2014 Big West Scholar-Athletes Release
The 2014 Big West Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year from the nine conference institutions will be honored at a special banquet on Thursday, March 12 at the Wyndham hotel in Anaheim, Calif. Each institution selected its own honorees.
Here is the list of each school's top Male and Female Scholar-Athlete. The complete Commissioner's Honor Roll list for each institution was also announced, and can be viewed by clicking on the above PDF link.
2014 BIG WEST MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Chase Minter, Cal Poly (Heath, Texas.) A junior midfielder for the Mustangs men’s soccer program, Chase was named the Big West Conference Midfielder of the Year in 2014. He also earned NSCAA All-Far West Region honors. He is second all-time at Cal Poly in assists with 15. Chase is a member of the Dean’s List and he hopes to pursue a professional soccer career. A Graphics Communications major, he hopes to work in web and digital media development and to one day earn a graduate degree.
Joshua Gordon, Cal State Fullerton (Los Angeles, Calif.) A junior on the Titans men’s track & field team, Josh is the team captain and one of the top sprinters for the squad. A member of the Dean’s List, he also serves as Secretary for the Kappa Omicron Honor Society. He serves as a Resident Advisor and is involved with the Male Success Initiative as a mentor and a Board Member. A Kinesiology major, Josh plans to attend graduate school and medical school. He hopes to one day become a chiropractor and a track and field coach.
Jordan Taylor, CSUN (Palmdale, Calif.) A senior sprinter for the Matadors, Jordan has qualified three times for the NCAA West Regionals. He finished third at the 2014 Big West Conference Championship in the 100 meters. He is 10th all time in the CSUN record books in this event with a time of 10.45. He has earned both Big West Conference and MPSF All Academic accolades. Jordan serves as a mentor and a tutor for the Matador Achievement Center. An Economics major with a minor in Finance, Jordan plans to pursue a career in financial planning.
McKay LaSalle, Long Beach State (Bountiful, Utah.) The senior captain for the Long Beach State men’s basketball team, McKay is among the Big West leaders in 3-point percentage and 3-pointers made. He is a member of the President’s List and has a perfect 4.0 LBSU GPA. He works as a tutor and is an active member of the Long Beach State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. As a member of the community service subcommittee, he is involved in coordinating and participating in visits to the non-profit Precious Lamb preschool. A Business Finance major, McKay plans to earn his MBA and open his own business.
Alec Adamson, UC Davis (Corona del Mar, Calif.) A sophomore, Alec is the #1 singles and doubles player for the Aggies tennis team. He earned first team All Big West honors during his freshman season in both singles and doubles. This past summer, he qualified for the ITA National Summer Championships. He ranks 4th all time in UC Davis history for single season singles wins and 2nd all time for single season doubles wins. He is a member of the Dean’s List and was a recipient of the John Wooden Scholarship. He serves as a group leader for Athletes in Action Men’s Leadership Training. An Economics major, he hopes to play tennis professionally before possibly earning a MBA. He plans to one day be involved in a career related to the stock market.
Pete Fernandez, UC Irvine (Bakersfield, Calif.) A senior golfer for the UC Irvine men’s team, Pete led the team with six top-10 finishes in 2013-14. He earned first team All Big West Conference honors in 2014 and participated in the NCAA regional championship. He has been named Big West Conference golfer of the month. He also earned second team All Big West honors in both 2012 and 2013. In 2013, he won the Long Beach City Championship. A Criminology and Law & Society major, Pete has interned for the Victim Witness Program through the Santa Ana Courthouse. He hopes to pursue a professional golf career and to eventually have a career in law enforcement.
Kevin Sprague, UC Riverside (Chino Hills, Calif.) A senior pitcher for the Highlanders baseball squad, Kevin led the team in relief appearances from 2013-14. In 2014 he served as the team’s closer, finishing 8th in the Big West Conference in saves. He has moved into the starting rotation in 2015, serving as the team’s Friday night starter. He is a 10-time member of the Dean’s List and has been named to the Chancellor’s Honors List three times. A Business Administration major, Kevin plans to continue to play baseball after graduation and hopes to one day work in the front office for a Major League Baseball team.
Albert Hughes, UC Santa Barbara (Garden Grove, Calif.) A senior thrower for the track & field program, Albert holds the fifth all-time best mark in the hammer throw for the Gauchos. He has twice finished second at the Big West Conference Championship in the hammer throw. He has won the event at seven different meets over the last two years. He is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and serves as a board member for the UCSB Student-Athlete Advisory Board. He has interned for a California State Assemblyman. A Philosophy major, Albert plans to continue to train in hopes of competing in the Olympics. He plans to attend law school and is also interested in pursuing a collegiate coaching career.
Nils Schuhmann, Hawaii (Karlstadt, Germany) A senior member of the Warriors men’s tennis team, Nils helped lead the squad to the 2014 Big West Conference championship. He earned first team All Big West Conference honors in doubles and second team All Big West in singles. He went undefeated in conference play in doubles. A member of the Dean’s List, he has earned an International Undergraduate Student Scholarship. He is a member of the UH International Business Organization. A triple major in Management, Finance, and International Business, he hopes to one day be a Financial Analyst and an Entrepreneur. He also hopes to continue his tennis career in the Bundesliga League.
