After an excellent academic and athletic career at Framingham State, Gwen Carpenter has earned the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year as voted on by the Athletics Directors in the conference.

Carpenter, a senior from Ashley Falls, Mass., was a two-sport student-athlete competing for both the Rams women's basketball and softball teams during her time at Framingham State. On the women's basketball side, Carpenter was a part of three teams that won the MASCAC Regular Season and Tournament titles in 2019-20, 2021-22 and 2023-24. For her efforts this past season, she was named Co-MASCAC Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference squad while also being named to the NEWBA and D3hoops all-region squads.  In 104 games played, she averaged 7.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. She was also an All-Conference honoree in 2022 and 2023.  

The success wasn't limited to women's basketball as the Rams softball program won either the MASCAC Regular Season, Tournament title or both over the past four seasons. She was an All-Conference award winner in 2023 and 2024. Most recently, she was named tournament MVP of the 2024 MASCAC Tournament. Carpenter hit .526 during the tournament with seven runs, six doubles, a home run and seven RBI.  Carpenter went 4-for-8 in the championship round with a grand slam and was recognized as the final Division III Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week. She batted .412 this season with 66 hits, including 16 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 30 RBI. For her Framingham State career, she batted .366 with 37 doubles, eight triples, 20 home runs, 64 walks, 136 runs scored, 119 RBI and .576 slugging percentage.

Academically, Carpenter finished her collegiate career with a 3.99 GPA in biology (pre-health) and has been on both the Dean's List and President's List every semester she was eligible. In February, she was recognized by the College Sports Communicators as a member of the women's basketball and softball Academic All-America team. Some of her Framingham State academic accolades include: Dean Racheotes Book Award ('20, '21, '22), Live to the Truth Award (2024), Previte Pre-Professional Medical Award (2024), Melly-Cotter Award (Highest GPA in Biology Department)(2024), Member of the Framingham State Chi Omega Chapter of Beta Beta Beta- National Biological Honor Society (Spring 2022), Member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (Spring 2022) and Member of The National Society of Leadership & Success (Fall 2023). She also has been on the MASCAC All-Academic team each year eligible.

Carpenter was extremely involved outside of school and athletics by volunteering with Team Impact, Read Across America, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) social media team, Be the Match Bone Marrow donation campaign, Fresh Check (Mental Health Check-In) for students, One Love domestic violence awareness, Special Olympics and volunteer coach/referee for basketball and softball with Southern Berkshire youth sports. 

As she worked towards her degree, she also worked as part of the Framingham State athletics event staff, as a tutor, at accepted students open house, as a medical assistant and substitute teacher. 

With her undergraduate career coming to an end, Carpenter will attend the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Worcester to participate in their physician's assistant program. Carpenter was recently awarded a NCAA Postgraduate scholarship to assist with the next steps of her graduate career. The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. 

The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have earned her undergraduate degree by Summer 2023.