Softball and Women's Basketball Standout Gwen Carpenter Named 2024 MASCAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
After an outstanding career as a dual sport student-athlete for Framingham State, Gwendolyn Carpenter was named the 2024 MASCAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year which is voted on by the eight Athletic Directors around the conference.
Carpenter, a senior from Ashley Falls, Mass., was a two-sport student-athlete competing for the Rams women's basketball and softball teams at Framingham State. A two-year captain in both programs, Gwen was part of five MASCAC Regular Season Titles, six MASCAC Tournament Championships and made six NCAA Tournament appearances in a combined eight seasons.
On the women's basketball side, Carpenter was a part of three MASCAC Regular Season and Tournament titles in 2019-20, 2021-22 and 2023-24. A two-time All-MASCAC honoree, in her senior campaign she was named Co-MASCAC Player of the Year, All-MASCAC First Team and to the NEWBA and D3hoops all-region squads. She departs the Rams women's basketball program their all-time leader in career assists with 586 and assists in a season with 194 in 2022-23.
The success wasn't limited to women's basketball as the Rams softball program won either the MASCAC Regular Season, Tournament title in each of the four seasons Carpenter was on the team. She was an All-Conference award winner in 2023 and 2024 and most recently was named tournament MVP of the 2024 MASCAC Tournament. Carpenter hit .526 during the tournament with seven runs, six doubles, a home run and seven RBI. Carpenter went 4-for-8 in the championship round with a grand slam and was recognized as the final Division III Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week for the third time in her career. She batted .412 this season with 66 hits, including 16 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 30 RBI earning her a spot on the NFCA All-Region squad. Carpenter left her mark in the Rams record book as the program's all-time leader in RBI in a season with 47 and in her career with 119. She finished her career second in program history in homeruns with 20 and third in hits with 197.
Academically, Carpenter closed her undergraduate career with a 3.99 GPA in Biology (pre-health) and has been on both the Dean's List and President's List every semester she was eligible. In February, she was recognized by the College Sports Communicators as a member of the women's basketball Academic All-America team. Some of her Framingham State academic accolades include: Dean Racheotes Book Award ('20, '21, '22), Live to the Truth Award (2024), Previte Pre-Professional Medical Award (2024), Melly-Cotter Award (Highest GPA in Biology Department)(2024), Member of the Framingham State Chi Omega Chapter of Beta Beta Beta- National Biological Honor Society (Spring 2022), Member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (Spring 2022) and Member of The National Society of Leadership & Success (Fall 2023). She also has been on the MASCAC All-Academic team each year eligible.
When reflecting on Gwen's academic experience at FSU, Ram's women's basketball coach Walter Paschal said, "When recruits tell me they are looking for a higher academic school, I tell them if Framingham State academics is good enough for Gwen Carpenter, then I assure them it will be enough for them also."
Carpenter was extremely involved outside of school and athletics by volunteering with Team Impact, Read Across America, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) social media team, Be the Match Bone Marrow donation campaign, Fresh Check (Mental Health Check-In) for students, One Love domestic violence awareness, Special Olympics and volunteer coach/referee for basketball and softball with Southern Berkshire youth sports.
As she worked towards her degree, she also worked as part of the Framingham State athletics event staff, as a tutor, at accepted students open house, as a medical assistant and substitute teacher.
With her undergraduate career coming to an end, Carpenter will attend the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Worcester to participate in their physician's assistant program.
FSU Head Softball Coach Larry Miller shared "What Gwen has made of her experience at FSU is what we as coaches dream about for all of our student-athletes. Let this be one of many great honors she collects along her journey; we at FSU were all fortunate to be a part of it."
The MASCAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year has been awarded annually since 1980 to a student-athlete who has excelled in both the classroom and field of play while maintaining at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average through their last year of athletic eligibility.