PHOTO GALLERY

WESTFIELD, Mass.  –  Westfield State University athletics honored its 2022 senior athletes, and the team and major award winners for the 2021-22 academic year with a ceremony in the Woodward Center on Monday night. 

More than 150 student athletes participated, and the night was hosted by student-athlete advisory committee member Paris Wilkey (Lynn, Mass.), a senior women's basketball player.

The Owls all-conference award winners, seniors, and individual team award winners were all recognized, with University President Dr. Linda Thompson presenting the awards alongside Director of Athletics Richard Lenfest, Jr.

Dr. Thompson addressed the student-athletes to open the program and lauded their many accomplishments on the field and in the classroom, and noted how much she enjoys attending Owls' sporting events as a fan.

Lenfest paused to recognize the retirement of three longtime coaches as cross country coach Bill Devine, men's soccer coach John Evans, and 40-year swimming and diving coach Dave Laing are all stepping down at the end of the year.

Westfield formally inducted its 20 new members of Chi Alpha Sigma, the national student athlete honor society, and recognized the athletic department's major award winners:

The Senior Scholar-Athlete Award is typically given to the 4-year Male and Female student athletes who have achieved the highest grade point average among their peers.  The class of 2022 was particularly high achieving in the classroom as a total of five awards were given with identical GPA's for the winners that could not be split.

The women's awards went to Jenn Rennich (Bedford, Mass.) from women's soccer and women's basketball, Colleen Hughes (Hanson, Mass.) from softball, and Mia McDonald (Westfield, Mass.) from the track and field team

The men's award was shared by hockey players Tyler Shugrue (San Diego, Calif.) and Wyatt Lawrence (Sexsmith, Alberta).

The Peter Mazza Athletics Award went to women's soccer's Rennich, who ranked second in the nation in assists, and was named a CoSIDA Academic All American, while helping the Owls to win the MASCAC title and return to the NCAA Tournament.  The award is named in honor of the retired vice-president of student affairs at Westfield State.  The winner must excel in academics, athletic ability, sportsmanship, character, service, leadership, and personal development.

The Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award went to men's basketball's Justin Rennis (Springfield, Mass./Sabis), who provided one of the most touching moments of the evening as he invited his mother down to receive the award with him.  Rennis captained the men's basketball team to a 22-5 record and the NCAA Tournament, while earning first team all-conference honors.

The Senior Female Athlete of the Year Award was presented to distance running standout Amy O'Sullivan (Greenfield, Mass.).   O'Sullivan won the MASCAC Cross Country individual championship while leading the Owls to the team title, and won three indoor (mile, 3000, 5000 meters) and two outdoor (5,000 and 10,000 meters) MASCAC titles.  She has also been a national qualifier in cross country and indoor track so far this season.

The Coach John Kurty Award for Contributions to Athletics was presented to women's basketball record-setter Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.).  Gray graduates as the women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer with 1,757 career points. She also set career records for three pointers made and attempted.  She helped the Owls to two MASCAC Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances in her career.  As a junior, she led NCAA Division III in steals per game and three point field goals made per game, and was named the league's defensive player of the year this year.

The Kurty award is presented annually and bestowed upon a student-athlete who best exemplifies Coach Kurty's many outstanding qualities including commitment, loyalty, hard work, dedication, sportsmanship, leadership and athletics ability. It is considered the highest award from the Westfield State Department of Athletics, and considers the students' four-year athletic career and contributions to the athletics program at Westfield State. Kurty was a hall of fame men's soccer coach at Westfield who was tragically killed in a bicycle-automobile accident in 2012.

Senior student athletes received a commemorative gift. 

The Owls spring athletic teams continue to compete, with softball and lacrosse hosting MASCAC Tournament games this week, baseball finishing up the regular season, and track and field sending athletes to championship meets.

Team Award Winners Were As Follows:

Baseball

Damien Maniscalco – Outstanding Contributor

Nick Martin – Outstanding Contributor

Field Hockey
Colleen Fellows – Shanna Litterest Award

Cheryl Latona – Most Outstanding Contributor

Maddie Oullette – Unsung Hero

Football

Danny Farrell – Coaches' Award

Sean Ferguson – Top Offensive Lineman
Cade Nelson – Top Defensive Lineman
Gabe Fernandez – Most Improved

Men's Basketball
Meesha Ohradka – Rick Martin Award
Brendon Hamilton – Most Valuable Player

Men's Golf

Kyle DelSignore – Brett Williamson Award

J.J. Newcombe – Most Valuable Player

Men's Ice Hockey

Valtteri Valtonen – Most Valuable Performer

John-Michael DiGregorio – Coaches' Award

Men's Cross Country

Enrique Delgado – James Earley Award
Will Buckley – Most Valuable Performer

Jarrod Ledvina – Most Improved Performer

Men's Track and Field
Colby Ranck – Most Valuable Field
Brenden LaForest – Most Valuable Track

Men's Soccer

Alberto Burgos, Jr. – Most Valuable Contributor

Coleby Andrade – Coaches' Award

Softball

Lindsay Cordopatri – Phanessa Fisher Award
Colleen Hughes – Most Outstanding Contributor

Christina Ciampa – Coaches Award

Women's Basketball

Melissa Gray – Most Outstanding Contributor

Lindsey Bohenko – Most Improved

Jordyn Lummus – Ojae Beale Coaches' Award

Women's Cross Country

Mia McDonald – James Earley Award

Amy O'Sullivan – Most Valuable Performer

Sarah Tormey – Most Improved Performer

Molly Kennedy – Most Improved Performer

Women's Golf
Jordan Eddy – Most Outstanding Contributor

Women's Lacrosse

Paige Jelliffe – Defensive Player of the Year

Emma Cretella – Offensive Player of the Year

Megan Bailey – Most Valuable Performer

Women's Track and Field

Amy O'Sullivan – Most Valuable Track

Victoria Marin – Most Valuable Field

Women's Soccer

Madi Dufries – Justine Crocker Soccer Award

Delaney Parker – Offensive Player of the Year

Jaida Cochran – Defensive Player of the Year

Women's Swimming and Diving

Lauren Harkins – Coaches' Award

Emily Smith – Coaches' Award

Alexa Richter – Most Valuable Performer

Women's Volleyball

Andraya Scibilio – Outstanding Contributor

Jess Haradon – Coaches' Award

Sarah Bingham – Rookie of the Year

Cheering

Emily Delaney – Coaches' Award

Victoria Gauthier – Outstanding Contributor