SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Basketball standout
Kailah Al-Darraji (Dover, NH) and baseball/football star
Justin Walz (Groton, CT) received the Western New England College Senior Female and Male Senior Scholar Athletes-of-the-Year awards, respectively, at the school's recent Baccalaureate Ceremony.
Al-Darraji, a team co-captain, compiled a 3.85 cumulative grade-point-average in marketing and was selected The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) Women's Basketball Senior Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year. She also was named to both the ESPN the Magazine District 1 and TCCC Academic Teams.
Earlier this spring, Al-Darraji was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society.
On the court, Al-Darraji played guard and averaged 13.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in helping the Golden Bears finish with a 15-10 record. She was selected the team MVP and participated in the New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Division III Senior All-Star Game held at Western New England College.
Walz served as a captain of both the baseball and football teams, and posted with a 3.74 GPA in Sport Management. He received numerous awards during his career for his success both on the playing fields and in the classroom.
Walz was both a TCCC and New England Football Conference (NEFC) Academic Team selection, and the recipient of the football team's prestigious Jimmy Geyer Award for courage and leadership. He also is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society.
In baseball, Walz played shortstop and batted .336 this spring as the Golden Bears finished with a 34-12 record for the program's 16th consecutive winning campaign. WNEC won its third straight TCCC Tournament crown and played in the NCAA Division III Championship for the fifth consecutive year.
Walz led the football team to a 6-4 record last fall, which were the team's most wins in its 29-year history. Playing quarterback, he passed for 2,103 yards and 13 touchdowns and was second in the NEFC in total offense (244.1 yards per game) and fifth in passing (209.1).