June 10, 2009
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Audrey Coon, who captained the women's rowing team to a fifth straight team national championship, and Anthony Zackary, who was a cornerback on a football team that won the Dixie Rotary Bowl, are the respective Western Washington University Female and Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 2008-09.
It is the third consecutive year that Coon has received the honor.
The awards recognize Viking student-athletes who best demonstrate excellence both on the playing field and in the classroom.
Coon, a senior from Kenai, Alaska (graduate of Kenai Central High School), is a Spanish/elementary education major with a 3.96 (4.0 scale) grade point average. She was a Collegiate Rowing Coaches of America National Scholar-Athlete and a ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA College Division District 8 academic all-star, both for the third time.
A three-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference at-large academic all-star, Coon was the No.7 seat in a varsity eight shell that placed first at the NCAA Division II National Championships for the fifth straight year, helping the Vikings to a fifth consecutive team national title.
Coon was the No.7 seat in a varsity eight shell that won all 10 of its races this spring and continued a string of not losing to a non- Division I school since 2004. She is just the second student-athlete to win the school's scholar-athlete award three times. The first was volleyball setter Liz Bishop, who performed that feat from 2002 to 2004.
Zackary, a redshirt sophomore from Spokane (graduate of Ferris High School), is a business administration-finance major with a 3.95 GPA. He was a second-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star last season and the top football GNAC academic all-star.
Zackary helped the Vikings to a 6-5 record and second place in the GNAC. He started all 11 games, being credited with 33 tackles, including 23 solo stops.
A two-year letter winner, Zackary was named to the North Central Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll as a redshirt freshman.
WWU 2008-09 SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
MALE
Cross Country
Jordan Welling, No.1, Sophomore, Burlington, WA/Burlington-Edison, 3.55, Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management
Earned All-America honors, placing 29th individually on team that finished 10th at NCAA II National Championships. Earned all-star honors by placing eighth at West Regional on squad that finished third and fifth at GNAC Championships on team that placed second. First-team College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN The Magazine College Division District 8 Academic All-Star and GNAC Academic all-star. Two-year letter winner.
Soccer
Joel Grossman, Midfielder, Senior, Anacortes, WA/Anacortes, 3.83, Business Administration-Operations Management
GNAC academic all-star. Started all 18 games in 2008, helping Vikings to GNAC championship. Four-year letter winner.
Football
Anthony Zackary, Cornerback, Redshirt Sophomore, Spokane, WA/Ferris, 3.95, Business Administration-Finance
Second-team GNAC all-star last season and top GNAC football academic all-star. Played on WWU team that finished 6-5, placed second in league, and won Dixie Rotary Bowl. Started all 11 games, being credited with 33 tackles, including 23 solos. Named to North Central Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll as freshman. Two-year letter winner.
Basketball
Calin Schell, Center, Senior, Chelan, WA/Chelan, 3.71, Manufacturing Engineering Technology
First-team College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN The Magazine College Division District 8 Academic All-Star and GNAC academic all-star for third straight year. Grabbed 584 rebounds during four-year career to rank seventh among school leaders. Second-team GNAC all-star as senior on team that finished 21-6, won school's first outright GNAC title and reached first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional. Team co-captain for second consecutive season. Averaged 11.1 points on 58.0 percent (120-of-207) field-goal shooting, and paced team in both rebounds (7.7 avg.) and blocked shots (1.1). Four-year letter winner.
Golf
Brian Barhanovich, Redshirt-Freshman, Everett, WA (Everett), 3.42, Undeclared
Had 75.5 scoring average ... Letter winner.
Track
Alex Harrison, Multi-Events, Sophomore, Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway, 3.97, Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy
GNAC decathlon champion with personal-best point total of 6,085, the best performance by Western athlete since 2005. Was team's top javelin thrower with mark of 183-5. GNAC academic all-star. Two-year letter winner.
