May 13, 2009
BERKELEY -
ACADEMIC HONORS LUNCHEON SLIDE SHOW
At its annual Academic Honors Luncheon Wednesday, the Cal Athletic Department recognized the academic, athletic and community service achievements of Golden Bear student-athletes for the 2008-09 year.
The list of attendees invited to the banquet at the Pauley Ballroom on campus included student-athletes who have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, or have earned conference, regional or national academic honors, or have served the community as leaders or mentors.
The event was co-sponsored by the Big C Society and the Athletic Study Center.
Kathy Moran, a senior lecturer and associate director of the American Studies Department, delivered the keynote address, while track & field senior Francesca Weems gave a speech on behalf of the student-athletes
Golden Bear Team Award
The Golden Bear Team Award is given to the varsity team with the highest cumulative grade point average. The average GPA for Cal's 27 intercollegiate teams is 3.0 and 16 of Cal's 27 programs maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. This year's award goes to field hockey, with a team GPA of 3.198.
Golden Bear Achievement Awards
The Golden Bear Achievement Awards recognize the student-athlete on each team with the highest GPA.
Name Sport Major
Dixon Anderson Baseball Intended Environmental Sciences
Taylor Harrison Men's Basketball Art Practice
Jack Zhou Men's Crew Society & Environment
Matt Hansdavid Miller Men's Cross Country Intended Business Administration
Mark Boskovich Football Political Science
Evan Derian Men's Golf ISF
Brian Del Castillo Men's Gymnastics Economics
Nathaniel Floyd Men's Rugby Business Administration
Andrew Wiedeman Men's Soccer Social Welfare
Matthew Benoit Men's Swimming/Diving Legal Studies
Andy Chirita Men's Tennis ISF
Cameron Kroll Men's Track & Field Integrated Biology
Nicholas Ferrif Men's Water Polo Intended Business Administration
Lauren Greif Women's Basketball Psychology
Louise Kinder Women's Crew English
Alison Greggor Women's Cross Country Psychology
Kelly Knoche Field Hockey Psychology
Shannon Yocum Women's Golf Economics
Stefanie Cheng Women's Gymnastics Political Science
Molly Everett Lacrosse Peace & Conflict Studies
Lisa Kevorkian Women's Soccer Media Studies
Sati Houston Softball Industrial Engineering
Tara Thomas Women's Swimming/Diving History
Claire Ilcinkas Women's Tennis Economics
Kristen Meister Women's Track & Field History
Carli Lloyd Women's Volleyball Intended Social Welfare
Lauren Burke Women's Water Polo Art
Big C Most Improved Team Award
This award goes to the team that has made the greatest improvement in the last year relative to its historical grade-point average. The 2008-09 recipient is men's golf.
Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarships
Created to honor outstanding scholar-athletes intending to pursue graduate studies, each Pac-10 institution selects four exceptional graduating seniors who receive $3,000 for their graduate work.
Rachel Moffitt, Field Hockey
Moffitt graduated from Cal in the fall of 2008 with a 3.541 GPA, majoring in political science and a minor in peace and conflict studies. She was a four-time member of the NFHCA Academic team and was elected team captain three times. Moffitt hopes to attend law school in 2010.
Kyle Brady, Men's Gymnastics
Brady is currently finishing his first year at Boalt Law School, having earned his undergraduate degree last year. A walk-on to the gymnastics team, he is a two-time winner of his team's Most Improved Award and received the Hardest Worker Award in 2007. A four-time gymnastics scholar-athlete, he received the C.J. Faust Award as the most inspirational gymnast in 2008 after returning to the team from a broken neck.
George Gandranata, Men's Golf
Gandranata will be graduating next year with a major in economics but is in his final year of eligibility this spring. His future plans include an MBA and eventually a Ph.D. in either economics or business administration. From Indonesia, Gandranata spoke no English when he enrolled in high school in Florida. He now has a 3.2 GPA and has been team MVP twice.
Brook Turner, Women's Track & Field
Turner is graduating this month with a 3.4 GPA and a film studies major. She broke the Cal indoor school record in the 400 meters in her freshman year and placed second in the conference indoor meet in the 400 this past year. She has applied to USC for the Peter Stark Program, a program for producers, to combine her knowledge of film theory and history with information about the business and legal aspects of film and television.
Oscar Geballe Postgraduate Scholarships
This award, now in its 27th year, was created through the generosity of Dr. Theodore Geballe to honor his father, Oscar Geballe. This award recognizes Oscar Geballe's devotion to Cal and his strong belief in the value of combining scholarship and intercollegiate athletic competition. Since 1981, the Geballe award has helped more than 65 Golden Bears continue their education at the postgraduate level with a $5,000 stipend going to each winner.
