Some 40 Fresno Pacific University student-athletes were named to the 2017-18 Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Awards list August 20, 2018. These awards recognize the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the NCAA Division II level.
“We continue to place a high emphasis on academics, so to see this many of our student-athletes recognized for their hard work in the classroom is an exciting thing for our department,” Director of Athletics Aaron Henderson said. “Sunbird athletics continues to soar to new heights, and we are hoping for even more of our athletes to receive academic awards in the future.”
In total, 10,219 student-athletes from 165 institutions, including all 14 members of the PacWest Conference in which FPU competes, received awards. Of the 14 sports for which FPU fielded teams in 2017-18, 13 had students-athletes on the list, with women’s swimming and diving leading the way with seven honorees.
“As an officer for the D2 ADA Board, it has pleased me to see the number of student-athletes recognized for their academic achievements continue to increase,” said D2 ADA President Jim Johnson, director of athletics at Pittsburg State University. “This program is a point of pride for our current D2 ADA member institutions and a great way for their student-athletes’ achievements to be recognized nationally. On behalf of the D2 ADA, we congratulate and celebrate these academic distinctions and are proud of your accomplishments.”
In order to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the student-athlete must have:
- A cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college-level work
- Been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year
FPU honorees
Baseball
Jarrett Anton
Derek Arkelian
Bryan Honley
Men’s basketball
Jake Straughan
Women’s basketball
Bree Alvarez
Barbara Keomany
Megan Lee
Women’s cross country
Jonnie Montano
Men’s soccer
Bruno Brumati
Loren Friesen
Women’s soccer
Rachel Anderson
Vanessa Casillas
Brittney Chow
Jordyn Ryfiak
Men’s track and field
Clint Harris
Jaeden Herms
Scott Hickam
Joshua Valenzuela
Women’s track and field
Allie Austin
Brie Couseault
Annie Regier
Volleyball
Greta Dobenecker
Christina Tran
Men’s swimming and diving
Austin Hussain
Kyle Jones
Caleb McGough
Collin Moore
Bryce Peden
Kyle Sugimoto
Women’s swimming and diving
Leah Allen
Rhoda Anderson
Bavindeep Basra
Daria Belova
Hannah Freeman
Madison McGinnis
Olga Tovstogan
Men’s water polo
Erik Brown
Garrett Pickford
Women’s water polo
Julia Ponce
Sam Witt