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Local Roundup: Athletes receive NEWMAC Academic All-Conference nods

Date: 12/19/2014

SPRINGFIELD – The New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) announced its 2014 Academic All-Conference Teams, with 55 student-athletes from Springfield College participating in fall sports earning recognition for their efforts in the classroom.

Springfield College women’s cross country athletes Mary Casey of Longmeadow and Elizabeth Footit of Wilbraham, field hockey player Mikayla Wysocki of Longmeadow, and women’s volleyball player Jennifer Hurwitz of Longmeadow all received NEWMAC honors.

Casey is a occupational therapy major, while Footit is a secondary education/english major. Wysocki is a physician assistant major and Hurwitz is an applied exercise science major.

Honorees must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 scale or 4.35/5.0 scale after the 2014 spring semester, achieved second year academic status at her institution, and been a member of the varsity team for the entire season.

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KANSAS CITY, Kansas – The National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America recently recognized the Western New England University women’s soccer program with the NSCAA Team Academic Award, symbolizing excellence in the classroom in addition to its work on the field. The award covers the 2013-14 academic year.

A total of 864 college soccer teams (281 men, 583 women) posted a team grade-point average of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the last completed academic school year.

The Golden Bears compiled a 3.33 team GPA and had nine student-athletes named to the 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference All-Academic Team, tying men's lacrosse for the most by a Western New England CCC-affiliated sport.

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BUZZARDS BAY – Ashley Monahan, a Westfield State University sophomore from Springfield, placed fourth in the 800 meters at the Jay Parisella Invitational at Northeastern University with a time of 2:24.18 to earn Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week honors on Dec. 15. Monahan is currently ranked 15th on the Division III performance list.

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SPRINGFIELD – The American International College men's rugby team earned a league-best twelve All-ECRC selections, with eight First Team selections and four Second Team selections for the conference champion Yellow Jackets.

Earning First Team accolades were sophomore hooker Blake Gurgul, senior prop Jamal Hadley, junior second row Corey Momsen, senior flanker Gavan D'Amore-Morrison, sophomore scrum half Kurtis Werner, freshman fly half Jihad Khabir, sophomore wing Christian Adams, and senior fullback Bryce Neff.

On the Second Team were junior prop Skyler Adams, sophomore second row Connor Gleason, senior wing Deshae Edwards, and sophomore center Adrian Ray.

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SPRINGFIELD – Springfield College head men's volleyball coach Charlie Sullivan has been chosen to receive USA Volleyball's All-Time Great Coach award in the Donald S. Shondell Contemporary Division for 2015.

Sullivan's accomplishments have made him one of the most recognized names in men's volleyball and he will be awarded the All-Time Great Coach award during the USA Volleyball meetings in Detroit, Michigan at the 69th Annual Boyce Awards Banquet May 20, 2015.

Sullivan becomes the 27th recepient of this prestigious award, which goes to an active coach or one that has been retired for less than five years.  Previous recepients from the Donald S. Shondell Contemporary Division include current USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal, UCLA's Al Scates, who won 19 NCAA National Championships, Penn State's Russ Rose, who owns the all-time mark for wins in Division I women's volleyball history and former U.S. Men's and Women's National Team Coach Hugh McCutcheon.

During his time as the head coach at Springfield College, Sullivan has led the Pride to more men's volleyball national championships than any other program in the country.

In that span, Springfield has captured eight titles, including three-straight NCAA Division III National Championships.

Under the direction of Sullivan, who has been named the AVCA Division III National Coach of the Year twice as is a six-time EIVA Division III Coach of the Year honoree, Springfield has had 19 student-athletes earn All-America recognition a total of 35 times, including 23 AVCA Division III First-Team All-Americans.

In addition, Springfield has had three AVCA Division III National Player of the Year recipients and four AVCA Division III National Newcomer of the Year honorees.

In his 16 previous years at the helm at Springfield, Sullivan has established a pedigree of championship success and has an overall record of 283-166 for a .630 winning percentage. During the past five seasons, Springfield has racked up an overall record of 130-40, including a remarkable 104-10 against Division III foes.