[Red carpet photo gallery] [Ceremony photo gallery]

SAN DIEGO - On Sunday, April 29, a nearly full house of more than 400 people stepped out in style for the highly-anticipated second annual Sea Lions Athletic Merit (S.L.A.M.) Awards held at the Liberty Station Conference Center. Dressed to impress from head to toe, over 200 student-athletes brought their 'A-game' as they made their way down the red carpet towards the ceremony. 

The S.L.A.M. Awards is a celebration of academic, athletic and community excellence achieved throughout the academic year by our student-athletes, as an annual event to close out the school year. PLNU baseball alum Judson Richards ('04) served as emcee for the evening's program for the second year in a row, which included 19 award categories presented by PLNU administration, athletic staff and coaches. 

View photo gallery here.

Below is a list of all the 2017-18 S.L.A.M. Award Winners:

Team Service Award – Volleyball This award is dedicated to the team with the greatest engagement in community service, ministry or missions.
This year, the PLNU volleyball team stood out amongst its peers in their efforts to help their community. They volunteered each month at the Bread of Life ministry in Ocean Beach and organized opportunities for other PLNU teams to attend as well. They were also very active in raising money for Make-A-Wish and raising awareness for breast cancer through their annual Dig Pink match, which has become a fan favorite. The Volleyball Team's servants' hearts and their commitment to volunteer is quite an example to us all. Other nominees: All teams


Male Freshman of the Year – Garrett Irvin This award is dedicated to the best overall performance throughout the season by a male freshman
Garrett Irvin took over the No. 1 spot in the rotation for the Point Loma baseball team in the third week of the season and has never looked back. He is 6-1 on the season and ranks second amongst PacWest starters with a 1.66 earned run average. He has struck out 88 batters in 81 innings and during this season he has been named PacWest Freshman of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, and Regional Pitcher of the Week. Other nominees: Jacob Eisenberg, Noah Stapes, Tim Siegfried


Female Freshman of the Year – Freda Kallenberg This award is dedicated to the best overall performance throughout the season by a female freshman
Kallenberg is one of the best all-around athletes to join the track & field team since the Sea Lions began competing in NCAA Division II. She has moved into the Sea Lions' all-time top 10 in the 200m dash, the 400m hurdles, the high jump, the javelin and the heptathlon. She now ranks second all-time in Point Loma history in the heptathlon after scoring 4932 points. She finished just one point away from tying the PLNU event record which has stood for over 10 years. She also became PacWest Champion in the javelin with a throw of 144-6 (44.05m). Other nominees: Grace Brady, Ashlee Watkins, Holley Persson, London Gailey, Sydney Peterson, Cara Liggins, Gabi Armas


Team Performance of the Year – Men's Soccer at Biola (10/28/17) This award is dedicated to the best team performance in a single contest
As improbable of a win as you'll ever see in soccer at any level, the PLNU men's soccer team pulled off the near impossible task of coming back from a goal down with the opponent in possession of the ball and less than a minute to play. After the Biola goalie was called for delay of game, the ball went back to the Sea Lions for a free kick with 46 seconds left. Seniors Mitch Wheelon and Eduardo Gallardo pulled off a maneuver on the free kick which will never be forgotten to anyone that saw it. Gallardo played the decoy and just tapped the ball on the way through as Wheelon stepped into the shot and drilled the ball low past the wall of defenders into the net to send the match to overtime tied at 2-2. Three minutes into OT, Gallardo found Tim Siegfried on a counter attack down the field and he beat the Eagles' goalie for the game-winning goal. Other nominees: Men's Basketball vs. Hawaii Pacific (1/13/18), Women's Basketball vs. Azusa Pacific (3/2/18), Women's Tennis vs. Academy of Art (3/16/18)


Male Athlete Performance of the Year – Eduardo Gallardo at Holy Names (11/2/17) This award is dedicated to the best overall performance in a single contest by a male student-athlete
With the Sea Lions seeking their first-ever appearance in the NCAA West Regional, their senior leader Eduardo Gallardo stepped up on the road to record his first career hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Holy Names. His first goal came just 83 seconds into the match and was the second-fastest in Point Loma history. He would tack on two more goals right after the half as Point Loma extended its unbeaten streak to 15 straight matches. His second goal would be the difference in the game and it would be his 10th career-game winning goal. He leaves PLNU second all-time in game-winning goals. He is also just the second Sea Lion in NCAA history to post a hat-trick. Other nominees: Preston Beverly, Trevor Abshire, Garrett Irvin, Eduardo Gallardo, Micah Pries


