Murphy and Rousseau Receive NSCA All-America Awards

KEENE, N.H. 05/2/06 - Keene State College’s Colleen Murphy (Mansfield, Mass.) and Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.) recently received All-America honors from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

The award recognizes student athletes’ dedication to strength and conditioning.

Murphy, a senior member of the Keene State women’s lacrosse team, and Rousseau, a sophomore on the Owl baseball team, were selected for the honor by Sarah Testo, KSC’s strength and conditioning coach.

“Colleen missed her junior year with an illness and was determined to work hard during the off-season to have a great senior year,” Testo said. “She is a hard worker who pushes herself at all times and is a role model to her teammates.”

“I had no idea about the honor,” said Murphy. “Since I missed last year, I knew I had to work hard during the off-season to get in shape. As one of the team captains, I take a lot of pride as a team leader on and off the field.”

Murphy, an attack player, leads the Owls in scoring with 37 goals, 12 assists, and 49 points.

“Joe knows the benefit of strength and conditioning and how to get the most out of the program,” Testo said. “He is a dedicated athlete who has the motivation to excel in baseball.”

“The award caught me by surprise,” said Rousseau. “The honor means a lot to me. The work you do in the off-season is just as important as the work you do in season.”

The Owls’ starting third baseman, Rousseau is currently second on the team in hitting with a .358 average and 23 RBIs.

Murphy and Rousseau were recognized at Keene State’s awards dinner on Sunday.

This year, the NSCA honored 242 college athletes from 160 schools with the award.