PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference honored the top student-athletes in both academic and athletic achievement on Thursday recognizing a new record 359 student-athletes with the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Scholar-Athlete Award, presented by Barnes and Noble College.
There were 124 male student-athletes honored while 235 female student-athletes were honored.
The FAR Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes all-student athletes listed on any team at all GNAC institutions, regardless of sponsorship from the conference, that have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.85 or greater.
Two Simon Fraser student-athletes have been awarded for an unprecedented sixth time in their careers as well as six student-athletes (two from Northwest Nazarene, two from Simon Fraser, one from Saint Martin's, and one from Western Washington) are all receiving the award for the fifth time in their respective careers.
Central Washington once again leads the GNAC conference members with 46 FAR Scholar-Athlete Award recipients.
A faculty athletic representative is a member of the faculty at an NCAA member institution who has been designated to serve as a liaison between the institution's faculty and the athletic department. The FAR serves as a representative of the institution in conference and NCAA affairs. The role of the FAR is to "ensure that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and athletics."
CWU had two student-athletes receive the award for the fourth times in their careers in
Austin Ohland (Baseball) and
Allie Thiessen (Softball). Nine different Wildcats have garnered the award three times in their careers, and 10 different Wildcats have been honored twice in their careers.
CENTRAL WASHINGTON - MALE
Name Sport Academic Major Year GPA Hometown
Colton Anardi Baseball Accounting FR 4.00 Auburn, Wash.
Garrett Bova Baseball Professional Pilot FR 4.00 Corona, Calif.
Steiner Christensen Track & Field Computer Science FR 4.00 Tacoma, Wash.
*
Brayde Hirai Baseball Sport & Athletic Admin. SR 3.98 Pasco, Wash.
**
Liam Holland Rugby Economics JR 4.00 Bedford, United Kingdom
Quaid Hunt Rugby Arts & Sciences FR 3.96 Denver, Colo.
Brycen Indell Football Undeclared FR 3.97 Eugene, Ore.
Kye Jones Rugby Economics JR 3.87 Folsom, Calif.
Taine Jones Rugby Business Admin. FR 4.00 Folsom, Calif.
*
Kelvin Kipchirchir Track & Field Information Technology SO 3.89 Eldoret, Kenya
& Administration
Ben Leid Baseball Biochemistry SO 3.88 Corvallis, Ore.
Brett McCalla Football Undeclared FR 3.94 Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Kennedy McGill Football Sport Management FR 3.89 Maple Valley, Wash.
*
Nolan Milliman Baseball Psychology SO 3.91 Yorba Linda, Calif.
*
Nolan Murphy Baseball Undeclared SO 3.95 Wasilla, Alaska
Johnny Navarro Football Sport & Athletic Admin. JR 3.98 Mill Creek, Wash.
***
Austin Ohland Baseball Business Admin. JR 3.98 Maple Valley, Wash.
Jack Pratapas XC/T&F Arts & Sciences FR 3.90 Snoqualmie, Wash.
**
Dominic Wieburg Football Law & Justice SO 3.90 Sammamish, Wash.
CENTRAL WASHINGTON - FEMALE
Name Sport Academic Major Year GPA Hometown
*
Tia Andaya Volleyball Exercise Science JR 3.90 Ellensburg, Wash.
Annelise Bauman Soccer Arts & Sciences FR 3.97 East Wenatchee, Wash.
Brina Baysinger Softball Arts & Sciences FR 4.00 Colorado Springs, Colo.
Shelby Blodgett Basketball Undeclared SO 3.96 Clatskanie, Colo.
Payton Elenbaas Track & Field Physical Education & JR 3.85 Lynden, Wash.
School Health
*
Scottie Ellsworth Volleyball Arts & Sciences FR 3.98 Kent, Wash.
Kylee Gregory Soccer Arts & Sciences SO 3.89 Discovery Bay, Calif.
Kate Hopkins Softball Business Admin. JR 3.96 Seattle, Wash.
Madi Haack Soccer Clinical Physiology FR 4.00 Maple Valley, Wash.
**
Brinley Hagemeier Basketball Psychology SO 3.99 Ellensburg, Wash.
Morgan Halady Volleyball Psychology SO 3.95 Indianola, Wash.
**
Grace Jackson Soccer Clinical Physiology JR 3.99 Ronald, Wash.
**
Ashley Kaufman Volleyball Psychology JR 3.89 Hayden, Idaho
Ashlee Laver Softball Psychology SR 4.00 Irvine, Calif.
**
Sasha Mitchell Softball English Language & JR 3.95 Kirkland, Wash.
Literature
*
Elise Norris Rugby Arts & Sciences SO 3.94 Auburn, Wash.
*
Reese Schimmel Softball Business Admin. SO 3.91 Rainier, Ore.
*
Sarah Sewell Track & Field Business Admin. SO 4.00 Mill Creek, Wash.
**
Tess Sparks Soccer Arts & Sciences JR 3.91 East Wenatchee, Wash.
**
Finn Sprankle Soccer Arts & Sciences JR 3.96 Fairbanks, Alaska
***
Allie Thiessen Softball Social Services SR 3.90 Chilliwack, B.C.
Lilly Thomas Rugby Business Admin. FR 3.96 Lehi, Utah
Lauren Thompson XC/T&F Elementary Education FR 3.86 Kennewick, Wash.
Madison Thompson XC/T&F Arts & Sciences SO 3.97 Ellensburg, Wash.
**
Kylie Thorne Volleyball Arts & Sciences SO 4.00 Pasco, Wash.
*
Mikayla Uhlenkott Volleyball Business Admin. FR. 3.93 Pullman, Wash.
Cady Wilton Softball Elementary Education SO 3.93 Kent, Wash.
***** - Six-Time FAR Award Recipient
**** - Five-Time FAR Award Recipient
*** - Four-Time FAR Award Recipient
** - Three-Time FAR Award Recipient
* - Two-Time FAR Award Recipient
Read the full GNAC release
HERE
