West Springfield's Clark named Collegiate Baseball Newspaper All-American

Feb. 1, 2013

TUCSON, Ariz. – Second baseman Tim Clark was one of five Western New England University (WNE) student-athletes to be named NCAA Division III preseason All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN), as chosen by Division III coaches across the nation. The Golden Bears had the most players from the Commonwealth Coast Conference in the CBN listings.

Clark, of West Springfield, made the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division III All-America First Team and D3baseball.com All-America Second Team as a junior. He was the recipient of the ABCA Gold Glove Award after making only six errors in 244 chances for a .975 fielding percentage. He led the Golden Bears in batting (.428), hits (80), triples (5), slugging (.551) and on-base percentage (.464). He also was the CCC Player of the Year and an All-NEIBA first team honoree.

Western New England also received 214 points to rank 15th in the D3baseball.com Top 25 preseason poll, which was released on Feb. 23. The Golden Bears were the only Commonwealth Coast Conference member who earned votes in the media outlet's national rankings.

The Golden Bears were 17th D3baseball rankings in a 2012 season that saw it finish a game shy of a return trip to the Division III World Series while compiling a 38-13 overall record.

WNE students named to CCC academic all-conference list

SPRINGFIELD – Chicopee's Linda Mustafa, a WNE senior tennis player and pharmacy major, was named 2012 CCC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Mustafa was one of 36 members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference academic all-conference team released on Jan. 28.

Among the other local area athletes on the list was women's volleyball player Inna Sergeychik, a senior, biology major from West Springfield.

Gervais named to MASCAC honor roll

BUZZARDS BAY – Targie Gervais, a Westfield State University (WSU) sophomore from Springfield was named to the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference women's track and field honor roll after she took top honors in the 60 meters (7.94) and added second place finish in the 200 meters (27.12) for the Owls at the Springfield Invitational.

Vautrin posts big performance at SUNYIT Tournament

UTICA, N.Y. – Jeff Vautrin of Chicopee was named New England Collegiate Conference Rookie of the Week for the first time this season after helping the Elms College men's volleyball team Blazers to a perfect 4-0 start.

The Blazers received a 15-kill effort from Vautrin in a 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-17) sweep of Emerson College at the SUNYIT Tournament on Jan. 27.

Vautrin and freshman outside hitter Aleksander Kuzmenko, also of Chicopee, recorded five kills apiece as Elms topped D'Youville College 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-19).

In the first day of the tournament, Vautrin floored a team-high 11 kills in a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-15) win over Bard College and notched nine kills in a 3-0 (25-23, 25- 15, 26-24) sweep of Hilbert College.

Felix nets 10 in WSU win

WORCESTER – Sophomore center Gabby Felix of Springfield helped propel the WSU women's basketball team to their fifth straight win with 10 points in a 56-41 victory on Jan. 29.

Lopez scores 11 in loss

WORCESTER – Freshman Alex Lopez of Springfield scored 11 points and four assists for Worcester State University men's basketball team, but WSU topped the Lancers 86-70 on Jan. 29.

Ruell records two backstroke victories

WESTON – Tricia Ruell of Chicopee was first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:12.02) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:37.53), but the Elms College women's swimming and diving team suffered a 144-108 loss at the hands of Regis College on Jan. 26.

Holyoke's Kyle Murphy clocked a top time of 5:22.30 in the 500-yard freestyle and second in the 200-yard freestyle (1:59.06) as the men's team also lost 123-114. Mark Gehring of West Springfield touched the wall second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.19) and third in the 500-yard freestyle (5:36.56), while he and Aaron Starke of Chicopee were part of a team that won the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:36.83.

AIC women fare well at Springfield Invitational

SPRINGFIELD – Junior Jenna Miller of Chicopee placed fourth in the long jump at 4.95 meters and finished 11th in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.86 seconds while senior Sanya Foster Springfield placed fourth in the weight throw with a toss of 13.88 meters as the American International College women's track & field team placed seventh of 12 teams at the Springfield Invitational.

Springfield College junior Jenn Kapinos of Agawam placed fifth in the 600 meters in 1:43.49 as the Pride women took second overall.

Chicopee's Zack Delisle finished third in the pole vault (13-1 ½) as the WSU men's indoor track and field team finished fourth.

Normoyle wins in Pride victory

SPRINGFIELD – Springfield's Michael Normoyle finished first in the 100 yard breast stroke with a time of 59.61 as the Springfield College men's swimming and diving team cruised to a 173-123 victory over Babson College on Jan. 26.

Santiago helps WSU steal one from Salem State

WESTFIELD – Westfield native Jordan Santiago recorded eight points and a game-high six steals as WSU took a hard-earned 70-65 victory over Salem State University on Jan. 26.

Cox wins on Senior Day

WESTFIELD – Senior Katie Cox of South Hadley won the 200 freestyle as the WSU women's swimming and diving team defeated the University of Saint Joseph, Conn., 114-91, in the Owls' final home meet Jan. 26.

Ortiz solid off the bench in Owls victory

WESTFIELD – Forward Tania Ortiz Holyoke posted a solid stat line of 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the WSU women's basketball team's 81-51 victory over Salem State University on Jan. 26.

Elsir's solid efforts not enough for WNE

WENHAM – Sophomore Musa Elsir of Springfield scored 11 points and had a team-high eight rebounds as WNE men's basketball team staged a valiant comeback for the last 10 minutes of its game at Gordon on Jan. 23, but the Fighting Scots hung on for a 79-71 victory.

Elsir also recorded 13 points in a 100-92 loss to Nichols College on Jan. 26.

Pride's comeback bid falls short

WORCESTER – Springfield's Alex Berthiaume scored 18 points, and Springfield College held Worcester Polytechnical Institute without a field goal for the final 6:28, but the Pride could not complete its comeback bid as it lost to the nation's sixth-ranked team 69-66 on Jan. 23.

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