Ten Seawolves nominated for 2010 Athlete of the Year award

Ten University of Alaska Anchorage student-athletes are in the running for the prestigious Athlete of the Year award for 2009-10. The nominees are Andreas Adde (men's skiing), Jaime Bronga (women's skiing), Elizabeth Chepkosgei (women's track & field), Marko Cheseto (men's cross country and track & field), Kevin Clark (hockey), Tamar Gruwell (women's basketball), Miriam Kipng'Eno (women's cross country), Calli Scott (volleyball), Brandon Walker (men's basketball) and Courtney Williams (gymnastics).


The 26th annual award will be presented April 23 at the Athlete of the Year banquet at Lucy Cuddy Hall on campus.


Adde, a freshman from Osteras, Norway, became the first Seawolf skier since 2005 to capture an individual NCAA title when he won the slalom at the NCAA Championships in March. Also an All-American in the giant slalom, Adde was the West Region GS champion, giving him four individual victories in his rookie campaign.



Bronga, a sophomore from Anchorage, was an All-American on the Nordic ski trails, earning an eighth-place finish in the 15-K freestyle race at NCAAs. The former East High star produced four top-10 finishes throughout the season and competed at the 2010 Olympic Trials at Kincaid Park.


Chepkosgei, a senior from Kapsabet, Kenya, was nominated for her 2009 track and field accomplishments after competing in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships. She was also an NCAA provisional qualifier in the 1500 meters and finished her career ranked in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's all-time top 10 in three events.


Cheseto, a junior from Kapenguria, Kenya, was nominated for both his 2009 track and 2010 cross-country exploits. Last May, he became the first Seawolf to earn All-America honors in two events at the same national meet, finishing fourth in the 5,000 and seventh in the 10,000. On the cross-country trails, he was the 2009 GNAC champion for the second straight season and became the first Seawolf to capture an individual West Region crown.

Clark, a senior from Winnipeg, Manitoba, paced the hockey team in seven categories, including the most goals for a Seawolf (23) since 1991-92. The winger finished in the top 20 on several UAA career lists, including 13th in goals (51) and tied for eighth in games played (141).

Gruwell, a senior from Fairfield, Calif., earned Team MVP and 2nd Team All-GNAC honors after helping the Seawolves to a second-round NCAA berth and 24-5 record. The 5-8 guard averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in her final campaign and finished in the career top five on UAA's three-pointers made and percentage lists.

Kipng'Eno, a freshman from Eldoret, Kenya, earned All-America honors with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall, helping UAA to a program-best fifth-place team result. The GNAC Freshman of the Year also earned All-GNAC and All-West Region honors, recording five top-10 finishes throughout the season.


Scott, a senior from Scottsdale, Ariz., captured honorable mention All-American, All-West Region and GNAC Player of the Year honors after leading the Seawolves to the best season in program history. The 5-8 setter averaged a GNAC-best 10.64 assists per game and finished as UAA's career record-holder in that category.

Walker, a junior from Hayward, Calif., was the Team MVP and a 1st-Team All-GNAC selection after helping the Seawolf men to a 17-10 overall record. The 6-3 guard averaged 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, posting nine efforts of 20 or more points.

Williams, a senior from Corpus Christi, Texas, was UAA's most consistent all-around performer throughout the season, capturing All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors. The four-year letter winner also earned her third career selection to the MPSF All-Academic Team.

The 2010 UAA Athlete of the Year is selected for excellence in the 2009-10 athletic campaign. However, because of calendar concerns, this will mark the fourth award that takes the previous year's track and field season into consideration.
 
The award is voted on by a committee comprised of UAA Athletics staff members, local media and Benton Bay representatives.

For a list of past UAA Athletes of the Year, visit the Seawolf Athletics Web site.