PHOENIX, Ariz. – For their outstanding effort in the classroom and in the arena of athletic competition, the Pacific West Conference has selected its 11 top scholar athletes for 2009-10.
The PacWest made the announcement on Sunday, June 20, 2010, from its conference media office in Phoenix, Ariz.
The following student-athletes were voted Scholar Athlete of the Year in their respective PacWest sport and will now go on the conference ballot for PacWest Men's and Women's Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Men's Athletic Programs
Baseball: Tyler Bair (Grand Canyon University)
Men's Basketball: Lucas Alves (Brigham Young University Hawaii)
Men's Cross Country: Kevin Enriques (Hawai'i Pacific University)
Men's Golf: Bentley Nakasawa (Grand Canyon University)
Men's Soccer: Sam Akinaka (Brigham Young University Hawaii)
Women's Athletic Programs
Women's Basketball: Samantha Murphy (Grand Canyon University)
Women's Cross Country: Amanda Tanchanleun (Hawai'i Pacific University)
Women's Soccer: Mikala Wilkes (Dixie State College of Utah)
Softball: Casey Sugihara (Hawai'i Pacific University)
Women's Tennis: Elwen Li (Brigham Young University Hawaii)
Women's Volleyball: Tanya Alvino (Chaminade University of Honolulu)
Grand Canyon, BYU-Hawaii and Hawai'i Pacific led the conference with a trio of scholar athlete of the year selections each, while Dixie State and Chaminade each claimed one.
The sports information directors of the conference nominated and voted on the PacWest Scholar Athlete of the Year awards. The same group will vote this week on the overall PacWest Men's and Women's Scholar Athlete of the Year awards.
Baseball:
Tyler Bair – Grand Canyon (OF, Jr., 6-0, 195, R/R, Scottsdale, AZ/Coronado)…majoring in sports recreation programming and coaching…boasts a 3.42 GPA)…selected Daktronics All-West Region 2nd Team…tied for the league's top spot in hits (69) and doubles (21)…ranked third in the PacWest in batting average (.411)…posted 55 RBI and 113 total bases…ranked fourth in slugging percentage (.673)…also had 13 stolen bases and eight outfield assists…batting average was best by a GCU player since 2007 (Matt Henne, .414)…RBI total was most for an Antelope player since 2006 (Cody Johns, 59)…doubles total equaled the most for a GCU hitter since 2004 (Travis Kaats, 21)…All-PacWest 2nd Team OF.
Men's Basketball:Lucas Alves – BYU-Hawaii (F/C, Sr., 6-9, 230, Casa Branca, Brazil/Colegio Avanqo Ensino Progranado)…PacWest Player of the Year for the third consecutive season…3.38 GPA in exercise and sport science…the lone All-PacWest First Team selection in 2009-10…completes his career with four straight All-PacWest First Team honors…averaged 16.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 52.1% (114 for 219) from the field…helped lead the Seasiders to share of the PacWest title and a berth in the NCAA II West Region final.
Men's Cross Country:Kevin Enriques - Hawai'i Pacific (Sr., 5-8, 140, Honolulu, HI/Education La)…All-PacWest 2nd Team after finishing 13th in the 2009 conference championship race…posted a perfect fall grade point average of 4.00…finished year with a cumulative GPA of 3.88…majoring in accounting.
Men's Golf:
Bentley Nakasawa – Grand Canyon (Sr., Yuma, AZ/Yuma Catholic)…business major with a 3.71 GPA…finished 13th in the PacWest Championship to earn Second Team All-Conference accolades…key member of 2009 and 2010 PacWest Championship teams…competed in two NCAA Division II Championships and three regionals…had 74.14 average, ranking 19th in the West Region and 99th in Division II…had a hole-in-one at the 2009 West/Central Regional.
Men's Soccer:Sam Akinaka – BYU-Hawaii (Sr., F, 5-10, 170, Haiku, Maui, HI/Maui)…All-Conference Second Team…led BYU–Hawaii with eight goals and three game-winners…also tallied two assists during the season and led the team in points with 18…posted a 3.41 GPA in hotel & tourism management.
Women's Basketball:
Samantha Murphy – Grand Canyon (G, Jr., 5-8, Phoenix, AZ/Xavier Prep)…majoring in pre-physical therapy…boasts a 3.96 GPA…reigning Pacific West Conference Female Scholar Athlete and Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year…named the PacWest Women's Basketball Player of the Year in 2010…All-PacWest First Team in each of her first three seasons…became GCU's all-time leading scorer this season…led conference in scoring (19.0 ppg.)…among PacWest leaders in 11 of 13 categories…also set a new school mark for single-season free-throw percentage (87.0).
Women's Cross Country:
Amanda Tanchanleun – Hawai'i Pacific (Jr., Aiea, HI/Aiea)…finished 13th at the PacWest Championship…earned All-PacWest Second Team honors…repeat scholar athlete winner…posted a 3.86 GPA in nursing.
Women's Soccer:
Mikala Wilkes – Dixie State (Sr., M, 5-5, Cedar Hills, UT/Lone Peak)…posted a 3.92 GPA while majoring in business…named the PacWest Player of the Year in women's soccer…earned her third straight All-PacWest First Team selection…amassed 30 points on 12 goals and six assists…ranked second in goals, goals per game (0.67), points and points per game (1.67)…tied for third in assists and assists per game (0.33).
Softball:
Casey Sugihara - Hawai'i Pacific (Sr., 5-2, 2B, L/R, Mililani, HI/Mililani)…four-year starter who earned three All-PacWest Second Team selections…helped lead HPU to the NCAA II National Championship…hit .331 in 58 starts…scored 47 runs and ripped seven doubles…posted a 3.77 GPA.
Women's Tennis:
Elwen Li – BYU-Hawaii (Jr., Chengdu, China)…First Team All-American in both singles and doubles…PacWest Tournament MVP…First Team All-PacWest at singles and doubles…3.82 GPA in biology…25-0 singles record…25-1 doubles mark.
Women's Volleyball:Tanya Alvino – Chaminade (S, Jr., Brentwood, CA/Liberty)…majoring in accounting…boasts a 3.97 GPA…a leader on the court as the starting setter…has displayed tremendous leadership abilities off the court…serves on the Chaminade Student Athlete Advisory Committee as its treasurer…2009 and 2010 PacWest All-Academic selection…has accumulated 2,511 assists in three years.