Anna Key, Women's Soccer
Key was the goalkeeper for the soccer team at Cal and graduated in 2007 as a peace and conflict studies major. While a student she received the Pac-10 and NCAA Sportsmanship Awards, the John Wooden Cup, the Walter Haas Award and was inducted into Prytanean Society. For the last two years, Key has been a middle school special education English teacher in the South Bronx for Teach for America. She has been accepted into the Columbia University School of Social Work and will use this scholarship when she begins this fall.
Francesca Weems, Women's Track & Field
Weems is graduating this semester with a 3.626 in media studies. She has twice won the Golden Bear Achievement Award for having the top GPA on her team and was named to the 2008 All-West Regional team as a member of Cal's 4x400 relay. She has been a mentor and tutor at Oakland Tech High School, drawing upon her own experiences as a foster child to help students in similar situations. Weems hopes to get a MBA before fulfilling her ultimate plan of becoming a sportscaster.
Louis Vayo, Men's Swimming & Diving
Vayo is finishing at Cal with a 3.62 GPA in environmental economics and policy and has an interest in energy sustainability. He qualified for the NCAAs all four years and rates among Cal's Top 10 in three individual events. He was an all-academic choice his junior and senior years and has applied to the Peace Corps. Vayo will take the CBEST and the GREs so that he can be ready for the next step after his tour is over.
Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Awards
The Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Awards are given to the graduating male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point averages. The award was established by Cal Hall of Famer William Neufeld Sr. in honor and memory of his son, William Jr., who ran track at Cal before his untimely death in a boating accident.
This year's female recipient is Claire Ilcinkas from women's tennis, who has a 3.688 GPA in economics. The male award goes to Alex Mack from football with a 3.554 GPA as an undergraduate in legal studies. He competed his past fall as a graduate student in education, where he has a 4.0 GPA.
Pac-10 Medal
The Pac-10 Medal is awarded annually at each member institution to that university's outstanding senior male and female student-athletes. The determination is based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.
Dana Vollmer, Women's Swimming
Vollmer capped off her Cal career by winning national championships in the 100 and 200 freestyle this past March to lead Cal to the team title. For her effort, she was named the NCAA and Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year, as well as the recipient of the 2009 Honda Sports Award as the top female swimmer in the country.
Alex Mack, Football
Mack received the 2008 Draddy Trophy, an award presented to the top student-athlete in all of college football. A two-time All-American and three-time All-Pac-10 center for the Bears, the 2008 Pac-10 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year is also a two-time winner of the Morris Trophy, which goes to the best offensive lineman in the Pac-10 and is voted on by opposing defensive lineman.
Jake Gimbel and Anna Espenschade Awards
The Jake Gimbel and Anna Espenschade Awards were established in the 1930s and 1987, respectively, to recognize a graduating male and female student-athlete for successful integration of academic and athletic pursuits. The winners of these awards exemplify the true "Golden Bear" spirit.
Kyle Brady, Men's Gymnastics
Nominated by his coach, Barry Weiner, Brady arrived at Cal unrecruited and walked onto the gymnastics team. Weiner told him he would have to earn a place on the team and he managed to do that in the first week of practice. This year, he became one of the team leaders while finishing up his last year of eligibility as a first-year student at Boalt Law School.
Shannon Yocum, Women's Golf
Yocum was nominated by her coach, Nancy McDaniel. She has been a four-time all-academic selection for women's golf, given to players with at least a 3.5 GPA, as well as a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic choice. She is graduating in four years with honors in economics and currently has a 3.523 GPA.
Joseph McDonnell Kavanagh Award
This award, in its third year, honors a student-athlete who has made exceptional improvement in academic and intellectual pursuits at Cal, and seeks to recognize a student-athlete who has taken full advantage of the educational opportunities on campus. The University of California's endearing phrase, "Fiat Lux," let there be light, is appropriate for this "Most Academically Inspirational Athlete" Award.
Katie Knoche, Field Hockey
Knoche improved her GPA from 2.57 as a freshman to 3.785 this past fall and now as a 3.28 overall GPA. After her first two years at Cal, she withdrew from school and checked herself into an alcohol rehab facility. After six months, she returned to the team, with the emphasis on academics and re-assimilating into the college environment as a sober student-athlete. She has maintained her sobriety and this year was a starter on the team, finishing with eight goals and two assists.
Walter A. Haas Jr. Community Service Award
The Walter A. Haas Jr. Community Service Award was created to honor Walter A. Haas Jr. for his commitment and service to the University and larger community. This award is given annually to a student-athlete for outstanding contribution to community service.
Mike Sample, Men's Water Polo
Sample, who will graduate this spring, began volunteers for the Sage Project in the spring of 2008. The organization has as its mission to connect youth with mentors, fostering personal connections through extra-curricular activities hoping to cultivate personal growth and life skills. Sample saw a need and took it upon himself to get his teammates and other student athletes involved. Since his involvement, the program has more than quadrupled, from 70 mentors to over 300.
