In 1984 Fresno Pacific University established four awards (Freshman of the Year, Senior of the Year, Scholar of the Year, and Sunbird of the Year) along with the Grace & Glory Award in 2026 to honor its most distinguished student-athletes. The first honorees were announced in May 1985, at the close of the 1984-85 academic year. Since then, elections have been made each spring by the FPU Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council (IAAC).
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Presented to a first-year student-athlete who has made an immediate and meaningful impact through outstanding athletic performance, exemplary citizenship, and a strong commitment to representing the values and mission of Fresno Pacific University both in and out of competition.
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| 1985 |
Trish Taplac |
Basketball, Track & Field |
| 1986 |
Belva Klassen |
Volleyball, Basketball |
| 1987 |
Angela Holguin |
Volleyball |
|
David Heidebrect |
Basketball, Track & Field |
| 1988 |
Nicole Munro |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
|
Todd Hood |
Basketball |
| 1989 |
Michala Jarmin |
Volleyball |
|
David Veith |
Soccer |
| 1990 |
Jason Lindholm |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
Sue Milani |
Volleyball |
| 1991 |
Dana Coates |
Basketball |
| 1992 |
Jason Laney |
Basketball |
|
Jill Yarbrough |
Basketball |
| 1993 |
Stacy Kaufmann |
Volleyball |
| 1994 |
Janee Young |
Basketball |
| 1995 |
Renee Blodgett |
Basketball |
| 1996 |
Candice Pitcher |
Basketball |
| 1997 |
Corey Sparks |
Soccer |
|
Josh Snow |
Basketball |
| 1998 |
Kelly Watney |
Volleyball |
| 1999 |
Teresa Kamps |
Basketball |
| 2000 |
Jordan Lewis |
Track & Field |
| 2001 |
Ben Bogdanof |
Track & Field |
| 2002 |
Orlando Ramirez |
Soccer |
|
Mesha Wimer |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
| 2003 |
Shailey Jones |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
|
Hector Santillan |
Soccer |
| 2004 |
Amanda Kamps |
Basketball |
| 2005 |
Marin Shilling |
Volleyball |
| 2006 |
Brittany Pierce |
Volleyball |
| 2007 |
Danielle Dickie |
Soccer |
| 2008 |
Lisa Shilling |
Volleyball |
| 2009 |
Stacy Carter |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2010 |
Dan Wilson |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2011 |
Kathleen Anderson |
Volleyball |
|
Jenna Morris |
Water Polo |
| 2012 |
Kendall Swanson |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2013 |
Wesley Coles |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Sarah Hill |
Track & Field |
| 2014 |
Bissie DenHartog |
Volleyball |
| 2015 |
Connor Nolen |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
| 2016 |
Austin Hussain |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Allie Austin |
Track & Field |
| 2017 |
Laura Fornshell |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Michael Warkentin |
Baseball |
| 2018 |
Adrian Antunez |
Basketball |
|
Danae Manibog |
Track & Field |
| 2019 |
Caesar Angulo |
Soccer |
|
Madison Flores |
Track & Field |
| 2020 |
Keaton Daniel |
Track & Field |
|
Yorkabel Gebrehiwot |
Cross Country |
| 2021 |
Patrick Kiprop |
Track & Field |
|
Kyla Richardson |
Track & Field |
| 2022 |
Xiamara Young |
Track & Field |
|
Jan Bialecki |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2023 |
Cambria Waites |
Volleyball |
|
Garrett Fox |
Track & Field |
| 2024 |
Nydia Chance |
Track & Field |
|
Rasmus Hanson |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2025 |
Makayla Smith |
Volleyball |
|
Johnathan Biffle |
Track & Field |
| 2026 |
Fabiana Gonzalez |
Tennis |
|
Luke Sanders |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
SENIOR OF THE YEAR
Presented to a graduating student-athlete who has demonstrated sustained excellence in competition, exemplary citizenship,and a lasting commitment to upholding the values and mission of Fresno Pacific University, leaving a legacy of leadership and impact both on and off the field.