Female Athlete Performance of the Year – Grace Brady vs. Holy Names (2/7/18) This award is dedicated to the best overall performance in a single contest by a female student-athlete
Grace Brady joined the Point Loma and PacWest record books when she recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks at home as PLNU rolled past Holy Names. She was named the PacWest Player of the Week and was up for the national Hero Sports Player of the Week. The triple-double was just the fourth in Point Loma women's basketball history and was also only the fourth time anyone had ever recorded a triple-double with blocks in PacWest history. Other nominees: Roya Rustamzada


co-Coach of the Year - Ryan Looney This award is dedicated to the coach that demonstrated the greatest impact and success with his or her team, both within and outside of the athletic arena
In his second season at the helm, in the highly competitive West Region, Ryan Looney led PLNU to a 21-10 record, a third place finish in the PacWest standings and the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Regional. PLNU won 15 of 17 games during the season and ranked as high as No. 6 in the regional poll. Josh Rodriguez broke the PacWest career assist record during the season and Preston Beverly earned three PacWest Player of the Week honors during the month of January. Looney also guided PLNU to a victory over Hawaii Pacific in a nationally broadcast game on ESPN 3, in addition to coaching four Sea Lions to All-PacWest honors.


co-Coach of the Year - Curt Wheeler This season, Curt Wheeler did a tremendous job leading both the men's and women's tennis programs. He led the women to an 18-7 record, including wins over Division I UC Irvine, No. 6 Academy of Art and Azusa Pacific on Senior Day. The women put together a seven-match winning streak and never lost back-to-back matches in the regular season. On the men's side, he helped the Point Loma earn it's first-ever bid into the NCAA West Regional. He saw the Sea Lions pick up big wins over UC San Diego, Division I Bucknell and a victory in the PacWest Championships over traditional national powerhouse Hawaii Pacific. Other nominees: All coaches


Academic Success Award – Women's Soccer This award is dedicated to the team that distinguished itself above the curve in the classroom
The Women's Soccer team managed to earn the highest grade point average across all 11 PLNU teams. These Sea Lion ladies not only work hard on the field, but are dedicated to achieving high goals off the field too. With a cumulative grade point average of 3.66, they are leading the way for PLNU Athletics. The team has earned NSCCA Academic Team honors for each of the past three years and last year 19 Sea Lions were named to the PacWest All-Academic team. Other nominees: All teams


Leadership Award – Morgan Pearce This award is dedicated to the individual who distinguished him/herself as a team leader and is respected by their peers
Morgan Pearce distinguished herself from the moment she arrived on campus and has grown into a tremendous leader at PLNU both on and off the field. On the field Morgan became the first NCAA All-American in PLNU women's soccer history. She was also a two-time all-west region selection, a four-time all-conference selection, and was named Conference Defender of the Year. Off the field, she was the PacWest Scholar Athlete of the Year, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, a McNeilly Award winner. She served three years as a member of SAAC, including the last two as a board member. This year she also served on the PacWest Conference SAAC Board and as President of PLNU SAAC where she was instrumental in leading the charge to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and helping put on successful events including SLAM Fest, BEAT APU week and several others. 


Best Dressed Award – Fabian Lueders & Grace Butler This award is dedicated to the male and female whose sense of style distinguishes them among their peers
Fabian Lueders of the men's soccer team earned the Best Dressed Award for the men and Grace Butler picked up the honor for the women. Other nominees: Ziggy Satterthwaite, Patrick McMullen, Yusuf Shehata, Summer Marshall, Emily Coleman, Shelby Groeneveld, Carol Schroeder, Abbi Swanson, Mackenzie Harder


Best Hair Award – JJ Gaeir & Madelynn Fox This award is dedicated to the male and female with the most fabulous hair
JJ Gaeir of the men's soccer team earned the Best Hair Award for the men and Madelynn Fox picked up the honor for the women. Other nominees: Luke Lovelady, Darian Sylvester, Grant Alston, Morgan Brandt, Stephanie Williams, Abbey Teagle


Fan of the Year – Forrest Case This award is dedicated to the individual who best exhibited the Sea Lion spirit by his/her support through cheering on PLNU at athletic contests
At Point Loma we pride ourselves on creating a fun game environment and Forrest Case exemplifies what it means to be a PLNU fan. His signs and cheers could always make you laugh but would never demean anyone from the opposing team. He helped foster a positive and fun game environment, whether we were dominating the game or fighting a losing battle. It was a pleasure to have such a great fan in the stands, at almost every game. He is always a boost for our teams on the fields and courts, and his support does make a difference. We hope he inspires others to follow in his footsteps. Other nominees: Rhys Northup, Alexa Wise, Lindsay Whiteman, Gavin Barney, Austin Stephens


