Student-athletes earn honors

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — A group of 66 Western New England University student-athletes from the winter and spring seasons were recognized when the Commonwealth Coast Conference announced its Spring Academic All-Conference Team on Monday morning.

The spring list includes participants from each of the CCC’s member institutions who participated in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball, men’s tennis and women’s track and field. Competitors in the men’s and women’s swimming and diving and men’s track and field invitationals were also honored.

In order to be recognized as a member of the Academic All-Conference Team, an athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale) and must also have attained sophomore academic status.

Western New England’s 66 honorees were among a CCC-record 579 total student-athletes to be recognized for their academic performance. The Golden Bears had the third highest total behind Endicott (91) and Salve Regina (80).

Western New England’s ice hockey team led the way with 12 selections, followed by baseball and men’s lacrosse, which had nine each. The softball and women’s lacrosse programs featured eight honorees apiece, while women’s basketball and women’s swimming placed six on the list, men’s tennis and men’s golf posted three, and men’s basketball had two.

Of the 66 Golden Bears to receive the CCC’s academic distinction, 14 were also named to All-CCC Teams for their athletic achievements, including CCC Pitcher of the Year Bob Hamel (Southwick, Mass.) of the baseball team and CCC Player of the Year John