FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Links: CWSA Release
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Former Merrimack student-athlete Carly Muscaro, the most decorated athlete in the history of the Northeast-10 Conference, was recently named the Division II Honda Athlete of the Year, as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
Muscaro becomes the third winner from the NE10 as UMass Lowell field hockey standout Sammy Macy was honored with the award in 2011, while Bentley's Lauren Battista was recognized following the 2013-14 academic year.
The most successful individual student-athlete in the history of Merrimack and the NE10, Muscaro will be presented with this incredible honor on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 26, at 9pm EST at the Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California.
The honor was voted on by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the CWSA program, now in its 41st year.
"I am so grateful to be receiving this distinguished award!" said Muscaro. "I have been extremely fortunate to have so much support from my family, coaches, friends and the entire Merrimack College community and administration. Without them, this would not have been possible. I also want to thank those who thought I was worthy of such a prestigious honor; to be considered the Division II Honda Athlete of the Year is humbling and incredibly gratifying, and I cannot think of a better way to conclude my time at Merrimack. I cannot wait to see where the next steps of my track and field career take me and having this award has made my journey that much more special."
An Ashland, Massachusetts, native, Muscaro was recently named the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Outdoor Women's Track Athlete of the Year after capturing two national titles in the 200 meters and 400 meters. Overall, she concluded her career with six national titles and is a 12-time USTFCCCA First Team All-American.
She was also named the Most Outstanding Track Performer at the 2017 NE10 Championship and closed her career with six NE10 Conference titles. In addition to her performance on the track, she was named the NE10 Female Outstanding Scholar-Athlete of the Year to signify her dominant senior year in the classroom, as well. The four-time national champion in 2016-17 alone, Muscaro graduated this spring with a 3.88 GPA in criminology.
"Carly winning the DII Honda Athlete of the Year award is a truly amazing accomplishment and speaks volumes to the true talent that she is, " said Assistant Track & Field Coach (Sprints) Peter Early. "While she has collected many awards along her amazing journey, this one certainly stands out to me in that her greatness not only stood out amongst track and field student-athletes, but all Division II women's student-athletes, making it that much more incredible. Her winning the Honda Award is a true testament to how special she is, and as a program we could not be more proud."
In addition to her two national titles at outdoor nationals three weekends ago, Muscaro finished her senior season with four national championships after triumphing in the same events during her indoor season. Including her indoor and outdoor 400-meter national championships as a junior, she finished her career with six titles overall and graduates from Merrimack as the most decorated student-athlete at the national level in NE10 history.
Other accolades for Muscaro include her recognition as a 12-time All-American, the most in Merrimack history by any student-athlete. This season she was named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Track Athlete of the Year during both the indoor and outdoor campaigns to go along with her five selections over her career as the USTFCCCA Regional Track Athlete of the Year. Muscaro also graduated from Merrimack as an eight-time USTFCCCA All-East Region honoree and boasted two USTFCCCA All-Academic selections.
"Carly has had an unbelievable and unprecedented career here at Merrimack College, "said Director of Athletics Jeremy Gibson. "Our entire community could not be more thrilled for her."
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for 41 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.1 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs at the institutions.
Information for this release provided by the athletic communications staff at Merrimack
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.