FEMALE
Cross Country
Lauren Breihof, No.2, Sophomore, Vancouver, WA/Mountain View, 3.57, Business Administration-Marketing
Placed 53rd at NCAA II National Championships, helping Vikings place 10th in team standings. Finished 14th in 10,000 meters at national outdoor track and field championships. GNAC academic all-star. Two-year letter winner.
Volleyball
Tiana Roma, Middle Blocker, Senior, Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway, 3.80, Biology/Secondary Education
Second-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA College Division District 8 academic all-star in 2008, first-team in 2007 and second-team in 2006. First-team GNAC Academic all-star for three straight years. Finished four-year career ranked fourth among school leaders in attack percentage (.315), seventh in kills (1,049) and ninth in blocks (348). Second-team GNAC all-star as senior. Honorable mention American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American as junior, helping team to GNAC and West Regional titles and NCAA II National Championship match. First-team AVCA and Pacific Region all-star and all-GNAC choice as sophomore and second-team GNAC all-star as freshman. GNAC Freshman of the Year. Four-year letter winner.
Soccer
Kylie Broadbent, Goalkeeper, Senior, Spokane, WA/Lewis & Clark, 3.66, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Second-team ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA College Division District 8 Academic all-star and GNAC Academic all-star. First-team NSCAA and second-team Daktronics Far West Region and first-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star. Had 0.70 goals against average and eight shutouts. Two letters.
Basketball
Liz McCarrell, Guard, Senior, Ferndale, WA/Ferndale, 3.16, Human Services
All-tourney pick at the CCAA/GNAC Challenge Classic. Averaged 6.3 points per game. Helped Vikings to 19-9 record and first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional. Four-year letter winner.
Softball
Morgan Parkerson, Utility, Senior, RAF Lakenheath, England, 3.27, Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy
Two-time GNAC academic all-star. Hit .286 with two home runs. Four letters.
Golf
Christa Goldie, No.4, Sophomore, Mukilteo, WA/Kamiak, 3.38, Psychology
Had 80.0 scoring average, placing second in three regular-season tournaments. Two-year letter winner.
Rowing
Audrey Coon, Varsity eight - No.7 seat, Senior, Kenai, AK/Kenai Central, 3.96, Spanish/Elementary Education
Second-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2008. Three-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association National Scholar-Athlete, ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA College Division District VIII Academic All-Star and Great Northwest Athletic Conference academic all-star. Seated in first-place varsity eight on three NCAA II national championship teams. Team captain as senior in varsity eight that won all 10 of its races, including Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association, Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference and unofficial NCAA II West Region regattas. Rowed with U.S. development team last summer in Washington D.C. Won gold medals in the women's open lightweight eight and intermediate lightweight four, and silver medal in the intermediate pair. Four-year letter winner.
Track
Heidi Dimmitt, Hurdles, Senior, Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee, 3.66, Chemistry
First-team College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN The Magazine College Division District 8 Academic All-Star. Three-time GNAC academic all-star. Placed fifth in 400 hurdles at NCAA II National Championships to earn USTFCCCA All-America honors, setting school record of 1:00.31 in qualifying heat. Made three national appearances, placing fourth as junior. Four-year letter winner.
WWU SCHOLAR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
MALE1999 Erik Meyer, track2000 Marty Juergens, football2001 Erik Totten, football2002 Erik Totten, football2003 Greg Dykstra, football2004 Rob White, football2005 Rob White, football2006 Scott Romney, track2007 Keith Lemay, track2008 Keith Lemay, track/cross country2009 Anthony Zackary, football
FEMALE1999 Sarah Hiss, track2000 Sarah Hiss, track2001 Kelsi Giswald, rowing2002 Liz Bishop, volleyball2003 Liz Bishop, volleyball2004 Liz Bishop, volleyball2005 Jodi Gerald, basketball; Meghan Evoy, volleyball2006 Jessica Telleria, track2007 Audrey Coon, rowing2008 Audrey Coon, rowing2009 Audrey Coon, rowing
