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SAN DIEGO - For the third straight year the Point Loma Athletic Department and the student-athletes wrapped up their year with the annual Sea Lion Athletic Merit (S.L.A.M.) Award. Over 350 coaches, staff, parents, and student-athletes came out dressed in their best evening wear to walk the red carpet at the Liberty Station Conference Center on Sunday, Apr. 28.

The S.L.A.M. Awards were created as a celebration of academic, athletic and community excellence achieved throughout the academic year by our student-athletes, and is slated to be 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 third straight year, which included 19 award categories presented by PLNU administration, athletic staff and coaches. 

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Below is a list of all the 2018-19 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.
For the second straight season, the PLNU volleyball team stood out among their peers in their efforts to help their community and get involved on campus. They have consistently volunteered each month over the last two years at the Bread of Life ministry in Ocean Beach and organized other volunteer opportunities for other PLNU teams to attend as well. They were also very active in raising money and awareness for breast cancer through their annual Dig Pink match, which has become a fan favorite. Other nominees: All teams

Male Freshman of the Year – Parker Scalzo This award is dedicated to the best overall performance throughout the season by a male freshman
Parker Scalzo provided the men's soccer team with that offensive spark off the bench. He finished second on the team with five goals, including two in the Sea Lions' win over Holy Names in the annual night soccer match. He would go on to score in three straight matches, and in four of the next five with the Sea Lions winning all four matches. Parker also made quite a first impression on PLNU fans as well as he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Mount Vernon Nazarene on his 19th birthday. Other nominees: Brock Mackenzie, Kaden Anderson, Jasdeep Paintal, David Schlomovits

Female Freshman of the Year – Rachael Schlect This award is dedicated to the best overall performance throughout the season by a female freshman
Rachael Schlect was a dominant offensive force for the Point Loma women's volleyball team from the minute she stepped on the court. In her first weekend of play she posted 21 kills, and 11 digs in a match against eventual No. 1 ranked Nebraska-Kearney. She would finish third in the PacWest with 3.25 kills per set while ranking in the top 10 in aces. She had nine double-doubles and earned both All-PacWest and PacWest Freshman of the Year honors. Other nominees: Rachael Schlect, Emma Hinson, Haylee Saurette, Emily Donahue

Team Performance of the Year – Women's Cross Country at PacWest Championships (11/2/18) This award is dedicated to the best team performance in a single contest
All eight members of the Sea Lion team huddled together waiting for the announcement of the winner of the closest PacWest Championship race in history. In the unofficial scoring, it initially looked like APU would edge PLNU by one point, but after everyone had finished the race and the results were double-checked, both Point Loma and Azusa Pacific finished deadlocked with 38 points. It was then time to turn to the tiebreaker to determine the 2018 PacWest Championship. APU's first and second runners finished ahead of PLNU's first two runners. However, the next three runners for Point Loma all placed higher than Azusa Pacific's giving PLNU the edge in the tiebreaker 3-2 and the Sea Lions their first Women's Cross Country PacWest Conference Championship! Other nominees: Men's Basketball vs. Southern Indiana (3/28/19), Women's Basketball vs. Dominican (12/01/18), Women's Soccer vs. Chico State (11/08/18), Men's Soccer vs. Fort Hays (09/13/18), Volleyball vs. Azusa Pacific (10/16/18)

Female Athlete Performance of the Year – Freda Kallenberg & Zita Molnar at PacWest Championships (4/27/18) This award is dedicated to the best overall performance in a single contest by a female student-athlete
This duo helped the Point Loma women's track & field team exceed all expectations at the 2019 PacWest Track & Field Championships, and they went on to be named the Track Athlete of the Meet and the Field Athlete the Meet. The Sea Lions were picked to finish fourth but instead had their best-ever finish at the PacWest Meet. Kallenberg scored an incredible 39 points across six events. She won the javelin for the second straight seasons and then went on to break the meet record in the heptathlon. She would also score for PLNU in the high jump, long jump and both hurdle races. Zita Molnar won both races she competed in and brought 20 team points to the Sea Lions. On Friday night she set the meet record in the 3000m steeplechase and backed that up with a win in the 5k on Saturday. Other nominees: Cara Liggins, Hannah Benoit Bucher, Alli Kim, Julia Glaser, Rachael Schlect

Male Athlete Performance of the Year – Daulton Hommes vs. Saint Martin's (3/18/19) This award is dedicated to the best overall performance in a single contest by a male student-athlete
In the most crucial game of the season, and maybe in the modern era of Point Loma men's basketball, Daulton Hommes rose to the occasion. He scored 25 of the Sea Lions' 60 points in front of a sold-out Green & Gold crowd clad in Golden Gym in the NCAA West Regional Championship. His five 3-pointers and multiple highlight reel plays brought the crowd to their feet throughout the game and finished the contest going 10-of-15 from the field. Hommes earned Most Outstanding Player at the Regional and led the Sea Lions to the 2018-19 NCAA West Regional Championship. Other nominees: Nathan Garkow, Tim Siegfried, Indiana Fuller, Thomas Dafcik

