June 4, 2013
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - With Western Washington University enjoying the most successful athletics season in school history, it comes as no surprise that two athletes shared both the Male and Female Athlete of the Year honors for 2012-13.
In an announcement made Tuesday, June 4, at the fourth annual Dub-Dub-Blue awards ceremony on the WWU campus, basketball guard John Allen and golfer Jake Webb split the male award and volleyball outside hitter Marlayna Geary and soccer goalkeeper Jamie Arthurs divided the female award.
Their names will be added to the G. Robert Ross Memorial Trophy.
Allen, a senior from Brier (Mountlake Terrace High School graduate), earned first-team Division II Bulletin and Basketball Times All-America recognition as well as third-team Daktronics. He led the Vikings to a 31-3 record, Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season and West Regional crowns and the semifinals of the NCAA II National Tournament. The winning percentage of 91.2 was a school record and the 31 wins tied the WWU standard.
The 6-foot-1 Allen was the Daktronics West Region and GNAC Player of the Year, averaging team-leading figures of 17.1 points and 4.1 assists. He also was a National Association of Basketball Coaches West All-District choice and West Regional all-tournament.
Allen finished his three-year career with 1,480 points, seventh among WWU leaders. The point total was the highest of any Viking not playing four seasons.
Allen ranked 12th in career assists with 348, 14th in steals with 157, and his free throw percentage of 89.4 (244-of-273) was a school record. He finished with seven 30 or more point games, two short of the WWU record.
Webb, a senior from Issaquah (Skyline High School graduate), tied for the medalist lead at nationals and finished in a tie for second following a two-hole playoff, the highest placing by a WWU player since the school joined the NCAA in 1998.
Webb fired a 6-under par 65 in the final medal round at nationals, the best of the tournament and his collegiate career, as he climbed 14 places into a tie for first. That was one stroke off the course record of 64 held by PGA professional Nick Watney.
Webb then helped the Vikings to their best NCAA II national team finish as they tied for third. In the quarterfinals, Webb broke a 2-2-1 tie versus No.1 seed Florida Southern with an eight-shot victory over national medalist Tim Crouch for a 379 to 373 aggregate score win.
The GNAC Player of the Year and GNAC tournament champion, Webb had a team-leading 73.3 scoring average and shot 11 rounds under par.
He earned first-team all-league honors for the second time in helping the Vikings to a sixth straight GNAC title.
WWU placed second at the South Central/West Regional and ranked No.6 nationally in the final Golf Coaches Association of America DII Top 25 Poll.
Arthurs, a senior from Richland (Richland High School graduate), led the nation in goals against average at 0.39 per game and ranked seventh nationally in save percentage at 88.2. She helped the Vikings to a 19-4-0 record, the win total being a school record, GNAC regular season (12-2-0) and tournament titles, and the Far West Regional final.
Arthurs had a GNAC and school record 16 shutouts, one shy of the national record. She allowed just nine goals in 23 games. During one stretch, Arthurs recorded 10 straight shutouts and had a scoreless string of 919 minutes and 29 seconds, both school records.
A second-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Daktronics All-American, Arthurs was a first-team NSCAA and Daktronics West Region all-star and GNAC Player of the Year.
During her four-year career, Arthurs set school records with 39 shutouts, which ranked sixth nationally, and a 0.58 GAA.
Geary, a senior from Tacoma (Bellarmine Prep graduate), was a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association and honorable mention Daktronics All-American. She led the Vikings to a 24-4 record, the GNAC championship (16-2) and the West Regional semifinals.
Geary also was a AVCA and Daktronics West Region all-star and GNAC Player of the Year as well as a West Regional all-tournament pick. Named MVP at both the Western Oregon and Sonoma State tournaments, she ranked 15th nationally in both kills (4.13 avg. per set) and points (4.72).
Geary led the GNAC in kills and was fifth in aces (35), 10th in attack percentage (.275) and 12th in digs (3.09). She had a league-high 18 double-doubles in kills and digs and 25 double-figure kill matches.
The 5-foot-10 Geary finished her four-year career with 1,354 kills,, second among WWU leaders, and just 25 shy of the school record. She also had 983 digs, which ranked 10th all-time.
