5 Sun Devils earn Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year

July 20, 2010

No less than five Sun Devils earned the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2009-2010, a mark that was second in the league. The Pac-10 award is sponsored by Toyo Tires® and has been established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. What makes the ASU mark even more impressive is that ASU sponsors 18 of the 22 sports eligible for the award. So five of 18 sports possible were topped by Sun Devils.<separator></separator>ASU's five honorees was second to Stanford's seven, while Washington had three each, followed by Arizona and Oregon (two each) and UCLA, USC and Washington State with one.<separator></separator>Sun Devils earning the Pac-10 award were golfers <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-golf/mtt/borsheim_knut00.html">Kn… Borsheim</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-golf/mtt/murcia_juliana00.html">J… Murcia</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> (men's track and field), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/bethke_brandon00.html">… Bethke</a> (men's cross country) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/nixon_mike00.html">Mike Nixon</a> (football).<separator></separator>"Toyo is proud to support the Pac-10 and to acknowledge outstanding student-athletes for their efforts," said Steve Hutchinson, vice president of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. "By supporting today's achievers, we feel we are helping to grow tomorrow's leaders."<separator></separator>In order to be eligible for the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-10 institution nominates one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-10 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are considered in the voting for the award.<separator></separator>A Scholar-Athlete of the Year is named in each of the Pac-10's 22 sponsored sports: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, football, men's golf, women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's rowing, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's track & field, women's track & field, women's volleyball, and wrestling.<separator></separator>2009-10 PAC-10 SCHOLAR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR<separator></separator>Baseball: Matt Fanelli, Washington State Softball: K'Lee Arredondo, Arizona Men's Golf: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-golf/mtt/borsheim_knut00.html">Kn… Borsheim</a>, Arizona State Women's Golf: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-golf/mtt/murcia_juliana00.html">J… Murcia</a>, Arizona State Men's Tennis: Robert Farah, USC Women's Tennis: Lindsay Burdette, Stanford Men's Rowing: Simon Taylor, Washington Women's Rowing: Christina Sprouse, UCLA Men's Track/Field: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a>, Arizona State Women's Track/Field: Keisha Baker, Oregon Men's Basketball: Landry Fields, Stanford Women's Basketball: Jayne Appel, Stanford Men's Cross Country: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/bethke_brandon00.html">… Bethke</a>, Arizona State Women's Cross Country: Nicole Bloodk, Oregon Football: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/nixon_mike00.html">Mike Nixon</a>, Arizona State Women's Gymnastics: Carly Janiga, Stanford Men's Soccer: Rylan Hawkins, Washington Women's Soccer: Ali Riley, Stanford Men's Swim/Dive: David Dunford, Stanford Women's Swim/Dive: Justine Schluntz, Arizona Wrestling: Jack Johnson, Stanford Volleyball: Jill Collymore, Washington<separator></separator>Scholar-Athletes of the Year in each sport will receive a commemorative award. Toyo Tires will donate $1,000 to the scholarship funds of the institution's athletic department of each winner in recognition of their accomplishments.<separator></separator>"We are proud to honor these outstanding student-athletes in partnership with Toyo Tires," said Larry Scott, commissioner of the Pac-10. "These student-athletes have shown a dedication to their sport and to their academics, and this award honors those achievements. We continue to be appreciative of the relationship with Toyo Tires and helping to recognize these deserving student-athletes and their accomplishments."

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