SAN DIEGO - After numerous All-PacWest seasons, championships, and program bests, Point Loma Athletics celebrated the incredible year of hard work put together by student-athletes at the 6th Annual SLAM Awards Sunday night.

The Sea Lion Athletic Merit Awards were created to celebrate academic, athletic, and community excellence achieved by the PLNU student-athletes, coaches and staff, and this year marked the 2nd consecutive year the awards were hosted by Fox 5's Raoul Martinez.
 
Below is a list of all awards and winners. Click here to see the photo gallery.
 
Team Service Award – Men's Basketball

This award is dedicated to the team with the greatest engagement in community service, ministry or missions.

Members of our men's basketball team led a mission trip to Mexico in September to build houses. These student-athletes stood out among their peers in their efforts to connect with and beyond the community that they live in every day.
Other nominees: All teams


Male Freshman of the Year – Austin Lavell (Men's Soccer)

This award is dedicated to the best overall performance throughout the season by a male freshman

Austin was a facilitator for the Men's Soccer Team this year. He constantly found a way to set up his teammates and led his team with 7 assists this season. He also registered his first collegiate goal and was a regular in the starting lineup.
Other nominees: Coby Barnes, Jake Entrekin, Jakob Christian, Luke Haupt


Female Freshman of the Year –Alana Diaz (Women's Soccer)

This award is dedicated to the best overall performance throughout the season by a female freshman

Alana Diaz earned 1^st-Team All-Region and 1^st Team All-Conference this year, leading the Women's Soccer team with 15 points, 6 goals, and delivered 3 game winners for a team that won its 4^th straight PacWest title.
 Other nominees: Anna Massari, Annika Thayer, and Arianna Audelo


Team Performance of the Year – Women's Soccer at NCAA Regional 

This award is dedicated to the best team performance in a single contest

In the pouring rain, in the first round of the NCAA Regionals in Washington, Our Women's Soccer Team held off Cal State East Bay in 11 PK's to advance to the 2^nd round. Down 1-0 in the 9^th minute, every single member of the Sea Lions who touched the pitch contributed after Haley Clifford headed home a cross from Emma Thrapp in the 55^th minute. 8 different Sea Lions scored in penalties and goalkeeper Emma Hinson made three saves. The celebration after the final Pioneer attempt hit the crossbar is an iconic moment in PLNU history.

Other nominees: Men's Basketball 21 three's vs. Fresno Pacific, Baseball 26 runs vs. Biola, Men's Soccer's Clean Sheet Streak

Female Athlete Performance of the Year – Raquel Prado (Women's Golf)

This award is dedicated to the best overall performance in a single contest by a female student-athlete

Raquel's 4 under 68 is the 2^nd best round of golf in school history. But she didn't stop there, Raquel won the Biola Eagle Invitational by holding onto her 5 stroke lead on the final day in Del Mar. She's just the 2^nd Sea Lion to win multiple tournaments in the same year after her win in the fall and her individual performance helped her team topple all of their PacWest rivals for a 2^nd place finish.

Other nominees: Anessa Chirgwin Discus Record at PacWest Championships, Courtney Dyer Digs Record, Emma Hinson at NCAA Regional

Male Athlete Performance of the Year – Dylan Miller No-Hitter vs. Concordia, Jack Gonzales No-Hitter (also) vs. Concordia

This award is dedicated to the best overall performance in a single contest by a male student-athlete

On March 5^th, Dylan threw the 9^th no-hitter in Point Loma history. Only one batter reached base against Dylan while setting his career-high in strikeouts with 11. His quick pace and stellar command kept Concordia without a hit for 7 innings.
And not to be out staged, Jack Gonzales threw another no-hitter on April 29th, also against Concordia. Jack struck out 15 batters in 7 innings and led his team to a very important PacWest win.

Other nominees: Kaden Anderson's 35 point performance against Academy of Art, Baxter Halligan's 5 hit game against Biola, Ben Okhotin's 8 three's against Hawai'i Pacific

Academic Success Award – Women's Basketball

This award is dedicated to the team that distinguished itself above the curve in the classroom

The women's basketball  team managed to earn one of the highest GPA among all eleven teams! With a cumulative grade point average of 3.77, they are leading the way for PLNU Athletics.
Other nominees: All teams

Carroll B. Land Leadership Award – Courtney Dyer (Volleyball)

This award is dedicated to the individual who distinguished him/herself as a team leader and is respected by their peers

Courtney's accomplishments on the court are vast, but her commitment to PLNU Athletics as the President of Salt, a team captain for Volleyball and an active member of the community as a whole have impacted everyone associated with the Point Loma Sea Lions. Courtney is a true servant-leader looking to help all those around her and does everything with excellence.
 Other nominees: Cole Hillier, Lauren O'Malley, Izzy Turk, Sami Neilson

Best Dressed Award – Izayah Alvarez (Baseball) and Sara Kuhn (Track & Field)
    
This award is dedicated to the male and female whose sense of style distinguishes them among their peers

Izayah Alvarez of the baseball team earned the Best Dressed Award for the men, and Sara Kuhn of the track and field team picked up the honor for the women. 
Other nominees: Sami Neilson, Claire Smith, Faith Pearson, Ellie Turk, Grace Wittenberg
Other nominees: Tyler Davis, Nick Eusebio, Lukas Schuster, Trey Anderson
 



Best Sense of Humor Award – Jack Malone (Baseball) and Torina Hommes (Volleyball)
    
The Best Sense of Humor award goes to two individuals who always see the funny side in any situation, and find enjoyment in making others laugh.

