MANCHESTER, N.H. – Joseph Hartigan '21 and Grace Guachione '21, recent graduates of Saint Anselm College, were awarded the institution's Male and Female Senior Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2020-21 academic year.

The Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards are given to seniors who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom and on the playing field. Candidates must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30, have significant academic credentials, evidence of a solid athletic career and a community service component.

Traditionally, the College's major year-end athletics awards are announced in person at an awards ceremony, but in the last two academic years, the announcements have been made virtually. Guachione and Hartigan were nominated by Saint Anselm in late May for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award annually issued by the Northeast-10 Conference.

Guachione, a member of the women's basketball team, impressed in the classroom while majoring in Business and Finance. Guachione has appeared on the Saint Anselm Dean's List seven times while Hartigan's resume includes six Dean's List citations. Hartigan, an Accounting and Finance major, competed with the nationally-ranked men's lacrosse team, helping the program to its first appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Guachione has helped Saint Anselm to 60 wins in four years, including at least 20 victories in back-to-back seasons. Guachione and the Hawks' seniors also secured the program's first-ever NCAA Division II East Region Championship in 2019 and in March 2020, Saint Anselm made it all the way to the NE10 title game and earned the College's ninth appearance in the NCAA Division II postseason. She led the team with 56 steals, ranking fourth in the NE10 in both steals and steals per game (2.0) back in the 2019-20 season.

Off the court, Guachione is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, the Delta Sigma Pi Hispanic Honorary Society and the Delta Epsilon Sigma Society. She also serves the greater campus community as a Student Alumni Ambassador. In addition to her Saint Anselm Dean's List plaudits, she has also picked up NE10 Academic Honor Roll honors seven times.

Hartigan was selected as a New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) Preseason All-New England pick before the 2021 season and helped the Hawks to a historic season on the field. He finishes his career at Saint Anselm with 39 ground balls and 27 caused turnovers in over 50 games played.

The double major was a key part of the historic 2021 season for the Hawks, propelling Saint Anselm to a 13-2 record and the nation's finest goals-against average (6.47). With his assistance, Saint Anselm has played for a Northeast-10 Conference postseason championship twice (2018, 2021) and claimed the team's first Northeast Division Regular Season Championship with an unblemished 10-0 record.

Guachione is the first women's basketball student-athlete to win the Female Senior Scholar-Athlete Award since Erin Higgins '10 in 2010.