WESTFIELD, Mass – Since 1980 the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference has selected a male and female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award is presented to a male and female student-athlete who has excelled in academics and athletics while attending a Massachusetts State Institution.

To be considered for this award a student-athlete must be nominated by the Director of Athletics of a member institution and must have achieved at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average. The student-athlete must be in his or her last year of athletic eligibility. The recipients are selected by the MASCAC Athletics Directors in voting conducted at the annual meeting.

Earlier this spring, Buccaneer Director of Athletics Mike Kelley nominated football's Kyle Johnston for the award. On Tuesday, May 18^th, it was announced that Johnston is the 2019-2020 MASCAC male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Academically, the International Maritime Business major smashed the 3.2 minimum grade point average requirement with a GPA above 3.5. As a student at the Academy Kyle has earned a spot on the Academy's Deans list twice and the President's list four times while also being named to the MASCAC All-Academic team each of his four fall semesters.

Johnston was named American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Second Team All-American after a tremendous 2019 season. Johnston had the best season of his career in 2019 with 57 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, three forces fumbles and a fumble recovery, all of which were career-highs. His 12.5 sacks in 2019 led the MASCAC and was the fifth highest tally in the country among Division III players. His 19.5 tackles for loss were good for second in the league, tied for 10^th in the country.

Kyle played in 39 of a possible 40 games in his four-year career tallying 164 tackles, 25.5 sacks, 49.5 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. During his career, going along with his All-American award in 2019, he was named to the MASCAC All-Conference First Team Defense in 2018 and 2019 and to the New England Football Writer's All-New England team in 2019 

Johnston is the first Buccaneer to earn the title of MASCAC Scholar-Athlete of the year since men's soccer player Jonathan White was selected in 2011. Kyle is the ninth Maritime student-athlete to earn the award since 1980.

Congratulations to Kyle Johnston on another outstanding achievement in his Buccaneer career.