Van Alstyne Receives Final Gold Helmet Award of the Season

Cambridge, Mass. – Harvard quarterback Conner Hempel and Framingham State University running back Melikke Van Alstyne have been named the final recipients of the Ray Gallant Insurance New England Football Writers' Gridiron Club of Great Boston Golden Helmet Awards for the 2013 season.

Van Alstyne, who earns his second Gold Helmet, eclipsed the 6,000 yard mark in his career as he helped lead the Rams to a 36-0 victory over Worcester State. The senior rushed for 146 yards on 35 carries with three touchdowns. The Salem, Mass., native and Framingham State all-time leading rusher now has 6,025 career rushing yards and joins former Maine Maritime running backs Steve Tardif (6,093 yards) and Jim Bower (6,060 yards) as the only New England Division III backs to surpass the milestone. Van Alstyne is just 68 yards shy of Tardif's total.  Framingham State closed out the regular season 9-1 overall and finished a perfect 8-0 in MASCAC play. The Rams received an at-large bid to the 2013 NCAA Division III Football Championship and will travel to Ithaca College for a first round game Saturday at noon.

Hempel completed his first 11 passes of the game, finishing 21-of-25 for 227 yards and three scores as the Crimson outlasted Penn, 38-30, at Harvard Stadium. The Union, Ky., product led all rushers with 65 rushing yards on 12 carries, while adding a two-yard TD run in the second quarter. The junior garnered Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance against the Quakers. With the win, the Crimson enters the final weekend of the regular season at 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the Ivy League as the team travels down to New Haven, Conn., for the 130th playing of The Game Saturday at noon.

Portions of release courtesy of Harvard Athletic Communications.