WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State student-athletes Grace Poplawski (Rowe, Mass./Mohawk Trail HS) and Anthony Messore (Wellesley, Mass.) were recently honored as the Owls athletics Female and Male Senior Scholar Athletes of the Year at the department's annual awards ceremony.

The Scholar Athlete Award recognizes the four-year student athletes who maintained the highest cumulative grade point average.  Westfield State faculty athletic representative Dr. Paul Cacolice from the University's sports medicine and human performance department presented the awards.

Poplawski, who graduated after the fall semester with a degree in elementary education, was a four-year member of the Owls' cross country and track and field teams.  She was a part of four straight MASCAC championship women's cross country teams, peaking with a 13^th place finish individually at the 2022 championship.   Her women's track and field teams won the conference indoor and outdoor conference titles in 2024.  A distance specialist, Poplawaski ran a career best time of 19:40.56 in the 5,000 meters.   Poplawski has started her teaching career and is coaching in the 'Girls on the Run' program.

Messore is graduating with a degree in criminal justice after playing for four years as a defensive lineman for the Owls football team.   This past fall, he helped the Owls to a 4-6 overall record and a 4-5 mark in the MASCAC as the team switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensive front for this season.  Messore totaled 29 tackles this fall, including 6.5 for losses, forced one fumble and recovered another.  He played in 32 career games with 61 tackles.   He plans to attend law school at Suffolk University.

To see the full list of team award winners, click HERE.

The awards ceremony video is available HERE.