Courtesy Salem State Sports Information

Salem, MA -- Salem State senior Jeff Santora (Millbury, Mass.) was selected as the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference's (MASCAC) 2009-10 Howard C. Smith Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The award is presented annually to male and female senior student-athletes who have excelled both academically and athletically while a student of a Massachusetts state college. The award is named in honor of Howard C. Smith, a former state college trustee who was largely responsible for the formation of the Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference (MASCAC) and the acceptance of intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the state college system.

To be considered for the award, a student-athlete must have achieved a least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average and be in his or her last year of athletic eligibility.

Santora, who was a two-year co-captain, helped lead the Salem State golf team to the 2010 MASCAC Championship. He was selected to the 2010 Division III Ping Northeast All-Region team and was also named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America for his achievements on both the golf course and in the classroom. Named an NCAA All-American in 2009 he was recognized as one of the top 25 golfers in the country by the NCAA. Jeff won the Williams Invitational and the Tim Brown Invitational this past season and won a total of six individual championships during his collegiate career. Santora also earned the 2009 Guy Tedesco Award as the top collegiate golfer in New England. Jeff was a four-year Dean's List student and graduated with a degree in Business Administration this past spring. "This is the best way to end my college career. I'm proud to be the recipient and want to thank the MASCAC and especially the Athletic Directors for their unanimous vote for me."