2007-08

WWU Ranks Far Above National Grad Rate

The latest NCAA report on graduation rates shows Western Washington University student-athletes once again graduating at rates far above the national average for NCAA Division II, and at rates higher than the Western student body as a whole.

Both the federally mandated graduation rate and the NCAA Academic Success Rate show that Western student-athletes entering in the 2000-01 academic year graduated at a rate 14 percentage points higher than the national average for Division II.

The 2007 findings show 69 percent of Viking student-athletes receive their degrees in six years or less. That was higher than the national average for NCAA II schools (55 percent), and also slightly higher than the average for the 10 schools in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (64 percent).

“These statistics not only reflect the fine academic work done by our student-athletes, they're also indicative of how well WWU supports and facilitates the balance between academics and athletics that defines Division II,” said Dr. Brent Carbajal, Western's Faculty Athletic Representative.

Western student-athletes also scored five points higher on graduation rates than the WWU student body in general (69 to 64 percent). This compares favorably with national averages for Division II schools, where student-athletes edged students in general, 55 to 47 percent.

The 2007 Federal Graduation Rate Reports are based on student-athletes who entered universities during the 2000-01 academic year and graduated in six years or less.

Student-athletes are defined as those "who received athletics aid" such as grants, scholarships, tuition waivers or other assistance from the institution upon initial enrollment.

Porter, McNutt Academic All-Americans

For the second consecutive year, Seattle University midfielder Ashley Porter has earned ESPN The Magazine second team Academic All-America honors.

Porter, a senior from Redmond, Wash., was just one of two GNAC players and only three from District VIII (West Region) to make the team.

Northwest Nazarene forward Katie McNutt and Whitworth midfielder Jael Hagerott were the only other players from the West to make the team.

Porter completed her athletic career with a GNAC record 48 assists, including 14 each of the past three seasons. She also ended up sixth on SU's all-time point list and seventh on the GNAC career chart with 86.

McNutt finished her career eighth on the GNAC's all-time point list with 85 and fifth in goals with 39.

Academically, Porter presently carries a 3.81 grade point average while majoring in marketing.

She is the vice-president of SU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a three-time Academic All-GNAC selection, and a three-time ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VIII selection.

McNutt, a senior from Vancouver, Wash., has a near-perfect 3.99 cumulative GPA in her career at Northwest Nazarene. She is an elementary education major.

Five Cross Country Runners Post Perfect 4.00 GPAs

McIntyre	Clarke	Puga	Carlson

A total of 75 student-athletes – 24 men and 51 women - have been named to the 2007 GNAC cross country all-academic team.

Heading up the women's academic squad are Heather McIntyre of Alaska Anchorage, Kirsten Clarke of Central Washington, Ashley Puga of Northwest Nazarene and Krinda Carlson of Saint Martin's, all with perfect 4.00 GPAs.

Teppan

Among the men the top academic all-star is Vahur Teppan of Alaska Fairbanks, who also has a perfect 4.00 GPA.

Eight of the athletes – Kaley Strachan of Alaska Anchorage; Krynn Finstad of Alaska Fairbanks; Kevin Lambert of Northwest Nazarene; Kaleigh Bishop of Saint Martin's; Megan Wrightman, Kaitlin Rohde and Karin Rohde, all of Seattle Pacific, and Keith Lemay of Western Washington, were also honored for the third time. Twenty other athletes were repeat selections.

Thirty-Four Named to GNAC Academic Volleyball Team

Wigren

A total of 39 student-athletes have been named to the 2007 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-ll-Conference volleyball team.

Alaska Fairbanks placed the most players on the academic team with seven. Central Washington and Western Oregon have six selections each while Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene each earned five spots on the all-conference team.

For the third straight Kristi Wigren of Northwest Nazarene has the top grade point average among the scholar-athletes with a 3.95 GPA. Wigren, a senior from Olympia, Wash., is a social science education major.

Seventy Three Earn GNAC Soccer Academic Honors

Peters	Abel

A total of 73 student-athletes – 45 women and 28 men - have been named to the 2007 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Soccer Academic all-star team.

Heading up the women's academic team are Northwest Nazarene goalkeeper Amanda Peters who has a perfect 4.00 GPA during her collegiate career. Four other players – NNU's Katie McNutt (3.99), Seattle's Kate Edstrom (3.97), Seattle Pacific's Claire Grubbs (3.95) and Melissa Carlson of Montana State Billings (3.90) – have GPAs of 3.90 or better.

2006-07

Seattle Sweeps 2006-07 CCA Scholar Athlete Regional Awards

Jensen	Gutierrez

Former Seattle University soccer players Adam Jensen and Ana Gutierrez have been voted the 2006-07 NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association West Regional Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

The two are now among eight finalists in their respective divisions for the national CCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which will be announced later this month. Seattle University is the only school with finalists in both the men's and women's division.

The two were selected for the regional award from a list of three candidates, one each representing each of the three conferences in the region(the GNAC, California Collegiate and Pac West).

Jensen and Gutierrez, who both completed their playing careers last fall, each earned all-star honors on the field and in the classroom in leading their squads to 2006 GNAC titles and berths in the NCAA Far West Regional playoffs.

Jensen, who had a 3.9 GPA during his four years at SU, earned second team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, was a three-time GNAC Academic all-conference selection and twice was named to the CoSIDA all-district academic team. He also won Seattle University's Mission Award for Outstanding Leadership in Academic Excellence.

On the pitch, Jensen earned first team all-conference honors and second team Daktronics Far West Region honors helping lead the Redhawks to the Far West Regional title and to a berth in the NCAA quarterfinals. In four seasons, his teams posted a .738 winning percentage, compiling a won-loss record of 58-20-2.

Gutierrez, who is also a finalist for the NCAA Woman-of-the-Year award, earned first team GNAC all-conference honors in each of her four seasons leading the Redhawks to a combined won-loss record of 58-17-8 (.747) and becoming only the third woman in conference history to accomplish that feat.

She also was a three-time NSCAA Far West Region first team all-star capping off her career last fall by earning third team All-American honors.

In the classroom, Gutierrez compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.897, earning first team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors this past fall. She was also a three-time GNAC Academic All-Conference selection and twice earned CoSIDA first team all-district honors.