Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The WPI women's soccer team secured three of the four major NEWMAC postseason awards as chosen by the league's head coaches.

New to the conference this year, the NEWMAC has established an All-Sportsmanship Team for the 2016-17 Academic Year. The award is intended to recognize one student-athlete from each team, in every sport that best demonstrates the ideals of the NEWMAC and its Code of Conduct, regardless of his/her overall performance or statistics for the season.

The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) revealed the annual Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday afternoon.

After claiming the programs first NEWMAC title and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996 last season, WPI has been tabbed the preseason favorites with nine first place votes heading into the 2016-17 season.

McCrea was named the 2016 NEWMAC Women's Soccer Championship Most Outstanding Player for her goal and two assists this past weekend. She scored the game-winner 17 seconds into the second overtime to defeat Springfield in the semifinals and added two assists Sunday vs MIT en route to the program's first NEWMAC tournament championship.

Rice threw for three touchdowns and ran for another to lead WPI to a come-from-behind 37-34 victory over the University of Rochester Saturday afternoon. He helped seal the win by catching a two-point conversion pass after throwing the go-ahead TD with 42 seconds remaining. Rice amassed 407 yards of total offense, including 314 yards on 19 of 39 passing and 93 yards on nine rushing attempts for the Engineers.

Bender qualified for the diving regional Friday night as the Engineers swept Babson, Smith and Brandeis. She totaled 236.75 in the 1-meter (third place) and 271.45 (second place) on the 3-meter Friday before accumulating 251.70 (second place) winning the 3-meter with a score of 268.35 at RPI Saturday.

Bauer captured four individual events, was part of a pair of winning relays and a runner up foursome as the Engineers competed twice in less than 24 hours. On Friday he clocked a 22.58 in the 50 free while anchoring the 200 medley and free relays in a sweep of Babson and Brandeis. He followed up by sweeping the freestyle sprints, including bettering his time from the previous night in the 50 free with a 21.95. He needed 47.83 and 1:44.25 to claim the 100 and 200 free.

Freshman Kristen McCrea (Weymouth, MA) notched a pair of assists Sunday as the WPI women's soccer team earned its first NEWMAC championship in program history with a 3-1 triumph over visiting MIT at Alumni Stadium. In addition to her helpers, McCrea scored the double OT game-winner in yesterday's semifinal and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Student-athletes with a full year in residence at their institution who carry a 3.3 cumulative grade point average into a season of competition qualify for the Liberty League All-Academic Teams.

WPI sophomore Azita Bakhtyari has garnered Academic All-District I status, as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) members from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. She is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration.

A trio of WPI football upperclassmen have been named Academic All-District I, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The district covers institutions in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. They are now on the ballot for Academic All-America honors.

Led by women's soccer graduate student Jaime Espinola, a rare four-time honoree, and seven three-time selections 39 WPI student-athletes were named NEWMAC Academic All-Conference for the fall season. The men's and women's soccer teams each delivered a WPI-best eight nods.

WPI shares the regular season title with MIT and, thanks to the Engineers 2-1 double OT win on September 17, the Crimson and Gray will be the top seed in next week's NEWMAC Women's Soccer Championship. WPI will face the winner of Tuesday's 4/5 game at noon on Saturday.

Jasmine Higuera Castillo from the cross country team has been named as the WPI Female Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending Sunday, October 30th. Higuera Castillo paced the Engineers with an All-Conference effort as the team was fifth at the NEWMAC Cross Country Championships Saturday afternoon at Smith. Her time of 19:12 was eighth out of 134 entries. As a freshman, Higuera Castillo was 58th in a time of 20:55 at the same course two years ago.

Austin Scott of the Cross Country team has been tabbed as the WPI Male Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending Sunday, October 30th. Scott earned his third consecutive All-Conference nod as he crossed the finish line fifth (25:56) at the NEWMAC Cross Country Championships Saturday at Smith. He shaved off five seconds and improved three spots since the last time the conference meet was held in Northampton (2014).

Boston, MA --- Junior Randy Melanson and sophomore Jack Bauer pocketed NEWMAC Swimming & Diving Weekly accolades for their performances at Saturday's Worcester City Championships.

Kristen Bender and the women's swimming & diving 200-yard medley relay team earned NEWMAC weekly honors for their performances at the Worcester City Championships this past Saturday. Bender was named the Co-Diver of the Week along and the 200 MR secured the Relay Team of the Week nod.

Senior Austin Scott, sophomore Michael Brady and junior Tristam Winship earned All-Conference accolades as WPI finished second at the NEWMAC Cross Country Championships Saturday at Smith.

Junior Jasmine Higuera Castillo paced the WPI women's cross country team with an All-Conference effort as the team was fifth at the NEWMAC Championships Saturday afternoon at Smith.

WPI men's basketball alumni Sam Longwell and Clyde Niba have signed professional contracts with the New England Anchors of the American Basketball Association (ABA).

WPI junior Pav Christidis has been named to the Academic All-District I Men's Soccer Team, as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. He is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration.

WPI junior Dereck Pacheco has been tabbed as a member of the D3football.com Team of the Week for the week ending October 23. He named the WPI Men's Student-Athlete of the Week and a Liberty League Honor Roll selection yesterday (Oct. 24).

Field amassed 114 all-purpose yards and added a touchdown as the Crimson and Gray defeated RPI 19-7 Saturday to reclaim the Transit Trophy. The freshman tailback sealed the victory with a 11-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Field also hauled in a team-best three receptions for 41 yards and returned a pair of kickoffs 47 yards.

Pacheco logged 10 tackles, including 2.5 for-loss, a sack and a key safety in the fourth quarter, as WPI reclaimed the Transit Trophy with a 19-7 victory over host RPI Saturday.

Hoops accumulated six saves, including the lone OT stop in a scoreless draw with Springfield, to finish off a 1-0-1 week for the Engineers. She also helped the Crimson and Gray set the program record for single-season victories Tuesday with a triumph over offensive juggernaut Smith. The NEWMAC leader in goals against (5), goals against average (0.32) and save percentage (.906) has yet to allow a goal in the month of October (523:32).

Sarah Wutka, Jennifer Golden, Marlies de Jong, Kinsey McNamara, Christine Hovermale, Liz Graveline, Gina Gonzalez-Roundy, Abigail Sawyer and coxswain Larissa Naidoo won a very tight dual with Colby, edging the Mules by less than a second (14:43.606 to 14:44.575).

The Novice Eight from the rowing team has been named as the WPI Male Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending Sunday, October 16th. Mark Borghesani, Andrew Johnston, Marc Reardon, Ben Thornton, Brandon Fox, Tucker Grim, Tim Winters, Gavin Sabol and coxswain Andrew Morrison won their race with a time of 14:00.421, nearly 50 seconds ahead of second place Wentworth.

Four members of the WPI softball team repeated as National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athletes and the program was lauded as an NFCA All-Academic Team for the second consecutive season, as recently announced by the organization.

Hoops stopped all 10 shots she faced in a pair of 2-0 clean sheets this past week. She began by halting six against Coast Guard Tuesday and followed up with four on a rainy Sunday at Roger Williams. The backstop is nationally-ranked in GAA (23rd, .392), save percentage (44th, .875) and minutes played (45th, 1147:41).