By Adam Levine
Sports Editor
Throughout her career, two-sport student-athlete Gwendolyn Carpenter has broken several records for the University’s women’s basketball and softball programs.
Carpenter, a fifth-year senior, has played four seasons for both the women’s basketball team and softball team - serving as a captain for both teams during her last two seasons.
She said her college search was driven by finding an opportunity to play basketball and softball at the collegiate level.
Currently in her final season as an FSU athlete, Carpenter already boasts a résumé of team and individual accolades as both a basketball and softball player.
She has been a member of three MASCAC Championship basketball teams and two MASCAC Championship softball teams. She was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of both the 2022 MASCAC women’s basketball and 2022 MASCAC softball tournaments. She was most recently named a Co-MVP for MASCAC women’s basketball after the 2023-24 season.
For the women’s basketball program, she holds the record for most assists in a single season and passed Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Lauren Donahue this season and tops the all-time career list.
For the softball program, Carpenter holds the record for most home runs in a single season, career home runs, RBIs in a single season, and is just four RBIs away from passing former teammate and now Assistant Softball Coach Camille Desrochers ’22.
Carpenter said she transitioned into a leadership role throughout the years on both teams.
She said as a freshman on the basketball team, “I came in just looking to do whatever I could to get time.”
Her sophomore season was canceled due to COVID-19 and after graduating seniors, the team was unsure of their future, Carpenter said.
Carpenter said the team was unsure of their future after returning from missing a season due to COVID-19. “We found our own identity that year and on the court, I found a little bit more of a voice in a leadership role.”
Carpenter said her final season was her favorite in terms of her “leadership role. … I really loved being a mentor for the freshmen.”
She said she had a similar growth on the softball team. “It was kind of the perfect fit in both sports.”
Carpenter, who has been referred to as ‘Point God’ by her teammates, said, “If I had the choice, I would never take a shot.
“Personally, I never set out to break any records. That wasn't ever really a goal of mine,” she added.
Carpenter said, “I would not have broken any records without any of my teammates around me.”
She said it was a “very cool feeling” breaking Donahue’s career assist record because of how close they are.
“I don't think a lot of people get to learn from the person that they're following. … I got to learn from her for five years and I've developed a really good relationship with her,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter currently holds the all-time record for career home runs with 17, but said she does not consider herself to be a power hitter.
Head Women’s Basketball Coach Walter Paschal said, “Although her athletic career is not over yet … she has made her mark at FSU as one of the best all-around student-athletes of all time.
Gwendolyn is someone who takes pride in everything she does and … she loves Framingham State and everything that goes with it,” he added.
Desrochers played for the women’s basketball and softball teams during her time at the University, was a teammate of Carpenter’s during her final three seasons on both teams, and said they live together off campus.
“Gwen is always having fun. She keeps practice light while also holding people accountable to work their hardest,” she said.
Desrochers held many of Carpenter’s records before her former teammate passed her.
She said, “Gwen has had such a huge impact on both programs and is so deserving of everything that she has accomplished.
“Records are always meant to be broken and there is no one more deserving than Gwen,” Desrochers added.
Brooke Grassia, a junior on the softball team, is in her third season playing with Carpenter and said they live together off campus.
“For me, she’s my role model. She’s my roommate and best friend, but she’s also the epitome of a great softball player. … She is always playing with passion and heart and it moves her teammates too,” Grassia said.
She said, “I can’t help but be so proud of Gwen every time she breaks a new record, even though she’ll say the wins are the only things that really matter.
“I’ve never met a harder worker on the field, court, and academics - not to mention one of the best people I’ve ever met,” Grassia added.
Flannery O’Connor, fifth-year senior, has been a teammate of Carpenter’s on the women’s basketball team since their freshman years and said they live together off campus.
O’Connor said she and Carpenter decided to stay at FSU for a fifth year after losing their sophomore season due to COVID-19.
“It's very simple - if I didn’t have Gwendolyn passing me the ball like she does, there is no way I would be the player I am today,” she said.
O'Connor, who ended her career second on the program’s all-time career scoring list, said, “We always joke that if I could make more than half of my layups, then Gwen would have had a couple hundred more assists.
“Gwen has worked her butt off these past five years and I can truly say she has been the heart and soul of FSU women’s basketball, so it's fitting that a piece of Gwen can live on forever in this program,” she added.
O’Connor said, “To Gwen, thanks for being the best basketball player I’ve had the opportunity to play with - and thanks for being the ‘one to my five!’ Congrats on all of your accomplishments and I can’t wait to cheer you on through your next adventures!”
Carpenter said, “The personal and individual awards and accolades reflect the team's success and I've been lucky enough to be a part of two really successful programs.
“I'm lucky that I was put in a place where I could put my name somewhere, but at the same time, I think the thing that I will leave college athletics with is remembering those championships … more than the individual accolades,” she added.