2014 BIG WEST FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Ashley Windsor, Cal Poly (Langley, British Columbia.) A junior cross country and track and field performer, Ashley posted the fastest time for the Mustangs at the 2014 Big West Conference Cross Country Championship. She also paced the team at the NCAA West Regional Meet where she finished 37th overall. She was named the 2013 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year in cross country and also captured a third place finish in the 800 at the Big West Track & Field Championship. She qualified for the NCAA West Regional in the 800. A Psychology major, Ashley hopes to one day compete in the Olympics. She also plans to enroll in a graduate program in family counseling and would like to work with young teens in juvenile detention.
Adriana Gjonovich, Cal State Fullerton (Cypress, Calif.) A senior midfielder, Adriana helped lead the Titans soccer team to back-to-back Big West Conference Tournament Championships. She has earned Big West Conference Academic All Conference and Scholar-Athlete honors. Adriana has also been named to the Dean’s List on six occasions. She serves as the Vice-President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is actively involved with an afterschool program that provides tutoring to junior high students. A Kinesiology major, Adriana plans to attend medical school with the ultimate goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
Marisa Young, CSUN (Fountain Valley, Calif.) A senior center for the water polo team, Marisa is a three-time All American for the Matadors. She led the Big West Conference in goals scored in 2014 and has been named to the All Big West team three times. She entered her senior season fourth all-time in CSUN history in goals scored. She competed for the USA Women’s Senior National Team at the 2014 FINA Intercontinental Tournament. She is an Academic All American and she works as a tutor in the Matador Achievement Center. Marisa is majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and plans to become a veterinarian.
Ebba Unden, Long Beach State (Stockholm, Sweden.) A junior member of the Beach tennis team, Ebba earned first team All Big West Conference accolades in both singles and doubles in both 2013 and 2014. She was also named the Big West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2013. She is one of only 16 players in Beach history to total more than 100 wins. She is an Academic All-Star and has earned both Dean’s List and President’s List honors. A Finance major, Ebba hopes to stay in the USA and is considering pursuing a MBA.
Andrea Wong, UC Davis (San Francisco, Calif.) A junior, Andrea is a member of the Aggies golf team. She has earned All Big West Conference honors the past two seasons, helping to propel UC Davis to the Conference Championship in both years. She finished second overall at the Conference Championship in 2013 and was named Big West Freshman of the Year. She is involved with Camp Kasem, a camp for children with a parent diagnosed with cancer and she also is a volunteer/mentor with The First Tee of Greater Sacramento. Andrea plays the moon guitar and has performed with the Purple Silk Foundation/Great Wall Youth Orchestra. An American Studies major with a minor in Psychology, Andrea is interested in pursuing a career in event planning, marketing or product management.
Itos Aikhionbare, UC Irvine (Eagle Rock, Calif.) A senior thrower for the UC Irvine track & field team, Itos is a two-time Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honoree. She was the 2014 Big West Conference Field Athlete of the Year and was also named Athlete of the Week on three separate occasions during the season. She has been named Athlete of the Week six times in her career. She won the conference title in 2014 in both the shot put and discus throw. A Biological Sciences major, Itos volunteers at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. After her throwing career concludes, she plans to become a pediatric surgeon.
Haley Wian, UC Riverside (Huntington Beach, Calif.) A sophomore member of the Highlanders golf team, Haley improved her seasonal scoring average by three strokes so far from her freshman year to this season, helping the Highlanders to their first-ever top-60 national ranking. Wian has been named to the Dean’s List in each of her four quarters at UC Riverside, and earned Chancellor’s Honors List recognition as a freshman in 2013-14. She volunteers at Meadowlark Golf Course’s junior camps running practice drills and teaching the game of golf to young enthusiasts. A Business Administration major, Wian is considering pursuing a professional golf career. She hopes to find a career that incorporates her love of mathematics.
April Scatliffe, UC Santa Barbara (Redlands, Calif.) A senior member of the Gauchos tennis team, April earned All Big West Conference honors in both singles and doubles in 2013 and 2014. The US Tennis Association awarded her a Southern California Sportsmanship Award. She volunteers with the Santa Barbara Special Olympics, Relay for Life and the Best Day Foundation. April is a Communications major with a minor in English. After graduation, she plans to teach in Spain for a year. Upon her return, she will attend graduate school for Speech and Language Pathology.
Alex Porlier Langlois, Hawaii (St-Cesaire, Quebec.) A senior thrower for the Hawaii track and field team, Alex has the second all-time highest mark in the shot put for the Rainbow Wahine. She has taken second place on two occasions in the shot put at the Big West Conference Championships. She has competed in a number of international competitions as a member of Team Canada. Alex has frequently earned Dean’s List honors. An Animal Science major, she plans to become a veterinarian for livestock or exotic animals. She would also like to own her own business one day. She hopes to continue her track & field career with Team Canada.