WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State graduate student Jenn Rennich (Bedford, Mass.) was named the 2022 NCAA Division III Academic All-America of the Year as she was selected to the Division III women's soccer Academic All-America First-Team for the second-straight year by the College Sports Communicators.
Rennich was a standout student-athlete on the soccer pitch and in the classroom, scoring the ninth-most goals in all of Division III with 23 while also tallying seven assists for a conference-leading 53 points. She also boasted a 3.99 cumulative grade-point average as part of the Movement Science program. She is currently playing her final season as a member of the Owls' women's basketball team as well.
"I was shocked and so incredibly honored to be chosen out of thousands of soccer players," said Rennich.
In her four-year career with the Owls, Rennich is a two-time Academic All-American and a three-time MASCAC Conference Champion while also being named to the MASCAC All-Conference First Team in all four years. This past season, she was selected as the MASCAC Offensive Player of the year and was also recognized as a member of the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team.
"I could not be happier for her," said Owls head coach Todd Ditmar. "Nobody has worked harder over the last four years on the field and in the classroom as [Rennich] has. She got better each year while she was at Westfield State and played the best soccer of her career this year. We won the MASCAC Championship and a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament and it was because of how hard she worked."
"All of my coaches have been so understanding if I am late to practice because of a class," said Rennich. "And my professors have been so aware of what our teams are doing, that if I missed a class because of a tournament or the NCAA's, they have been terrific and supported me throughout."
Rennich is looking to attend a physician's assistant program next year, hopefully in the program at Westfield State once she completes the required field hours to enroll.
"I'm a big fan of Dr. Paul Higgins," said Rennich when asked if any of her professors had been particularly important. "He has helped me to design my career path, I enjoy his classes and how he teaches, and he's always up to date with how our teams are doing so it's obvious that he is a big sports fan as well."
Rennich has etched her name in the record books in multiple categories as she broke the career assists (45) and points (145) records this season. Her 50 career goals were just one shy of the all-time record set by Sandy Pinto during the 1994-97 seasons.
She is the first Owls student-athlete to be recognized as a two-time Academic All-America First Team honoree. Westfield Hall of Fame softball player Lisa Lebiecki was the only other two-time recipient of the national honor, where she was named to the First Team in 1987 and then Second Team the year prior. Only nine Owls student athletes have been selected for the prestigious CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America teams since 1986.
"This is a tremendous honor for Jenn, and for Westfield State University," said Westfield State athletic director Richard Lenfest, Jr. "It's a testament to how hard Jenn has worked both in the classroom and on the field, and also shows what a student-athlete can accomplish from Westfield State – to be considered one of the absolute best in your sport and academic discipline at the same time."
36 student-athletes were recognized as part of the CSC NCAA Division III Academic All-America Team, including 11 on the first team where Rennich was one of three forwards in Division III honored.
View the full teams and the CSC press release at: https://academicallamerica.com/news/2022/12/5/2022-academic-all-america-womens-soccer-teams-announced-for-all-ncaa-and-naia-divisions.aspx