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| 1985 |
Brenda Frazier |
Volleyball, Basketball |
| 1986 |
Dan Palomo |
Soccer |
| 1987 |
Wally Salata |
Basketball |
| 1988 |
Anna Butz |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
| 1989 |
Irene Robles |
Basketball |
| 1990 |
Angela Holguin |
Volleyball |
|
Donnie Johnson |
Basketball |
|
Diane Weststeyn |
Basketball |
| 1991 |
Troy Brown |
Basketball |
| 1992 |
Jose Erevia |
Soccer |
| 1993 |
Ricky Sanchez |
Basketball |
| 1994 |
Dana Coates |
Basketball |
| 1995 |
Shawn Peterson |
Soccer |
| 1996 |
Angela (Wiese) Laney |
Basketball, Track & Field |
| 1997 |
Tracy Ainger |
Volleyball |
| 1998 |
Renee (Blodgett) Longshore |
Basketball |
| 1999 |
Tony Badella |
Soccer |
|
Stacey Sedwick |
Basketball |
|
Xin Ge |
Volleyball |
| 2000 |
Qin Wen |
Volleyball |
| 2001 |
Kelly Watney |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
| 2002 |
Annie Taylor |
Basketball, Track & Field |
| 2003 |
Annie Sippel |
Track & Field |
| 2004 |
Ben Bogdanof |
Track & Field |
| 2005 |
Orlando Ramirez |
Soccer |
| 2006 |
Denise Fast |
Basketball |
| 2007 |
Jelena Pandzic |
Tennis |
| 2008 |
Jordan Farley |
Basketball |
| 2009 |
Shu Liu |
Volleyball |
| 2010 |
Tiffany Marinos |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
|
Jared Gilbert |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2011 |
Andrew Douglas |
Baseball |
|
Mariah Mandelbaum |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
| 2012 |
Cheyenne Coffman |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Bobby Yribarren |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2013 |
Milika Tuivanuavou |
Women's Track & Field |
| 2014 |
Brandon Croft |
Men's Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
J.D. Salles |
Baseball |
| 2015 |
Kathleen Anderson |
Volleyball |
|
Wilson Ashford |
Baseball |
| 2016 |
Preston Scott |
Baseball |
|
Hannah Butler |
Volleyball |
| 2017 |
Courtney Moore |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
Jorge Chedraui |
Soccer |
| 2018 |
Scott Hickam |
Track & Field |
|
Daria Belova |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2019 |
Anthony Velarde |
Soccer |
|
Bree Alvarez |
Basketball |
| 2020 |
Josh Rampage |
Water Polo |
|
Olga Tovstogan |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2021 |
Aamondae Coleman |
Basketball |
|
Bayli McClard |
Basketball |
| 2022 |
Danae Manibog Gatewood |
Track & Field |
|
Jelani Watson-Gayle |
Basketball |
| 2023 |
Lea Falentin |
Tennis |
|
Garrett Cooper |
Baseball |
| 2024 |
Maesyn Rix |
Basketball |
|
Felicia Dourva |
Basketball |
|
Ethan McLaughlin |
Water Polo |
| 2025 |
Brianna Green |
Track & Field |
|
Ryan Abbott |
Basketball |
| 2026 |
Cambria Waites |
Volleyball |
|
Shemar Palmer |
Track & Field |
SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR
Presented to a junior or senior student-athlete who is a minimum two-year letter winner and exemplifies excellence in the classroom through a high GPA and notable academic achievements, reflecting a strong commitment to scholarship while representing the mission and values of Fresno Pacific University.
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| 1985 |
Dan Peters |
Soccer |
| 1986 |
Denise Ainley |
Volleyball |
| 1987 |
Rafael DeCicco |
Soccer |
| 1988 |
Kent Anderson |
Basketball |
| 1989 |
Irene Robles |
Basketball |
| 1990 |
Tom O'Neal |
Soccer |
|
Diane Weststeyn |
Basketball |
| 1991 |
Marshall Webb |
Soccer |
| 1992 |
Marianela del Barco |
Volleyball |
| 1993 |
Kevin Miller |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
| 1994 |
Michelle Weigandt |
Volleyball |
| 1995 |
Chad Wenter |
Soccer |
| 1996 |
Ann Muther |
Volleyball |
| 1997 |
Gia Fenn |
Volleyball |
| 1998 |
Ghislain Fone |
Soccer |
| 1999 |
Cecil Litiema |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
| 2000 |
Angel (Naylor) Krause |
Track & Field |
| 2001 |
Teresa Kamps |
Basketball |
| 2002 |
Teresa Kamps |
Basketball |
| 2003 |
Jane Gillespie |
Basketball |
|
Chrisie Gregory |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
Jennifer Toler |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
| 2004 |
Tricia Morgutia |
Soccer |
| 2005 |
Elizabeth Burns |
Soccer |
| 2006 |
Elizabeth Burns |
Soccer |
|
Megan Holbert |
Track & Field |
| 2007 |
Marin Canaday |
Volleyball |
| 2008 |
