Four Worcester State Student-Athletes Earn MASCAC Player of the Week Awards (Feb. 1-7)

WORCESTER, Mass. – Four Worcester State student-athletes from a variety of winter sports earned Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) awards for the week of Feb. 1-7.

Men’s Basketball:

Freshman guard, Alex Santos (Lawrence, Mass.) earned his seventh (second-consecutive) MASCAC Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week award.

“Once again, Alex was a major factor in a big win this past week,” commented head coach David Lindberg.

Santos netted 19 points, five rebounds and three assists in the Lancers’ 88-83 victory over Salem State.

He shot 40 percent from beyond the arc, and was 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the win. “His ability to get to the free throw line has really helped us close out games,” stated Lindberg.

“Alex has done a good job to stay level headed and continues to work hard toward team success,” added Lindberg.

Women’s Basketball:

Freshman center, Britt Herring (W. Brookfield, Mass.) was tabbed the MASCAC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week in a 1-1 week for the Lancers. This is Herring’s third time earning this award.

Herring averaged 21.5 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 in the two games played this past week.

“Britt continues to expand her game,” commented head coach Karen Tessmer. “In the Salem game, she ran the floor well and scored in transition. She created her own opportunities by getting offensive boards and put-backs.”

She registered a career-high 28 points with 10 rebounds in the 76-57 win over Salem State and added 15 points and six rebounds in the setback to Johnson and Wales University.

Men’s Indoor Track & Field:

Junior Sam Weeks (Methuen, Mass.) earned his third MASCAC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week accolade this season for his performance this at the Wesleyan Invitational II on Saturday.

Weeks registered a first place finish in the shot put with a distance of 14.69m. He also had a second place finish in the weight throw with a distance of 15.86m, qualifying him for Division III New England’s.

Weeks currently stands at fourth place overall in DIII New England’s in the shot put event, and 10^th in the weight throw.

Women’s Indoor Track & Field:

Senior Francesca Casasanta (Milford, Mass.) was named the MASCAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week for qualifying for both Division III New England and ECAC Championships in the high jump.

"Francesca had a career best performance," stated head coach Andrea Ouellette.

Casasanta registered a distance of 1.61m in the high jump. She also came in fourth place in the triple jump with a distance of 10.18m this past weekend at the Wesleyan Invitational.

Honor Roll:

Junior center, Paul Brooks (Arlington, Mass.) had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds in the 88-83 win over Salem State. He finished 7-of-10 from the field and added five blocks and an assist in the win.

Freshman goaltender, Max Kirkwood (Brunswick, Ohio) tallied 57 saves with a .934 save percentage in a 1-1 week for the Lancers. He registered 36 saves in the 3-2 loss to UMass-Dartmouth, and then 21 saves in the 4-1 win over Framingham State.

Senior Duy Truong (Worcester, Mass.) finished third in the 60 Meter Hurdles with a time of 8.71, qualifying for Division III New England Championships. He also placed 10^th in the 60 Meter Dash with a time of 7.31 at the Wesleyan Invitational.

Sophomore Abigail Danso (Worcester, Mass.) had a fifth place finish in the 60 Meter hurdles with a time of 10.04. She also registered an 11^th place finish in the 200 meters in a time of 27.96.

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