University of Massachusets Athletics
Van Herwijnen, Gaskins Named As MAC Medal Of Excellence Award Recipients
May 21, 2026 | Field Hockey, Men's Track & Field, Athletics Department
Van Herwijnen of field hockey Gaskins of men's track and field named as two of the 26 winners of the award.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Myrte van Herwijnen and Godot Gaskins were two of the 26 recipients of the MAC Medal of Excellence Award, announced by the conference on Thursday. The duo will be presented with the award during the 2026 Honors Dinner Ceremony at the Cleveland Hotel as part of MAC Spring Meetings on Thursday, May 29th.
The Medal of Excellence is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 13 Conference member institutions.
To receive the Medal of Excellence Award, student-athletes must have participated at the varsity level in a Conference-sponsored sport, maintained a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA, and demonstrated excellence in athletics, leadership, and service. Honorees are selected by their respective institutions.
Van Herwijnen enjoyed a historic career for the Minutewomen, earning first team All-Conference in each of her four seasons. She was also named MAC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2025 after garnering Atlantic 10 Goalie of the Year in both 2023 and 2024. Van Herwijnen was named ECAC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior as well. As a senior, she was a three-time MAC Goalkeeper of the Week, while earning NFHCA national weekly honors in mid-September following eight saves in a 2-1 victory at Boston College.
Van Herwijnen's numbers improved each season, with her goals against average going from 1.60 as a freshman to 1.37 to 1.00, then 0.72. Her save percentage also reached a career high 82.6% her final season, as she finished 56-23 over her storied career. Van Herwijnen's 1.16 career GAA is good for sixth in program history and her 56 wins rank second.
As a junior, van Herwijnen helped lead the Minutewomen to their first Final Four appearance since 1992, making two saves at UConn, then three against Harvard in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament before stopping six of the seven shots she faced in the NCAA semifinal game versus Northwestern. She went on to be named a second team NFHCA All-American as a junior, then a third team All-American by Synapse Sports as a senior. Van Herwijnen was also a three-time NFHCA Northeast First Team All-Region selection in her career.
The Netherlands native was also a four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree and was named a NFHCA Scholar of Distinction following each of her four seasons. She is currently completing her degree as a double major in Hospitality & Tourism Management (BS) and Psychology (BA) this spring with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. She was named to the Dean's List in each of her semesters at UMass.
Since joining the Minutemen in 2022, Gaskins has become one of the most decorated sprinters during his historic career at UMass. In his first season competing in the Mid-American Conference, Gaskins has been named MAC Track Athlete of the Week three times spanning the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Gaskins' name is all over the Indoor and Outdoor Men's Track and Field Program Record Book, including holding the program record in the indoor 200m dash, indoor and outdoor 400m run, as well as a member on the indoor 4x400m relay and outdoor 4x100m relay that sit best in program history. The Marblehead, Mass. native ranks second in the indoor 500m, third in the outdoor 200m dash and ninth in the outdoor 100m. Gaskins is a member of five of the top 10 fastest indoor 4x400m relays in program history, as well as seven of the top 10 fastest outdoor 4x100m relays.
In his time at UMass, Gaskins has acquired plenty of hardware across multiple indoor and outdoor conference championships. He earned a bronze medal in the 400m and 4x400m relay at the MAC Indoor Championships in 2026, as well as silver medals at both the A-10 Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the 400m. In 2024, Gaskins won silver medals in the 200m and 400m at the A-10 Outdoor Championships, as well as qualifying for the NCAA East First Round.
Gaskins also puts work in the classroom, as the sprinter was named a member of the 2025-26 Indoor Academic All-MAC Team. He currently had a 3.925 in the Master of Finance program and completed his Bachelor of Business Administration as a marketing major in spring 2025 with a 3.542 cumulative GPA. He was named to the Dean's List in Spring 2023, Fall 2023 and Spring 2025.
The Medal of Excellence is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 13 Conference member institutions.
To receive the Medal of Excellence Award, student-athletes must have participated at the varsity level in a Conference-sponsored sport, maintained a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA, and demonstrated excellence in athletics, leadership, and service. Honorees are selected by their respective institutions.
Van Herwijnen enjoyed a historic career for the Minutewomen, earning first team All-Conference in each of her four seasons. She was also named MAC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2025 after garnering Atlantic 10 Goalie of the Year in both 2023 and 2024. Van Herwijnen was named ECAC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior as well. As a senior, she was a three-time MAC Goalkeeper of the Week, while earning NFHCA national weekly honors in mid-September following eight saves in a 2-1 victory at Boston College.
Van Herwijnen's numbers improved each season, with her goals against average going from 1.60 as a freshman to 1.37 to 1.00, then 0.72. Her save percentage also reached a career high 82.6% her final season, as she finished 56-23 over her storied career. Van Herwijnen's 1.16 career GAA is good for sixth in program history and her 56 wins rank second.
As a junior, van Herwijnen helped lead the Minutewomen to their first Final Four appearance since 1992, making two saves at UConn, then three against Harvard in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament before stopping six of the seven shots she faced in the NCAA semifinal game versus Northwestern. She went on to be named a second team NFHCA All-American as a junior, then a third team All-American by Synapse Sports as a senior. Van Herwijnen was also a three-time NFHCA Northeast First Team All-Region selection in her career.
The Netherlands native was also a four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree and was named a NFHCA Scholar of Distinction following each of her four seasons. She is currently completing her degree as a double major in Hospitality & Tourism Management (BS) and Psychology (BA) this spring with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. She was named to the Dean's List in each of her semesters at UMass.
Since joining the Minutemen in 2022, Gaskins has become one of the most decorated sprinters during his historic career at UMass. In his first season competing in the Mid-American Conference, Gaskins has been named MAC Track Athlete of the Week three times spanning the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Gaskins' name is all over the Indoor and Outdoor Men's Track and Field Program Record Book, including holding the program record in the indoor 200m dash, indoor and outdoor 400m run, as well as a member on the indoor 4x400m relay and outdoor 4x100m relay that sit best in program history. The Marblehead, Mass. native ranks second in the indoor 500m, third in the outdoor 200m dash and ninth in the outdoor 100m. Gaskins is a member of five of the top 10 fastest indoor 4x400m relays in program history, as well as seven of the top 10 fastest outdoor 4x100m relays.
In his time at UMass, Gaskins has acquired plenty of hardware across multiple indoor and outdoor conference championships. He earned a bronze medal in the 400m and 4x400m relay at the MAC Indoor Championships in 2026, as well as silver medals at both the A-10 Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the 400m. In 2024, Gaskins won silver medals in the 200m and 400m at the A-10 Outdoor Championships, as well as qualifying for the NCAA East First Round.
Gaskins also puts work in the classroom, as the sprinter was named a member of the 2025-26 Indoor Academic All-MAC Team. He currently had a 3.925 in the Master of Finance program and completed his Bachelor of Business Administration as a marketing major in spring 2025 with a 3.542 cumulative GPA. He was named to the Dean's List in Spring 2023, Fall 2023 and Spring 2025.
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
GK
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