Heart of A Sea Lion Award – Wiktor Lasota This award is dedicated to the individual who consistently displayed a positive outlook and unbridled support of his/her teammates
As the upcoming 2018-19 ASB Vice President, it only makes sense that Wiktor Lasota was voted to receive the Heart of a Sea Lion Award. His presence as a leader, encourager and supporter is felt both on and off the field. He not only was Men's Soccer's first All-American in the NCAA era, but he was also a key piece in the team advancing to the NCAA regional. Though he may have transitioned here from Europe, he has embraced the PLNU community; he positively impacts everyone he encounters and it shows. You can always find him with a smile on his face and cheering on others. And in the end he is always there encouraging everyone else. Other nominees: Amy Ogren, Cameron Gilbert, Emily Gehlbach, Micah Pries, Madison McKay, Lucie Gillette, Josie Frye, Hayley Damon, Mark Penner, Avery Avina


Comeback Player of the Year – Abbi Swanson This award is dedicated to the individual who sustained a major injury or illness, and positively impacted his or her team's success
Abbi Swanson was coming off three ACL tears, but joined PLNU prior to the 2017 season and definitely made an impact. After getting her fitness and touch back, the Santiago Canyon College transfer's confidence came with it. She became one of the better players on the field for the Sea Lions, finishing second on the team with eight points. She recorded two goals and four assists, including the game-winner against Hawaii Pacific. Other nominees: Colby Kaneshiro, Ellie Gamble, Brendon Millington, Bri Winbigler


Female Athlete of the Year – Roya Rustamzada This award is dedicated to the best overall performance for a season by a female student-athlete
Roya Rustamzada had one of the best seasons in Point Loma women's basketball history, to cap off a fantastic and storied four-year career. This season she led Point Loma in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. She was named first team All-PacWest, PacWest Defender of the Year, PacWest Player of the Year and an honorable mention All-American. She led PLNU to the championship game of the PacWest Tournament while breaking the PLNU and PacWest records by becoming the first female in history to grab over 1,000 career rebounds. She also posted a triple-double at Homecoming and will leave PLNU ranked in the school's top 10 lists in points, rebounds, assists, blocked shots, steals, and free throw percentage. Other nominees: Nikki Newell, Alex Hernandez, Hannah Benoit Bucher, Cara Keturakis, Keagan Bolibol


Male Athlete of Year – Tyler Flores This award is dedicated to the best overall performance for a season by a male student-athlete
The cleanup spot has treated Tyler Flores very well. In his first season hitting in the No. 4 spot, Flores has put together arguably the greatest offensive season the Sea Lions have seen since joining the NCAA. He is currently hitting .351 and is leading the PacWest Conference in home runs, runs batted in and total bases, and ranks second in hits and slugging percentage. He has been named the PacWest Player of the Week, recorded 17 multi-RBI games and had a walk-off hit against Academy of Art. His 18 home runs in a season are tied for third in PLNU history and his 58 RBIs this year rank him seventh all-time. Flores has also helped Point Loma remain in contention for its second-ever appearance in the NCAA West Regional as the Sea Lions were ranked No. 4 in the first regional poll. (all stats through 4/28/18) Other nominees: Eduardo Gallardo, Preston Beverly, Thomas Dafcik


Sea Lion of the Year – CJ Erion This award is dedicated to the all-around individual who displayed the highest level of academic success, athletic performance, spiritual leadership and community service
CJ Erion was a leader on and off the court for the PLNU men's tennis team. In addition to being selfless and willing to do anything to help the team win, including playing anywhere between the Number 2 and Number 5 position, he is a three-time PacWest All-Academic selection and has served the past two seasons as team captain. As a captain, he did a tremendous job of leading his teammates by example in the classroom, on the tennis court, and in life situations. Although, soft spoken at times, CJ speaks loudly with his actions and because of this all around him trust and respect him. Earlier this year he overcame a sudden and tragic event in his personal life but still helped lead the Point Loma men's tennis team to its first-ever NCAA appearance, while displaying courage many of us could only hope to one day have. Other nominees: Summer Marshall, Micah Pries, Stephanie Williams, Nikki Newell, Wiktor Lasota, Bri Winbigler, Tanner Nelson, Keagan Bolibol


Team of the Year – Men's Soccer This award is dedicated to the team that achieved the highest level of athletic success in its season
The men's soccer team earned the honor of being the first Point Loma athletic program to ever host an NCAA Regional. The Sea Lions went 14-3-2 on the season and finished second in the PacWest at 11-0-2. The 14 wins matched the PLNU single-season record. Point Loma also set the school record with a 16-match unbeaten streak, breaking the previous mark of 10 set back in 1998. The team also shattered the school record with a streak of eight straight shutouts and 842 consecutive shutout minutes. Multiple Sea Lions earned all-region honors and Wiktor Lasota became the program's first NCAA All-American. Other nominees: All teams