2014-15 Pacific West Conference Scholar Athletes of the Year
IRVINE, Calif. -- Completing an impressive all-around freshman campaign, Academy of Art University women's cross country runner
McKaela Christenson has been selected as the Pacific West Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year for her sport as announced by the PacWest Conference office on Thursday.
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, which feature one per PacWest sport, are selected based on nominees and subsequent vote by the conference's sports information directors, honoring the most accomplished athletes in and outside the classroom.
"McKaela is a very deserving recipient of this award," said head coach
Torrey Olson. "She embodies the belief that maintaining a high expectation of achievement serves best when applied equally to all undertakings rather than just to sport or your favorite class. I'm very proud of her."
With her cumulative 3.77 GPA in the School of Fashion Design this past year, Christenson not only earned her
second annual PacWest academic selection, but was a
USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country individual as well.
Christenson earned the honor of
PacWest Freshman of the Year and placed 19th at
NCAA Regionals. She was the top freshman finisher at the
PacWest Championship, marking her third top-10 result in a 2014 campaign that included second place at the
Lancer Invitational in her collegiate debut. She won PacWest Freshman of the Week twice.
Christenson is the second PacWest Scholar-Athlete of the Year in Academy of Art Athletics history and the first from the women's cross country program. Women's golfer Crystal Superal earned the
first honor in 2012-13.
Each of the PacWest Scholar-Athlete winners will now be placed on the 2014-15 Scholar-Athlete of Year ballot to determine the top men's and women's student-athlete among all the competitors in the conference.
