December 22, 2008

14 Northridge Student-Athletes Named to Fall Big West All-Academic Team

Dec. 22, 2008

IRVINE, Calif. -

Cal State Northridge had 14 student-athletes named to the Fall 2008 Big West All-Academic team as announced by the conference office. The Matador women's cross country team had the most student-athletes named all-academic with six selections.

Also earning the distinction for the Matadors were four women's volleyball players, two women's soccer players and two men's soccer players. In order to qualify for the Academic All-Big West Team, a student-athlete must maintain a 3.20 cumulative GPA and participate in at least 50 percent of their team's competitions.

On the women's cross country team, Julie Brandin (So., Business), Marissa Crook (Jr., Kinesiology), Lilyana Morejon (So., Undeclared), Nanci Velarde (Jr., Kinesiology), Sandra Velarde (Jr., Spanish) and Sharon Wilkinson (Sr., Heath Science) all received the distinction.

For the women's volleyball squad, Siara Grayson (Jr., Civil Engineering), Kelley Hanson (Sr., Kinesiology), Amy Hultner (Sr., Kinesiology) and Val Kepler (Sr., Business) earned the Academic All-Big West distinction. For Hanson, Hultner and Kepler the honor marked the third consecutive year the trio was honored for academic excellence by the Big West.

In addition to spurring the Matador women's soccer team to an 8-9-2 record overall and a fifth-place finish in the Big West, Katie Fox (Jr., Kinesiology) and Michelle Moore (So., Communications) both excelled in the classroom as well.

For Terry Davila's men's soccer team, Kevin Guppy (Sr., Criminal Justice) and Daniel Yoon (So., Undeclared) received the Academic distinction. Guppy, a first team All-Big West selection as well as Co-Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008, set several individual Northridge goalkeeping records in his Matador career.

Women's Cross Country

Julie Brandin, sophomore, Business

Marissa Crook, junior, Kinesiology

Lilyana Morejon, sophomore, Undeclared

Nanci Velarde, junior, Kinesiology

Sandra Velarde, sophomore, Spanish

Sharon Wilkinson, senior, Heath Science

Women's Volleyball

Siara Grayson, junior, Civil Engineering

Kelley Hanson, senior, Kinesiology

Amy Hultner, senior, Kinesiology

Val Kepler, senior, Business

Women's Soccer

Katie Fox, junior, Kinesiology

Michelle Moore, sophomore, Undeclared

Men's Soccer

Kevin Guppy, senior, Criminal Justice

Daniel Yoon, sophomore, Undeclared

- GO MATADORS -