounds while she helped lead the squad to the MASCAC women’s basketball tournament championship game.

O’Brien, an All-MASCAC second team selection in 2008, notched 451 kills and 291 blocks (132 solo). O’Brien was integral in the squad reaching the conference tournament three out of her four years and she was a team captain this past year.

Chris Creen (Worcester, MA) was named the Freshman Male Athlete award. Creen, an outfielder, was the only first-year player named to the All-MASCAC baseball team. Creen is sixth on the team in batting average, tied for first in the MASCAC in triples and one of only two first-year players ranked in the conference in slugging. He is the only rookie ranked in on base percentage.

The Co-Freshman Female Athlete award winners were Alex Kerr (Franklin, MA) and Briana Wise (Worcester, MA). Kerr played all 35 games at third base and she is top three in doubles, runs batted in and slugging while her average was fourth-best. Wise was instrumental in the women’s track and field team capturing indoor and outdoor championships this past winter and spring. Wise set or helped set four school records as she earned All-Division III New England and All-ECAC accolades in the indoors.

Matt Leeds (Bellingham, MA) was the honored as the Blue and Gold recipient awarded to a senior student-athlete who “overcomes severe adversity to continue their playing career and have success in action.” Leeds, a national qualifier in the long jump in his sophomore year, had did not compete in his junior track season because of a football injury. He returned to action in his fourth year and this past season he returned to form earning All-MASCAC and New England Alliance honors in the indoor and outdoor season.

Bryan Russell was given an Athletics Department Distinguished Service Award for his four-year contributions as a team manager and student coach of the women’s volleyball team.