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.

Anthony Zackery

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

MALE
1999 Erik Meyer, track
2000 Marty Juergens, football
2001 Erik Totten, football
2002 Erik Totten, football
2003 Greg Dykstra, football
2004 Rob White, football
2005 Rob White, football
2006 Scott Romney, track
2007 Keith Lemay, track
2008 Keith Lemay, track/cross country
2009 Anthony Zackary, football

FEMALE
1999 Sarah Hiss, track
2000 Sarah Hiss, track
2001 Kelsi Giswald, rowing
2002 Liz Bishop, volleyball
2003 Liz Bishop, volleyball
2004 Liz Bishop, volleyball
2005 Jodi Gerald, basketball; Meghan Evoy, volleyball
2006 Jessica Telleria, track
2007 Audrey Coon, rowing
2008 Audrey Coon, rowing
2009 Audrey Coon, rowing