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June 6, 2012

SPOKANE, Wash. -

Western Washington University decathlete Alex Harrison and Seattle Pacific University soccer player Kelsey Jenkins have been voted the 2011-12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

The selections are made by the conference's athletic directors.

The two will now be candidates for the 2012 Conference Commissioners Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, which will be selected this summer.

Jenkins (Sr., Kent, WA - Kentwood) has been a standout for the Falcons on the field and in the classroom over the past four seasons.

The political science major completed her undergraduate work with a 3.94 GPA and has earned a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

Three times she earned CoSIDA Academic all-district and GNAC Academic all-conference honors. She was a CoSIDA first team selection in 2009 and 2011 and earned third team honors in 2010 as well as earning GNAC honors in all three seasons.

On the field, she was a three-time GNAC all-star, capping off her career by earning GNAC Player-of-the-Year honors last fall when she led the conference with 11 assists, including two in a NCAA first-round playoff victory.

Jenkins, who guided SPU to a 17-3 record scoring three game-winning goals, was selected to the Daktronics All-American third team in 2011 and twice was a Daktronics first team all-region selection (2009, 2011).

She was a three-time National Soccer Coaches Association all-region selection, earning first team honors in 2010 and 2011 and third team accolades in 2009.

She finished her playing career ranked 23rd in GNAC history in points scored with 57, netting 17 goals - nine of them game-winners - and 23 assists leading SPU to a remarkable 71-9-6 record including a national championship in 2008.

Harrison (Sr., Edmonds, WA - Edmonds-Woodway) has a 3.85 grade point average.

He has earned a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology (Pre-Physical Therapy Specialization), a master's degree in Human Movement and Performance and is now completing classes in preparation to pursue a doctorate degree.

Harrison was a three-time GNAC academic all-star and twice (2009-10 and 2011-12) was selected Western Washington University's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was also a two-time CoSIDA all-district selection earning that honor in both 2010 and 2012.

He earned NCAA Division II All-American honors in both 2010 when he finished fifth in the national meet in the javelin with a toss of 200 feet, nine inches and this spring when he placed seventh in the decathlon with 6,677 points.

Harrison had school-record performances in both the decathlon (6,772) and javelin (214-7) this spring. His decathlon score ranks second in GNAC history and his javelin distance ranks third all-time.

He finished his career winning three GNAC conference titles including the decathlon in both 2010 and 2012 and the javelin in 2010.

He scored a meet-record total of 6,598 points in winning the GNAC decathlon title this spring after missing the 2010-11 conference meet with a hamstring injury.

Harrison, who received six first-place votes and earned 21 points in the balloting, outpointed Maurus Hope of Northwest Nazarene and Derrick Webb of Central Washington who tied for second with 12 points each.

Emily Jepsen of Western Washington finished second in the women's balloting in back of Jenkins. Jenkins receiving seven first-place votes and 25 points, while Jepsen netted 12 points in the voting.

GNAC Scholar-Athletes-of-the-Year Years Male/Female

2001-02	Erik Totten, Western Washington (Football)
        Nichole Sauvageau, Seattle (Soccer)
2002-03	Tobias Schwoerer, Alaska Anchorage (Cross Country)
        *Nichole Sauvageau, Seattle (Soccer)
2003-04	Rob White, Western Washington (Football)
        Liz Bishop, Western Washington (Volleyball)
2004-05	Nathan Carlson, Saint Martin's (Cross County & Track)
        Martina Kartikova, Saint Martin's (Basketball)
2005-06	*Tony Binetti, Seattle Pacific (Basketball)
        Lindy Mullen, Central Washington (Track & Field)
2006-07	*Adam Jensen, Seattle (Soccer)
        *Ana Gutierrez, Seattle (Soccer)
2007-08	*Keith Lemay, Western Washington (Cross Country & Track)
        Amanda Peters, Northwest Nazarene (Soccer & Track and Field)
	Jarred Rensvold, Montana State Billings (Cross Country & Track)
2008-09	Sam Charles, Montana State Billings (Soccer)
        *Ashley Puga, Northwest Nazarene (Cross Country & Track and Field)
2009-10	*Sam Charles, Montana State Billings (Soccer)
        +Jessica Pixler (Cross Country & Track and Field)
2010-11	Adam Bighill, Central Washington (Football)
        Dara Zack, Saint Martin's (Basketball)
2011-12	Alex Harrison, Western Washington (Track and Field)
        Kelsey Jenkins, Seattle Pacific (Soccer)

*Conference Commissioners Regional winner. +National Award Winner