Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information
Westfield State College senior Kerry Arouca of Hanson, Mass., (Whitman-Hanson High School) �" a five-time track/cross country All-American for the Owls �" also excelled in the classroom as she was selected the Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference (MASCAC) 2010 Howard C. Smith Female Scholar-Athlete of the year.
The award is presented annually to male and female senior student-athletes who have excelled both academically and athletically while a student of a Massachusetts state college. The award is named in honor of Howard C. Smith, a former state college trustee who was largely responsible for the formation of the (MASCAC) and the acceptance of intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the state college system.
To be considered for the award, a student-athlete must have achieved a least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average and be in his or her last year of athletic eligibility.
Arouca was a five-time All American and a seven-time national qualifier, including runner-up finishes in the 5,000 meter run at the 2010 NCAA indoor and outdoor championships.
She was a 10-time All New England performer and captured 19 individual conference championships. Her outstanding individual efforts helped the Westfield cross country and track and field teams to 11 conference championships over the past four years. The movement science major set three school records on the track while competing against the best distance runners in New England and the nation.
�Westfield State is proud of Kerry�s accomplishments, both on the track and in the classroom. She has been an outstanding representative of Westfield State and the MASCAC on the regional and national levels," said Westfield athletics director Richard Lenfest.
�From the time she was a freshman to her senior year she worked hard year round,� said Westfield State cross country head coach Bill Devine.
Arouca plans to continue her hard work by furthering her education in graduate school; she plans to earn master�s degree so she can teach physical education. And she plans to keep running competitively.
�I really have fallen in love with racing and hope to find a team I can join,� Arouca said. �There�s no way I am done yet.�
Arouca is the 15th Westfield State College student-athlete to receive the Howard C. Smith award since its inception in 1980. Westfield�s 15 scholar-athlete honorees are the most in the eight-team conference, followed by Fitchburg State with 11.