Courtesy Worcester State Sports Information

Worcester, MA --- Junior Christy Deininger (N. Attleboro, MA) and sophomore Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, MA) have both been named to the Capital One Academic District I Team by the College Sports Information Directors of American (Co-SIDA). Both student-athletes will move on to the national ballot for academic All-American consideration.

Deininger earns the honor for the second consecutive year while Jasper receives her first nod to the District I team. Out of 14 student-athletes from the district, four were selected from the MASCAC including senior Molly Roulliard (Dartmouth, MA) of Bridgewater State and fourth-year Rachel Cardin (Sutton, MA) of Westfield State.

District I includes institutions that make up Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Last week, Deininger wrapped up her second trip to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in 14th place in the 100 meter hurdles with a school-record time of 14.46. Deininger was also a member of the 4x100 meter relay that finished 12th out of 16 of the best teams in Division III.  

This past season, Deininger captured MASCAC/Alliance Championship honors in the 60 meter hurdles and the 100 meter hurdles while she placed in both events in the indoor and outdoor Division III New England Championships. After sprinting to the fourth-best time in the 100 meter hurdles at the Open New England Championships, she solidified her spot on the national rankings with third-place at the ECAC Division III Championships.

Academically, Deininger is a three-time MASCAC All-Academic honoree and she has been a member of the dean’s list on a trio of occasions. She also received US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic accolades for competing on the national stage, maintaining a solid 3.52 cumulative grade point average and a double major in elementary education and psychology.

Jasper, who also qualified for the national outdoor meet for the second straight campaign, placed 12th overall this past week in the javelin. Her postseason was one for the ages as she was the Division III New England and ECAC Division III Champion in the javelin while she had the second-best toss in the region at the Open New England Championships. As a heptathlete, she was the runner-up at the Division III New England’s.

Jasper originally started off her run with a throw of 147-4 which shattered an eight-year school mark for a New England Alliance/MASCAC title and what was the fourth-longest heave the week leading into the NCAAs. She has been an All-MASCAC pick twice as a standout outside hitter on the volleyball team and in the winter Jasper was a key reserve forward on the women’s basketball team.

With an outstanding 3.85 cumulative grade point average in nursing, Jasper is a two-time MASCAC All-Academic recipient, on the dean’s list all three of her semesters enrolled and she received USTFCCCA All-Academic honors as a freshman last year.

Both were instrumental in helping lead the Lancers to their third MASCAC Outdoor title and their first-ever New England Alliance crown. The Lancers also placed eighth at the Division III New England Indoor Championships in and fifth as a squad at the Division III New England Outdoor Championships.

To be eligible for all-academic honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

This year marks the second that the College Division (Non-Division I) has been expanded to include Divisions I, II, III and NAIA and Canadian schools and two year-institutions. The regions were spread out to include eight distinct geographic locations across the United States.