WESTFIELD, Mass.  – Westfield State University alumna Cindy (Sturm) Menard '82 was recently named to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, sponsored by GEICO.

Menard, who was an inaugural member of the Westfield State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994, was a two-time national champion at Westfield State winning the NCAA Division III cross country individual title in 1981 and the 3,000 meters in the 1982 outdoor track season.

Menard was a five-time All American, two-time New England champion, and five-time All New England during her two years at WSC. She also was the recipient of the Howard C. Smith Scholar-Athlete Award, presented annually to the top senior student-athlete in the Mass. State Conference. 

Menard, a native of Westfield, was a high school All-American, placing second in the state to Olympian Lynn Jennings in both the mile run and the cross country state championships. 

Menard transferred to Westfield State after competing for two years at the University of Alabama on a partial track scholarship. She won the Southeastern Conference cross country championship both years. 

Still a resident of Westfield, Mass., Menard has worked for Konica / Minolta for the past 36 years, currently serving as a business consultant.

Westfield State athletics will present her award at an athletics event during the 2020-21 school year, with the date to be determined.

Sturm is the third Westfield State representative to be selected to the MASCAC Hall of Fame.  Hockey standout and Stanley Cup winning coach Peter Laviolette '86, and former athletic director Paul Bogan were named in the first MASCAC HOF class in 2018.

The full 2020 MASCAC HOF Class is available at:  https://www.mascac.com/news/2019-20_News/2020_Hall_of_Fame