Sarah Sypek Named to Academic All-America Team

WESTFIELD, Mass. - Westfield State senior midfielder Sarah Sypek (Hampshire Regional/Westhampton, Mass.) has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America ® team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The elite team recognizes student-athletes who excel both on the field and in the classroom.

Sypek had a record-breaking season for the Owls while helping lead the team to 13 wins and the semifinals of the ECAC New England playoffs. She finished the season with 21 goals and eight assists for 50 points, setting school records for goals and points in a season. She was a first-team All-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference pick as a midfielder.

In the classroom, the Westhampton, Mass. native has maintained a 3.77 grade point average in business administration while playing soccer and working nearly full-time hours between two jobs. Originally an elementary education major at Westfield State, Sypek changed her major and focus to business administration while working two part-time jobs to help finance her education.

"She's really a role model for our players," said Westfield State head coach Todd Ditmar. "She works full time, she's doing so well in her classes and playing soccer. She is very disciplined. I have already spoken with her about possibly staying on to coach with us after she graduates."

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

The student-athletes who are named to one of eight regional Academic All-District first teams advance to the COSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America® ballot for national award consideration.

Sypek was part of the District I squad that encompasses NCAA Division III colleges in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

Sypek was selected to the national squad alongside student-athletes from Johns Hopkins, Trinity College and Rose-Hulman Institute.

"It's a tremendous honor to be named to the Academic All-America team," said Westfield State Director of Athletics Richard Lenfest. "If you consider that Sarah was selected among student-athletes from the more than 400 schools that play women's soccer at the NCAA Division III level, that's a pool of almost 10,000 student athletes from which the Academic All-America team is selected."

"It is a real credit to her hard work both as a student, and a soccer player to be named to this prestigious team." She has been a terrific leader and representative of Westfield State University."

A total of 33 players nationwide are selected the Capital One Academic All-America team; 11 on each of the first-, second- and third teams.

Sypek led a Westfield State team has posted a 13-6-2 overall record and a 5-1-1 mark in the MASCAC. The owls placed second in the MASCAC regular season standings, and lost in the MASCAC tournament championship game to Worcester State by a 1-0 score. The Owls were selected for the ECAC New England Tournament and advanced to the semifinals by beating Wentworth before falling at the University of New England.

"It's an outstanding achievement," said Ditmar. "I have never had a student who excelled academically and athletically as Sarah did. I think it's an outstanding achievement to cap her career."

"It's pretty amazing how she does it - working, coming to practice, and getting the grades that she does. She never let it affect her on the field at all," said Ditmar.

A defender in high school, Sypek has been an all-conference selection in each of her four years with the Owls. She played defense as a freshman and gradually moved forward to become a record-breaking scoring threat.

"When she came in as a freshman, she changed our team - we stopped opposing players," said Ditmar. "Gradually we let her creep up the field. Our mindset was how to get her more involved, this year as an attacking midfielder and a little at forward, to figure how to get the ball to Sarah more. It was amazing how she scored this year - she just did it - probably a once- in-a lifetime athlete that you get to coach. . I know how good she was defensively - I always had confidence in her but never knew she would be as good as she was this year."

"It makes you want to cry as a head coach to graduate a player like Sarah," added Ditmar.

Sypek becomes only the sixth Owl to earn the distinguished honor since the Academic All-America program began in 1982. Softball player Lisa Liebecki was honored in both 1986 and 1987, men's basketball player George Bent in 1987 and softball player Cheryl Bassett in 1988 . The Owls have now had three athletes honored since 2011; Rachel Dionne for lacrosse in 2011, Amanda Gricus for track and field in 2012, and now Sarah Sypek.