This has been a busy Spring and Summer for many PLNU alumni student-athletes. While some have continued their playing careers others have had the opportunity to enter or advance in the coaching ranks. Here is update on a few of those former PLNU student-athletes:

BJ Foster: men's basketball, 1998-01
Foster has recently joined the men's basketball coaching staff at Cal State San Marcos. Foster will assist with all aspects of the program including recruiting, opponent scouting, practice and game preparation, and student-athlete development. Foster spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Biola University.

This will be Foster's first year working or competing outside of the Golden State Athletic Conference. After playing for the Sea Lions during three seasons from 1998-01, in which he helped PLNU go 57-39, Foster was an assistant with Point Loma before making a two-year stop at Vanguard. Foster returned to PLNU to complete his bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 2003 while starting his coaching career.  He earned a master's degree in Coaching, Sports Administration & Exercise Science from Concordia (Calif.) in 2007. He and his wife, Dawn, recently welcomed their first child, Henry, into the world in March 2013.

Sam Cyr: men's golf, 2006-09
Cyr continued his play on the Asian Pro Golf Tour in the months of April, May and June after taking time off to play in PLNU's W.S. Brown Golf Classic in March. While in Asia for the three months he made eight of 10 cuts, and was pleased with his play. He returned to Southern California in July and played in two California events and did very well. He played in the 2013 California State Open in Beaumont, Calif., where he finished 16th at 10-under par (65-71-71-71=278). He then played in the 2013 Long Beach Open where he finished tied for 5th place at 14-under par with scores of (67-70-69-68=274).

Cyr will spend next week in St Augustine, Florida preparing for the PGA/Web.com "Q" school scheduled for Oct 22-25, 2013. He plans to return to San Diego in mid-August before returning to the Asian Pro tour for September and October when the top Asian Tour events take place.

Kellen Walker: baseball, 2005-06
Walker was recently named the head coach of the Western Oregon baseball team. Walker had the interim tag removed from his title after the 2013 season in which he guided the Wolves to their 12th straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship and the inaugural GNAC postseason tournament title. He helped WOU go 34-20 in 2013 and the Wolves are 246-113 during his seven years with the program where he served as recruiting coordinator, hitting coach and infielder instructor. 

Walker played for PLNU in 2005 and 2006 after transferring in from Lassen CC. During his senior season at Point Loma Walker hit .283 with 32 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Walker is married to Tyler Sutherland, an outstanding softball student-athlete for the Wolves from 2007-10. The couple was married in the summer of 2010 and had their first child, Gracie, in November of 2011.

Jessica Mercado: women's basketball and track & field, 2001-05 & 2013
PLNU women's basketball all-time steal's leader returned Point Loma this season to compete as a sprinter on the track & field team. However, her journey after her basketball career at PLNU was unique path.

Mercado went on to play on the Dominican Republic's national team. She also played in the Dominican Republic for five years, in addition to stops in Puerto Rico, Ecuador and with a semi-professional basketball team, the San Diego Siege. Mercado then entered the coaching ranks. She coached the junior varsity squad at The Bishop's School for five years while also assisting on the varsity team. Mercado then decided to return to Point Loma to get her Master's degree in Education: School Counseling & Guidance. This return to school is what allowed Mercado to compete for the past two seasons on the PLNU track & field team in the 200m, 400m and sprints. During the 2013 season Mercado recorded career-best times in the 200m (27.13) and 400m (1:00.87). She also ran the fourth leg on the 4x400m relay team which finished fourth at the PacWest Championships.

Jay Johnson: baseball, 1998-01
Another PLNU alum has moved up the coaching ranks. This time it is Jay Johnson who will be leaving the University of San Diego as an associate head coach to take the head job at the University of Nevada. Johnson took over the Wolfpack program on July 1. He spent the last eight years at USD where he helped guide the Toreros to West Coast Conference title four times and the NCAA postseason six times. Johnson helped recruit USD's 2008 class which was ranked No. 1 by Baseball America.

Prior to going to USD Johnson was the head coach at PLNU for the 2005 season. He helped guide the Sea Lions to a 37-16 record and the No. 6 ranking in NAIA. He earned his undergraduate degree in physical education from PLNU in 2001.

Xavier Lopez: men's basketball, 2005-07
Lopez continues his playing career over seasons with Leyma Basquet Coruna in the Spanish League. Lopez played in 30 games this season averaging 4.8 points and 1.7 assists per game. He shot 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from long range. 

Mike Ekstrom: baseball, 2004
Ekstrom has signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels and is pitching for their Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake City Bees. He has appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen while recording 27 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. Ekstrom also pitched in the minors this season for the Oakland A's Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats.

Ekstrom, who pitched for PLNU in 2004, has spent parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball with three franchises. He began his career in San Diego, before moving onto Tampa Bay for two seasons and Colorado last year. His best season came in 2010 when he appeared in 15 games out of the bullpen for the Rays. He had a 3.31 earned run average and opponents hit just .214 off him as Ekstrom allowed only 12 hits in 16.1 innings.

Greg Murray: men's basketball, 2008-12
Murray finished up his first season of professional basketball with the Hapoel Kiryat Tivon of Israel. As the starting small forward he averaged 18.3 point per game while shooting 58 percent from the floor, including 36 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged 1.1 steals and 6.3 rebounds per contest while helping Hapoel Kiryat Tivon finish at 11-15 on the season.

Colleen Planeta: women's basketball, 2006-10
Planeta completed her third season of playing professional basketball overseas. This year she played 22 games with TV Saarlouis Royals in Germany. She averaged 16.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. She shot 55 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. Planeta helped lead Saarlouis to 18-2 record and a first place finish in the southern division of the Bundesliga 2 standings.

Planeta began her professional career in 2010-11 for Barcelos-Mendanha Sousa in Portugal where she averaged 21.4 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 blocks over 11 games. Planeta then received a contract from DAS Ano Liosia in Greece for the 2011-12 season. In 20 games she averaged 20.3 ppg and 10 rpg. She also led the league with 2.0 blocks per game. 

Planeta played for PLNU from 2006-10. She was a two-time first team All-American selection and the Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She is still ranked second in school history with 2,014 career points and first with 433 blocks.

If you have information other former PLNU student-athletes please send that information over to Point Loma Director of Athletic Communications, Danny Barnts at dbarnts@pointloma.edu