July 7, 2011

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - With the conclusion of the 2010-11 academic year, the West Coast Conference is glad to announce the 10th annual WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes that have balanced athletic success with academic excellence. Last year, 893 student-athletes across the WCC were honored for possessing at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, setting a record-high for the conference. This year, the number grew yet again, as 935 student-athletes garnered spots in the 2010-11 WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

"Breaking the all-time record for the third consecutive year is an impressive accomplishment," said WCC Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich. "The continuous increase in Commissioner's Honor Roll recipients over the last few years is a testament to our schools' commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes that strive for excellence in both athletics and academics."

LMU saw 14 of its student-athletes earn Gold Honors, given to those athletes with a GPA between 3.75 and 4.00, led by Jessica Vargas (women's basketball) who managed a perfect 4.00 in the Masters of Education program. Vargas was joined by teammate Lauren Wilkins who earned a 3.83. Women's cross country and women's rowing each put four student-athletes on the Gold list, including Jillian Jaccard (3.94), Stephanie Felix (3.93), Michelle Hickerson (3.84) and Alyssa Bellia (3.82) from cross country. Rowing was represented by P.K Carey-Jones (3.85), Kiana Otsuka (3.84), Kayla Pietruszka (3.82) and Allie Shorin (3.75). Men's cross country had three athletes earn Gold Honors, including Kevin Joerger (3.95), Drew Dalton (3.82) and Matt Duncan (3.82). Women's soccer garnered the final Gold Honor as Kimiko Miyashima earned a 3.76 GPA in theater arts.

In addition to the 14 Gold Honor recipients, LMU also saw 19 of its student-athletes garner Silver Honors and 73 more earn Bronze Honors.

Only grades earned at WCC institutions were used in calculating the grade point average for these awards. To be considered for the honor, student-athletes must have met the following requirements:
1) Individuals must have earned a varsity letter in a sport which the conference determined a champion in the recently completed academic year.
2) The cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 must be based on a 4.0 scale.
3) The individuals must have successfully completed an average of at least 12 graded credit hours (non pass-fail hours) per term.

The Conference recognized the student-athletes in three separate designations:
1) 4.00-3.75 - Gold Honors
2) 3.74-3.50 - Silver Honors
3) 3.49-3.00 - Bronze Honors

Full WCC Release/List of Recipients