WWU ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
1954 Ken Swalwell - Football, Men's Track & Field, Baseball1955 Bruce Randall - Football, Men's Basketball1956 Ted Whan - Men's Track & Field1957 Bruce Randall - Football, Baseball1958 Fred Emerson - Football, Baseball1959 Sam Martin - Football1960 Jerry Joyce - Men's Track & Field1961 Don Trethewey - Men's Track & Field1962 Mike Kirk - Men's Basketball1963 Jim Adams - Men's Basketball1964 Bob Thomas - Men's Basketball1965 Keith Shugarts - Football, Men's Basketball1966 Jack Nighbert - Men's Basketball, Baseball1967 Steve Richardson - Football, Baseball1968 Dave Weedman - Football1969 Gary Reiersgard - Men's Basketball1970 Mike Clayton - Men's Basketball1971 Gary White - Men's Basketball1972 Lee Andersen - Wrestling1973 Mike Franza - Men's Basketball1974 Mike Vorce - Men's Track & Field1975 Chuck Price - Men's Basketball1976 Charmon Odle - Women's Basketball1977 Pat Locker - Football1978 Bruce Manclark - Men's Track & Field, Men's Cross Country1979 Rohn McCoy - Men's Basketball1981 Jo Metzger - Women's Basketball1982 Marilyn Thibodeau - Women's Cross Country,Women's Track & Field1983 Wendy Malich - Women's Track & Field1984 Joan Williamson - Women's Track & Field1985 Dave Peterson - Football Genevie Pfueller - Women's Cross Country and Track & Field1986 Carmen Dolfo - Women's Basketball Allen James - Men's Track & Field1987 Kim Nix - Men's Track & Field and Football Hollie Watson - Women's Track & Field1988 James Johnson - Men's Basketball Shelly Borovich - Women's Volleyball and Track & Field1989 Peter LaBarge - Football Anna Rabel - Women's Basketball1990 Peter LaBarge - Men's Soccer Lorrie Post - Women's Volleyball1991 Peter LaBarge - Men's Soccer Scott Lohr - Football Lorrie Post - Women's Volleyball1992 Jeff Van Kleeck - Men's Cross Country & Track Joanie Armstrong - Women's Crew1993 Shane Volkmann - Football Lynton Hyde - Football Kris Maraveller - Women's Cross Country & Track1994 Dwayne Kirkley - Men's Basketball Brandi Stevenson - Women's Track1995 Bill Christensen - Football Gina Sampson - Women's Basketball1996 Orlondo Steinauer - Football Gina Sampson - Women's Basketball1997 Chris Nicholl - Football Amy Cameron - Women's Track1998 Mark Spencer - Football Cathy Johnson - Fastpitch1999 Joel Skarbo - Men's Golf Devin Kemper - Men's Track Celeste Hill - Women's Basketball2000 Ben Clampitt - Football Celeste Hill, Women's Basketball Craig Welty - Men's Golf2001 Erik Totten - Football Michelle Parker - Volleyball2002 Scott Mitchell - Football Shannon Rowland - Volleyball2003 Mike Palm - Men's Basketball Liz Bishop - Volleyball Ashlee Vincent - Women's Cross Country and Track2004 Nicola Parker - Volleyball Kurt Hartmaier - Men's Cross Country and Track Josh Griesse - Men's Crew2005 Michael Koenen - Football Tim Feenstra - Men's Golf Julia Gamache - Women's Rowing2006 Grant Dykstra - Men's Basketball Katja Trygg - Women's Golf2007 Anthony Tomsich - Men's Track and Cross Country Courtney Schneider - Volleyball Lindsay Mann-King - Women's Rowing2008 Courtney Schneider - Volleyball Sean Packer - Men's Golf2009 Ira Graham - Men's Basketball Jake Koppenberg - Men's Golf Sarah Porter - Women's Cross Country and Track Audrey Coon - Women's Rowing2010 Sarah Porter - Women's Cross Country and Track Ryan Brown - Men's Track2011 Sarah Porter - Women's Cross Country and Track Ryan Brown - Men's Track2012 Rory Blanche, Men's Basketball Emily Warman, Women's Track & Field and Soccer2013 John Allen, Men's Basketball Jake Webb, Men's Golf Marlayna Geary, Volleyball Jamie Arthurs, Women's Soccer
