Seniors Recognized At Annual Athletics Awards Banquet

Senior Award Presentation Team Photo Gallery | Major Award Winner Photo Gallery

Worcester, MA --- The Worcester State University athletics department hosted their 26th Annual Senior Awards Banquet at the May Street Building on Tuesday, May 5, with Charter TV3 Sports Anchor Kevin Shea serving as the master of ceremonies.

The event is traditionally held on the last day of classes to distinguish the achievements of the senior class on and off the field. Both WSU President Barry Maloney and Athletics Director Michael Mudd touched on this subject in both of their speeches at the beginning of the event.

"The student-athletes in this room should be very proud of their accomplishments both on and off the field," said Mudd. "This years senior class is arguably one of the most decorated groups of student-athletes that we've had on our campus in recent years"

Before dinner, individual clocks were handed out by Dean of Students and Chief Student Affairs Officer Julie Kazarian to every senior in attendance. Head women’s basketball coach and Associate Athletic Director Karen Tessmer also recognized the academic exploits of the teams and individuals in the last year.

Coordinator of Student-Athlete Support Services, Kelly Downs, finished off the pre-meal ceremony by announcing the second Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honor Society class, inducting 11 seniors in attendance. 

Terrence Gibson (Rockland, MA) and Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, MA) were honored as the “Robert Devlin” Senior Male and Female Athlete, respectively, for their outstanding accomplishments on their teams.

Terrence Gibson (Men's Track & Field) Was Honored As The "Robert Devlin" Senior Male Athlete

Gibson, who is currently ranked fourth in Division III in the 110 meter hurdles, is a six-time NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field qualifier with three All-American honors and he was the 2013 National Champion in the 60 meter hurdles as a sophomore. Gibson is one of two in program history to be a three-time winner in a single event at the Division III New England Championships, earning three straight 60 meter hurdle crowns.

Jasper is a four-time all-conference outside hitter who earned MASCAC Player of the Year laurels this past fall. In addition to establishing single season and career records in kills, she helped lead the squad to the MASCAC Tournament finals and the semifinals of the ECAC Division III Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

On the track, Jasper made her mark as a five-time NCAA Division III qualifier which includes three trips to the national meet in the javelin, once in the pentathlon and she was an All-American in the heptathlon last spring. She is currently seventh in points nationally in the heptathlon and 19th in the javelin.

Jack Sprague (Maynard, MA), of the football team, was tabbed this year’s Male “Lancer” Award winner while Angela Grassetti (Feeding Hills, MA) was the Female “Lancer” Award winner. The award is given to a male and female student-athlete who exemplifies dedication to their program, leadership qualities and good sportsmanship.

Sprague, one of the four football captains, single handedly was responsible for the success of his efforts on and off the field, from leading off-season activities in the weight room, conditioning and team bonding. He is also an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and a key part of the organizations efforts to build school and team spirit on campus. Despite being done with his eligibility, he will be using an extra semester of school to volunteer his time as the Co-President this fall.

Grassetti, a two-time captain and three-time All-MASCAC honoree as a defensive midfielder, has been instrumental in the success on the field of the women’s lacrosse team that has posted three consecutive 13 win campaigns. During her time at WSU, she has served as the vice president and president of SAAC while also being the president of the Athlete Mentor Program.

The Senior Margaret “Peg” Nugent Award winners were Joe Perlak (Chicopee, MA) and Cody Osburn (Sacramento, CA) on the men’s side while Jasper and Julie Frankian (Millbury, MA) were distinguished as the female winners.

The “Peg” Nugent Award is named in honor of the former long-time senior women’s administrator who was responsible for expanding the role of women in the Worcester State athletics department. It is handed out to a senior male and female student who are outstanding in athletic competition and in the classroom.

Perlak, who holds a 3.64 grade point average in Business Administration, graduates eighth in the baseball programs all-time wins list with a 13-4 career mark. He also aided the baseball team in its run back-to-back MASCAC Regular Season titles and the NCAAs last year. Perlak is a member of the National Business Honor Society and he was named to the Co-SIDA All-District I team last year.

Osburn, communications major who maintains a 3.42 GPA, suited up in 96 ice hockey games and he registered 43 points, with 36 assists, as a standout defenseman. He also was the starting first baseman for the baseball team and committed just 10 miscues in 110 contests. In the classroom he earned MASCAC All-Academic laurels eight times over his career.

Alyssa Jasper (Women's Volleyball - Track & Field) Earned Both The "Robert Devlin" Senior Female and "Peg Nugent" Scholar Athlete Awards

Frankian was lauded with All-MASCAC First-team laurels, scoring 44, breaking a 15-year school record for three pointers and she was among the nation’s leaders in three point percentage. With a 3.73 grade point average in Health Sciences, Frankian has been inducted into the national leadership honor society (Omicron Delta Kappa) and she was recently recognized with a community service academic award by the Health Science department.

Jasper is only the second senior student-athlete to be distinguished with Peg Nugent and Senior Athlete accolades. As a 3.69 nursing major, Jasper is active in the department, is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and the nursing honor society (Sigma Theta Tau). Impressively, Jasper has been MASCAC All-Academic in every semester she has been enrolled at Worcester State.

Adam Peloquin was the recipient of this year’s “Rich Korzec” Athletic Service Award. The plaque is named in memory of former men’s golf coach and Assistant Director of Facilities, who passed away in the spring of 2012. Rich was known for always going above and beyond the call of duty to serve anyone on or off campus.

Peloquin, a graduate assistant for the football team and a former WSU student-athlete, stepped up and selflessly helped out the department by assisting with running the day-to-day operations of the equipment room during a busy spring semester.

The Freshman Athlete Awards were presented to Chris Walles (Agawam, MA), Justine Butler (Marlboro, MA) and Nani Perez (Worcester, MA/Holy Name).

Walles, a Second-team All-Worcester Area selection, started all 10 games this season at left tackle for the 7-3 football team, protecting the quarterbacks “blind side”. He helped lead an aerial attack that was third in New England in both passing offense and scoring offense while the Lancers were also fifth in total offense.

Butler, the MASCAC Women’s Soccer Rookie of the Year, anchored a defense that permitted just 17 goals to pass between the pipes in 19 games. She was instrumental in the success of a squad that won the MASCAC Regular Season title (7-0) and earned a trip to the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament.

Perez, who was recognized as the MASCAC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year, helped the Blue and Gold post a 17-10 record to tie for third in the league standings. She averaged 6.2 points and 4.7 assists while handing out the seventh highest assist output in single-season history (123 assists). Perez had five or more assists in 15 out of 27 contests and was a three-time MASCAC Rookie of the Week.

Worcester State University President Barry Maloney Brings Greetings From The Institution Before Senior Banquet

Julie Frankian (Women's Basketball) Was Recognized As The Other Senior Female "Peg Nugent" Scholar-Athlete Award Winner

Cody Osburn (Men's Ice Hockey - Baseball) Was Lauded As The Co-Male "Peg Nugent" Scholar-Athlete Award Winner

Joe Perlak (Baseball) With Osburn And The Coaching Staff As The Other Recipient Of Senior Male "Peg Nugent" Scholar-Athlete Award