Coach of the Year - Kristi Kiely (women's soccer) 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
Things could not have gone better in coach Kiely's first year at the helm of the Sea Lions. She took over the program in January 2018 and made it her own. She improved a PLNU defense that was one of the best in the PacWest and made it one of the nation's most elite. Coach Kiely would lead the Sea Lions to the 2018 PacWest Championship with an undefeated league record and to its first-ever win in the NCAA West Regional. She also helped guide numerous Sea Lion student-athletes to individual honors like Julia Glaser earning PacWest Player of the Year and Keagan Bolibol to All-American honors. Coach Kiely and her assistant coaches would go on to be named the West Region's Staff of Year. Other nominees: All coaches
 
Academic Success Award – Men's Tennis This award is dedicated to the team that distinguished itself above the curve in the classroom
The Men's Tennis team managed to earn the highest Grade point average across all eleven teams! These Sea Lions not only apply themselves in their sport but use their discipline and commitment in academics too. With a grade point average of 3.76 and a cumulative GPA of 3.68 this past semester, they are leading the way for PLNU Athletics. We are so very proud of what these Sea Lions have accomplished. Other nominees: All teams

Leadership Award – Sarah Steinhaus This award is dedicated to the individual who distinguished him/herself as a team leader and is respected by their peers
As a member of the Women's Soccer team Sarah Steinhaus distinguished herself from the moment she arrived on campus and has grown into a tremendous leader at PLNU. She served as President of the PLNU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and also alongside key university administrators and faculty as a member of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee. Sarah's vision has been instrumental in the success of several new events and partnerships including taking the lead in developing a brand new partnership with the San Diego Rescue Mission as the primary charitable partner of PLNU Athletics which included raising over $2,000 for the mission and organizing PLNU Student-athletes to volunteer at their facilities. She was also instrumental in organizing a dodgeball tournament, spike ball tournament SLAMFEST, Operation Christmas Child donations, and several other events to benefit the local community and PLNU campus.

Best Dressed Award – Ryan Park and Jaime Cymbaluk This award is dedicated to the male and female whose sense of style distinguishes them among their peers
Ryan Park of the baseball team earned the Best Dressed Award for the men, and Jaime Cymbaluk of the volleyball team picked up the honor for the women. Other nominees: Ziggy Satterthwaite, Jorge Navarro, Darian Sylvester, Zac Bulgin, Summer Marshall, Emily Gehlbach, Kate Johnson, Kennedi Byram
 
Best Hair Award – JJ Gaier, Miguel Cazares & Munirih Peace This award is dedicated to the male and female with the most fabulous hair
Munirih Peace earned the Female Best Hair Award. JJ Gaier of the men's soccer team and Miguel Cazares of the baseball team shared the honor for Best Hair on the men's side. Other nominees: Zac Bulgin, Jarret Lindsay, Yuki Okamoto, Madie Fox, Jordan Sienkiewicz, Shelby Groeneveld, Bella Diaz
 
Fan of the Year – Chris Carson

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 and engaging game environment, and Chris Carson exemplifies what it means to be a PLNU fan. He helped foster a positive and fun game environment and involved those around him. It was a pleasure to have such a great fan to represent Point Loma in the stands, at almost every game, and around campus every day of the week. He is always a boost for our teams on the fields and courts and always makes a point to say hello and chat with them just walking the halls and sidewalks of PLNU. His support makes a difference. We hope he inspires others to follow in his footsteps. Other nominees: Dr. Jon Manning, Dr. Bill Wood, Chris Carson, John Bunnell, Forrest Case
 
Heart of a Sea Lion Award – Travis Takata

This award is dedicated to the individual who consistently displayed a positive outlook and unbridled support of his/her teammates
Travis Takata has no doubt made an incredible impact on PLNU Athletics and to his fellow student-athletes. He has been a significant influence on our Athletics family, helping lead several student-athlete Bible studies. He's been a key member of the PLNU baseball team not only athletically but has been recognized for his positivity and sportsmanship demeanor on and off the field. In addition to being recognized as a Second Team All-PacWest selection, he's has also been recognized by his teammates for his constant positive attitude and has been a motivational force as a member of SAAC for the past two years. Other nominees: Gianna Tesone, Jordan Clay, Jacob Moreno, Frank Kalinski, Carlee Taylor
 
