WESTFIELD, Mass. -- After closing a successful athletic and academic career for Bridgewater State, Andy Sukeforth has earned the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Male Scholar Athlete of the Year honors which is voted on by the eight athletic directors from around the league.
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.
"It is an honor to be recognized for all the hard work I have put in both in the classroom and out on the practice field," Sukeforth said.
"I wouldn't have that success without the help and encouragement from all the coaches, professors, classmates and teammates that I have met along the way at Bridgewater State and Middleboro," he added.
During his time at Bridgewater State, the senior from Middleboro, Mass. competed in cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field for the Bears. He was named the MASCAC Cross Country Rookie of the Year during the 2012 season and came full circle in 2014 as the MASCAC Runner of the Year as the top finisher at the conference championship meet. In 2014, he also earned All-New England honors and qualified for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.
On the track and field side, Sukeforth won 11 MASCAC titles between the indoor and outdoor seasons. Most recently, he was a dual winner at the 2015 MASCAC/New England Alliance Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. During the 2015 MASCAC/New England Alliance Indoor Championship, he claimed two more MASCAC crowns in the mile and 3,000 meters as well as the Alliance title in the 3,000.
Andy made his debut at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships this past March and placed 11th in the mile. He also earned All-New England honors in the mile with a second place performance at the New England Division III Championships.
While competing as a three-sport athlete, Sukeforth (BSU Class of 2015) was working towards his degree in political science. He finished his academic career at Bridgewater State with a 3.71 GPA and was named to the Bridgewater State Dean's List for nine straight semesters. Andy is also a nine-time MASCAC All-Academic Team honoree and Chi Alpha Sigma inductee in 2015, the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Community service was also a large part of Sukeforth's life while attending Bridgewater State. From 2012-14, he and the cross country team were part of campus clean up that went around campus to collect trash that had been left behind. Off campus, he helped to organize the Bridgewater Recreation Youth Road Race from 2012-14.
"The MASCAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award recognizes student-athletes success in athletics, as well as in the classroom and community which is a core value of Division III," MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann said. "To see our student-athletes excel in all facets of their collegiate career shows the strength of our conference."