LS
Lea Strangio
  • chemical engineering
  • Class of 2018
  • Burlington, Mass.

Lea Strangio of Watertown, Mass., Earns NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Accolades

2017 Nov 9

Lea Strangio has garnered NEWMAC Academic All-Conference accolades.

Led by 18 three-time honorees, WPI placed 61 fall student-athletes on their respective NEWMAC Academic All-Conference teams.

Comparing year-to-year, the 50 student athletes across all fall sports except for football, which was in the Liberty League until this season, topped last year's sum of 39. Football accounted for 11 additional nods and, while the number of honorees have decreased compared to past years, the GPA requirement has risen from 3.3 to 3.5 to match the other sports. Women's Soccer (13), Men's Soccer (11) and Volleyball (8) all produced a record number of selections while Women's Cross Country (8) tied two other years (2006, 2015). WPI also tied Wellesley with the most volleyball selections. Field Hockey featured six student-athletes and Men's Cross Country added four.

Seniors Cierra Ford (Georgia, Vt.), Karina Larson (Storrs, Conn.) and Lizzie Rooney (Harvard, Mass.) have represented women's soccer the past three years while classmates Mari Bailey (North Providence, R.I.) and Sophie Gomarlo (Swanzey, N.H.) make the list for the first time. Junior Hannah Modelski (Hollis, N.H.) has earned the honor in both years she has been eligible, as did sophomores Jill Comeau (North Reading, Mass.), Georgie Cromwell (Mukilteo, Wash.), Becca Hapgood (Halifax, Mass.), Kristen McCrea (Weymouth, Mass.), Megan Olson (Brookline, N.H.), Kirsten Southan (Owings, Md.) and Mandy St. Germain (Upton, Mass.) in their first.

All three Men's Soccer seniors that were honored, Jordan Finzel (Northport, N.Y.), Derrick Naugler (Westford, Mass.) and Ryan Stokes (Fairport, N.Y.), brought home their third accolade. Juniors Riley Doherty (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Spencer Ralphs (Simsbury, Conn.) and Jake Steinberg (Shrewsbury, Mass.) were repeat winners and were joined this year by classmate Frank Ciliberto (Spencerport, N.Y.). Sophomores Mark Calnan (Winchester, Mass.), Jackson Conroy (Reading, Mass.), Jivan Purutyan (Concord, Mass.) and Luke Reiniger (Rowley, Mass.) picked up their first in their initial season of eligibility.

Football seniors Justin Coppolino (Oakham, Mass.), Aaron Hartford (Norwell, Mass.) and Nabeel Tokatli (Worcester, Mass.), juniors Tristin Carlton (Coventry, R.I.) and Nick Day (Northampton, Mass.), and sophomores Zack Ahrens (South Glens Falls, N.Y.), Ben Emrick (Windham, N.H.), Clark Ewen (Arlington, Mass.), Mike Montano (North Haven, Conn.), Nick Ostrowski (Charlton, Mass.), Nick Samuelson (Sandy Hook, Conn.) were the inaugural honorees on the more exclusive list. Coppolino, Hartford, Tokatli earned Liberty League honors in 2015 and 2016 while Carlton and Day were also feted a year ago.

Volleyball seniors Melissa Daigle (Norfolk, Mass.) and Kat Hurlock (Burlington, Conn.), juniors Azita Bakhtyari (Andover, Mass.) and Casey Hunt (Granby, Conn.), and sophomores Abbie Gilbert (Hopkinton, Mass.), Colleen Mullins (Andover, Mass.) and Kassidy Utheim (Monroe Township, N.J.) have all achieved the honor in each year they have been eligible. Junior Victoria Nassar (Salem, N.H.), meanwhile, claimed her first.

All eligible members of the nationally-ranked Women's Cross Country top 7 garner recognition. Senior Lea Strangio (Watertown, Mass.) is a three-time selection while classmate Emily Newman (Easton, Mass.) returned to the list following a year hiatus. Junior Steffany Halfrey (Hubbardston, Mass.), and sophomores Sydney Packard (Georgetown, Mass.), Ariana Rozen (Carver, Mass.) and Callie Schadt (Brewster, Mass.) each made the scrolls every year they have been eligible. Seniors Gina Capobianco (Colonie, N.Y.) and Emma MacIntyre (Grand Island, N.Y.) also went 3-for-3 during their career.

Three-time honorees, seniors Izzy Garver (Owls Head, Maine) and Sabrina Guzzi (Suffield, Conn.) paced Field Hockey as junior Zoe Schwartz (Smithfield, R.I.) picked up her second selection and was joined this year by classmate Karen Mushrall (Mariaville, Maine). Sophomores Carly Cidado (Easton, Mass.) and Hannah Larochelle (New Boston, N.H.) each secured their first honor.

Men's Cross Country seniors James Doty (Queensbury, N.Y.) and Warren Staver (Centreville, Md.) collected their third award as sophomores Tom Hanlon (Derry, N.H.) and Avery Ingegneri (Warwick, R.I.) claimed their first.

Honorees must have met the following criteria: earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 scale or 4.35/5.0 scale after the 2017 spring semester, achieved second year academic status at his/her institution, and been a member of the varsity team for the entire season.

The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference consists of 11 highly selective institutions committed to academic excellence: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The Catholic University of America, Maine Maritime Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Norwich University are associate members in the sport of football.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.