Comeback Player of the Year – Camryn Stokes

This award is dedicated to the individual who sustained a major injury or illness and positively impacted his or her team's success
Camryn Stokes has overcome more than most to be with us today wearing the Sea Lion Green & Gold. Three weeks before her high school graduation, Stokes was diagnosed with Leukemia. She underwent 11 months of Chemotherapy, missing last year completely, before joining the Point Loma women's track & field team this season to compete in the jumping events. She has decreased her chemotherapy, and she is just four months away from completing her two-and-a-half-year regimen of medication and infusions. Other nominees: Nicole Camaratta

Female Athletes of the Year – Keagan Bolibol & Alli Kim

This award is dedicated to the best overall performance for a season by a female student-athlete
A record-setting performer in two different sports, Keagan Bolibol was a standout for both the women's soccer team in the fall and the women's track & field team in the spring. In soccer, Bolibol capped off one of the most decorated career for any defender in PLNU history by earning All-West Region honors for the fourth straight season and by being named an All-American. She also helped lead the women's soccer team to the 2018 PacWest Championship and a win in the NCAA West Regional. Having never run at the collegiate level, Bolibol made an immediate impact within the track & field team this season. She moved into the top 5 in school history in both the 800m and the 1500m, and at the conference meet she helped PLNU earn its best finish at the PacWest Championships (second) as she placed second in the 800m.
Alli Kim's 2018-19 season has already rewritten the Point Loma women's golf record books. In her first season with the team, Kim won four of the nine tournaments in which she competed, to match the total number of individual wins PLNU had in its seven years as a program. She also set the school-record earlier this season by shooting 8-under par at the California State Intercollegiate Meet. Just recently tied for second at the 2019 PacWest Championships and tomorrow she will find out if she will become the first Sea Lion ever selected as an individual to compete in the NCAA Super Regional. (all stats through 4/28/19) Other nominees: Hannah Benoit Bucher, Julia Glaser, Freda Kallenberg, Cara Keturakis, Zita Molnar

Male Athlete of Year – Daulton Hommes This award is dedicated to the best overall performance for a season by a male student-athlete
He was only on The Point for one season, but the impact Daulton Hommes made will live on for many years. His very first basket in a Sea Lion uniform was a driving one-handed hammer dunk through traffic in the lane, and things only got more impressive from there. Hommes scored nearly 22 points per game, and he scored in double figures in all 36 games this season while leading Point Loma to the PacWest regular season and tournament titles. He would go on to be named the PacWest Player of the Year and the Regional Player of the Year, but what Sea Lion fans will always remember is his performance during the run to the national title game. As mentioned earlier, he was amazing in the NCAA West Regional, especially the championship game, and Hommes would only get better in the Elite Eight with multiple highlight reel dunks and being named to the NCAA Division II All-Tournament team. He would cap off his incredible season by being named the Division II National Player of the Year.  Other nominees: Micah Pries, Zack Noll, Tim Siegfried, Thomas Dafcik

Sea Lion of the Year – Madelon Denbaugh This award is dedicated to the all-around individual who displayed the highest level of academic success, athletic performance, spiritual leadership, and community service
Maddie Denbaugh is the definition of perseverance. Year after year Denbaugh was challenged for her starting position, and each time she came through as a starter at the end of the season. Her teammates recognized the intangible qualities she possesses and named her captain. Denbaugh would help anchor one of the best defensive units in the country, and she helped lead the Sea Lions to the 2018 PacWest Championships and their first NCAA postseason victory. She was named first-team All-PacWest and to the All-Region team. Denbaugh also sports a 3.74 grade point average as an Athletic Training major and was named an Academic All-American by the United Soccer Coaches. She has been tireless in her efforts to encourage her teammates and fellow students while also finding time to be highly active in supporting the Special Olympics, Elderly Ministry, and Autism Awareness. Maddie truly has a way of leaving a smile on the face of everyone she meets and a positive lasting impact on everything she touches. Other nominees: Micah Pries, Alli Kim, Daulton Hommes, Wiktor Lasota, Cara Keturakis, Keagan Bolibol, Taylor McGowan, Thomas Dafcik

Team of the Year – Men's Basketball

This award is dedicated to the team that achieved the highest level of athletic success in its season
The excitement generated by the PLNU men's basketball team on it's way to the NCAA Division II Championship game can still be felt on the Point Loma campus, but this season was about far more than just getting hot at the right time. It was a magical and record-setting year with the Sea Lions winning their first PacWest regular season and postseason titles in program history, before going on to capture the NCAA West Regional Championship in front of a sold-out crowd in Golden Gym. The Sea Lions then carried that momentum on to the Elite Eight in Evansville, IN where they upset the No. 3 seed in the first round and beat the hometown team in from of a crowd of over 5,000 people to reach the first NCAA Championship game for Point Loma in any sport! Other nominees: All teams