Jack Malone of the Baseball team earned the Best Sense of Humor Award for the men, and Torina Hommes of the Volleyball team picked up the honor for the women. 


 

Fan of the Year – Dr. Tim Hall

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

If there was a fixture at our home games this year across each and every sport, it was Dr. Tim Hall! Often giving the prayer before the game or guarding the exit door, his support was still more impactful. A mentor, friend, and just an excellent supporter.

 
Heart of a Sea Lion Award – Sami Neilson (Women's Tennis) and Brei Rodriguez (Women's Basketball)

This award is dedicated to the individual who consistently displayed a positive outlook and unbridled support of his/her teammates

Sami's impact goes far beyond her All-Conference season this year. A leader on SALT, a captain for Women's Tennis, and a positive influencer in every corner of athletics. Sami's leadership stretches beyond the sport she plays and her friendliness and support of Point Loma Athletics has impacted PLNU for the better.

Brei has embodied a selfless teammate. A constant encourager who always has a positive attitude and a smile on her face. She's a welcoming face around campus and in the program. Both Brei and Sami are the embodiment of what this award is all about.

Other nominees: Alexis Soncrant, Rachel Fong, Nabeel Khan
 
Comeback Player of the Year – Kaden Anderson (Men's Basketball)

This award is dedicated to the individual who sustained a major injury or illness and positively impacted his or her team's success

Kaden missed the first 9 games this year. And if you watched him at all during his 2^nd PacWest Player of the Year season, you might not be able to tell he was hurt at all. While he was out of the lineup, he was rehabbing and constantly around the team. When he returned, it was like he never left.
Other nominees: Abby Schmidt, Alex Leischner, Alex Castaneda, Amanda Letzring, Ben Okhotin

Female Athletes of the Year – Lauren O'Malley (Women's Soccer) and Anessa Chirgwin (Track & Field)

This award is dedicated to the best overall performance for a season by a female student-athlete

Lauren has been an anchor for our four time PacWest Champion Women's Soccer team since she arrived on campus. She's the PacWest Defender of the Year and she has anchored a team that puts up ridiculous stats defending the goal. Lauren has been an integral part of the longest PacWest winning streak in the conference's history.

Anessa has also made an impact from the moment she set foot on campus. After setting a new record in March, she broke that mark just a month later win the PacWest Championship in Discus. Her record breaking throws are a thing of beauty and have put her in the top three places of the schools Discus records.

Other nominees: Courtney Dyer, Angelique Friedrich, Cara Liggins, Aubrie Nex, Raquel Prado

Male Athlete of Year – Baxter Halligan (Baseball)

This award is dedicated to the best overall performance for a season by a male student-athlete

Baxter has had a season unlike any other already this year, with more to come! While the end of the year awards haven't been finalized yet, Baxter's dual role as a pitcher and hitter for the Sea Lions have seen him rack up 3 PacWest Pitcher of the Week awards, 2 Region Pitcher of the Week Awards and 1 PacWest Hitter of the Week. He ranks first in the country in multiple categories as a pitcher and has been an integral part  hitting in the middle of the lineup.

Other nominees: Kaden Anderson, Scott Anderson, Otto Kemp, Seth Ketterer, Alex Leischner , Parker Scalzo

Sea Lion of the Year – Courtney Dyer (Volleyball)

This award is dedicated to the all-around individual who displayed the highest level of academic success, athletic performance, spiritual leadership, and community service

Courtney has exemplified Point Loma Athletics. Her impact is felt by teammates, coaches, staff, fans, and anyone associated with PLNU. On the court, she broke records and climbed the top ten charts while having one of the best defensive seasons for a libero in school history. Off the court, she leads SALT, organizes events, and has excelled in the classroom.

Other nominees: Baxter Halligan, Emma Hinson, Brock Mackenzie, Raquel Prado

Team of the Year – Baseball

This award is dedicated to the team that achieved the highest level of athletic success in its season

Point Loma Baseball has put together an incredible season. Ranked #1 in the Region, they started the season 10-0, didn't even lose a non-conference game, and are atop the PacWest standings. The numbers are ridiculous, they rank #1 in the country for multiple categories and the season isn't even done yet

Other nominees: All teams
 

Click here for the full photo gallery