(SAN DIEGO) The 2022-23 PLNU Athletics season has been a memorable one. All that has been accomplished this year was celebrated on April 30 at the 7th Annual SLAM Awards, which were hosted at the Liberty Station Conference Center.
 
Winners of the Sea Lion Athletic Merit Awards were voted on by a combination of coaches, athletic administrative staff, SALT (Student-Athlete Leadership Team) and student-athletes.
 
Award Nominees | Photo Gallery
 
Male Freshman of the Year – Niko Kaczmarczyk (Men's Soccer)
Niko was an instrumental player for the men's soccer team this fall, starting 13 games in the center of midfield, playing nearly 1000 minutes on the season and scoring the first goal of PLNU's win over Chaminade.


 
Female Freshman of the Year – Abigail Nua (Women's Volleyball)
Abigail earned several awards this fall, including AVCA Third Team All-American and PacWest Freshman of the Year, as she led the conference in kills and points from her outside hitter position.


 
Team Service Award – Women's Volleyball
This year, members of the PLNU Volleyball team participated in beach cleanups, homeless meal services and led a trip to an orphanage in Mexico.


 
Team Performance – Baseball
On February 10, PLNU Baseball scored 22 runs in a single game, knocking off the #1 team in the CCAA and current #14 in the nation Cal State Monterey Bay on the road. The Sea Lions hit five home runs in the game, including two each from Jakob Christian and Hunter Otjen, as Point Loma went on to outscore the Sea Otters 44-15 in a three-game sweep.


 
Male Athlete Performance of the Year – Kaden Anderson (Men's Basketball)
On March 13 against No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino, Anderson scored 27 points and shot 5-for-5 from 3-pt. range in the NCAA West Regional championship while on one healthy leg, almost willing his team back from a double-digit deficit.


 
Female Athlete Performance of the Year – Haylee Saurette (Women's Basketball) and Aubrie Nex (Women's Track & Field)
In the PacWest Tournament First Round vs. Biola on March 2, Saurette made two game-tying baskets in the final minute of regulation, including with just 0.9 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Point Loma won that game in OT in large part to her 21-point, 10-rebound game.
 
Nex won the PacWest championship in the 1500 meters on April 29, running a time of 4:28.62 that ranks second all-time in program history and beat her previous personal-best by a whole second. Her time is a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships and ranks 28th in NCAA Division II this year.
 

 
Carroll B. Land Leadership Award – Cole Hillier (Baseball)
This award, named in honor of PLNU Athletics Hall of Famer Carroll B. Land, was voted on by all student-athletes and goes to an individual who was most respected as a leader.
 
Hillier is a leader through and through, on and off the field. Not only is he a dominant pitcher on the mound, leading NCAA Division II in saves last season, he is trustworthy and dependable and someone that coaches and players alike go to. He knows how to direct, correct and lead others, while his strong character embodies what Point Loma is all about.
 


Academic Success Award – Women's Tennis (3.68 GPA)
 
 

Best Shoe Game – Charis Johnston (Women's Track & Field) and Luke Haupt (Men's Basketball)
 
 

Best Sense of Humor – Alana Diaz (Women's Soccer) and Nabeel Khan (Men's Tennis)
 
 

Best Hair – Lauren Phillips (Women's Volleyball)
 


Best Facial Hair – Hunter Otjen (Baseball)



Fan of the Year – Nate Wood
 

 
Heart of a Sea Lion – Torina Hommes (Women's Volleyball)
The award is given to a PLNU student-athlete who is a selfless team leader and always find ways to make their teammates better with constant encouragement.
 
Hommes is not only a tremendous volleyball player herself, as evidenced by her All-PacWest recognition in the fall, but she is a phenomenal teammate and leader. This award was voted on by her peers, which showcases the impact that she has had not only on her volleyball team, but within the PLNU Athletics community as a whole.
 


Comeback Player of the Year – Chase Bibbey (Women's Soccer)
Whenever Bibbey was on the field in her career, she made a big impact, including scoring the game-winning goal in the NCAA West Regional as a freshman. But she was limited to just 17 games over her career because of several injuries. She returned to the field late this past season and in her first game back after a year out, she scored two goals in PLNU's win over Academy of Art.
 


Female Athlete of the Year – Alli Kim (Women's Golf)
Kim was already the most decorated player in PLNU Women's Golf history before she decided to come back for her final season of eligibility, and all she's done since is add to her trophy cabinet. She won four-straight individual tournaments this spring, finishing at even-par or better in three of those tournaments. Entering the postseason, she had the third-best scoring average in all of NCAA Division II this year.
 


Male Athlete of the Year – Kaden Anderson (Men's Basketball), Alexander Leischner (Men's Tennis) and Jakob Christian (Baseball)
Anderson became just the second-ever three-time PacWest Player of the Year averaging 22.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season, including a 46 point performance against Western Washington which was the second highest single-game point total in PLNU history. He then kept the accolades coming by being named West Region Player of the Year and was selected as a First Team All-American.
 
As PLNU's No. 1 singles player, Leischner had an 18-3 singles record this season and made program history by becoming PLNU's first ITA Division II West Regional singles champion. He then made an impressive showing at the ITA Cup reaching the national semifinals. At season's end, also became the first-ever PacWest Player of the Year in tennis.
 
Christian set a single-season program record for home runs this season, with 24 and counting. He also homered in eight-straight games, which is one game shy of the all-time NCAA mark for any Division. He has gone nearly wire-to-wire leading NCAA Division II in home runs this year, while also leading the PacWest in both slugging % and OPS. Christian is also a force with the glove boasting a .991 fielding percentage making him one of the best defensive first baseman in the conference as well. With baseball season still ongoing, more year-end regional and national awards are surely forthcoming for Jakob.


 
Sea Lion of the Year – Emma Thrapp (Women's Soccer)
The Sea Lion of the Year is an award that symbolizes what PLNU Athletics strives for as a department, honoring a student-athlete who showcases a combination of excellence in academic success, athletic performance, spiritual leadership and community service.
 
Thrapp is not only a standout on the women's soccer team, earning All-PacWest and All-Region honors, but she's heavily involved in the PLNU Athletics community, serving as vice president of SALT and being a constant presence at other teams' athletic events. She is a captain of the women's soccer team and a spiritual mentor to her teammates, all while excelling in the classroom as an Academic All-PacWest honoree.
 
 

Team of the Year – Men's Basketball
Point Loma Men's Basketball had one of its best seasons in program history finishing 29-4 overall and winning the PacWest regular season and conference tournament titles before earning the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional. The Sea Lions reached the regional championship game and finished the year ranked in the top-7 nationally in two national polls.