Former Triton and Framingham State standout hockey player Ben Colby was named the male recipient of the 2006-07 Howard C. Smith scholar athlete award for the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference. The recent graduate will move on to the University of Connecticut in the fall where he will be paid to do research, while pursuing his Ph.D in polymer science.

The award was the latest in a long list of academic and athletic accomplishments that includes the Dr. Alice Grove Science Scholarship, the Alice L. Donellan Award, the Analytical Chemistry Award, and an honorable mention selection for hockey in the MSCAC last season.

Looking more closely at the recent graduate's resume, who has a 3.79 cumulative GPA in chemistry, Colby became a clear-cut candidate for the award. However, one criteria for the award was that the school's Athletic Director must nominate the player.

"My A.D. kept emailing me to ask me for my list of extra-curricular activities and I thought that it was just for school," said the modest student. "It was quite an honor and a little surprising to receive the award for the entire conference, but it's another achievement I am very proud of."

As for the obvious question, how does one do so well in the classroom especially with a major as difficult as chemistry and still find the time to mix in college athletics? Colby had some simple advice.

"Always go to class because otherwise you will fall behind trying to catch up with the material you have missed," Colby said frankly. "When winter came around I did not have a whole lot of free time - if any at all - mixing 6 a.m. practices with long hours of studying and homework. However, if you do what you have to, then you'll find you have time to do what you want down the road."