Marin Canaday |
Volleyball |
| 2009 |
Marco Foelz |
Tennis |
| 2010 |
Tim Kahn |
Water Polo |
| 2011 |
Lisa Shilling |
Volleyball |
| 2012 |
Courtney Fast |
Swimming & Diving |
|
David Hawes |
Baseball |
| 2013 |
Sienna Gonzales |
Basketball |
| 2014 |
John Koretoff |
Baseball |
|
Dallas Nord |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
| 2015 |
Samantha Clark |
Water Polo |
|
Alex Hussain |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2016 |
Bissie DenHartog |
Volleyball |
|
David Maes |
Water Polo |
|
Cody Kinsman |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
| 2017 |
David Maes |
Water Polo |
|
Rhoda Anderson |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Bissie DenHartog |
Volleyball |
| 2018 |
Rhoda Anderson |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Bissie DenHartog |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2019 |
Greta Dobenecker |
Volleyball |
|
Loren Friesen |
Soccer |
| 2020 |
Edu Villar |
Soccer |
|
Isabella Naranjo |
Basketball |
| 2021 |
Fritz Voltmer |
Soccer |
|
Kristi Yorke |
Track & Field |
| 2022 |
Anastassiya Barakhoyeva |
Volleyball |
|
Alex Blazquez |
Soccer |
| 2023 |
Anastassiya Barakhoyeva |
Volleyball |
|
Rosemary Chapman |
Water Polo / Swimming & Diving |
|
Spencer Heimerdinger |
Basketball |
|
Garrett Frear |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2024 |
Bryana Yoshida |
Soccer |
|
Maxi Schreiner |
Soccer |
| 2025 |
Malia Mitchell |
Tennis |
|
Maddie Murad |
Water Polo |
|
Jansen Gillig |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
Botund Navritil |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2026 |
Julissa Avila |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
Martina Ebner Cignetti |
Soccer |
|
Nico Barna |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Elmer Carballo |
Soccer |
GRACE & GLORY AWARD
Presented to a student-athlete whose life reflects the transforming grace of God, evident in their character, leadership, and commitment both in and out of competition. We recognize, as Scripture teaches, that it is by grace alone we have been saved through faith in Christ, and we are not saved by our works. And yet, as those redeemed by Christ, we are created for good works, prepared in advance by God for us to walk in. This award's recipeints live that out in a way that points others to Christ and brings glory to Him in all they do.Â
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| 2026 |
Malia Mitchell |
Tennis |
|
Malachi Carrasco |
Track & Field |
SUNBIRD OF THE YEAR
The highest honor presented to a sophomore, junior, or senior student-athlete who exemplifies excellence in every facet of the collegiate experience—demonstrating outstanding athletic achievement, maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher over the past two semesters, and serving as a powerful example of Christ-centered leadership, character, and influence. This award recognizes an individual who faithfully reflects the mission and values of Fresno Pacific University while inspiring others both on and off the field.
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| 1985 |
Denise Ainley |
Volleyball |
|
Dan Peters |
Soccer |
| 1986 |
Kerrie Webb |
Volleyball, Basketball |
| 1987 |
Leicia Farrell |
Volleyball |
| 1988 |
Irene Robles |
Volleyball, Basketball |
| 1989 |
Kellie Fry |
Basketball |
| 1990 |
Marshall Webb |
Soccer |
| 1991 |
Marianela del Barco |
Volleyball |
|
Ken Eggert |
Basketball |
| 1992 |
Kevin Miller |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
| 1993 |
Kim McCann |
Volleyball |
|
Michelle Weigandt |
Volleyball |
| 1994 |
Greg Zuffelato |
Basketball |
| 1995 |
Don Moore |
Basketball |
| 1996 |
Tracy Ainger |
Volleyball |
| 1997 |
Brad Robb |
Basketball |
| 1998 |
Trisha Woods |
Volleyball |
| 1999 |
Geoff Jones |
Basketball |
| 2000 |
Brian Penner |
Track & Field |
| 2001 |
Kelly Watney |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
| 2002 |
Chrisie Gregory |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
Teresa Kamps |
Basketball |
| 2003 |
Jane Gillespie |
Basketball |
|
T.J. Jennings |
Basketball |
| 2004 |
Sheila Kamps |
Basketball, Track & Field |
| 2005 |
Anna Horn |
Basketball |
| 2006 |
Denise Fast |
Basketball |
|
Mario Ordaz |
Track & Field |
| 2007 |
Natalie Friesen |
Track & Field |
|
Michelle Nachtigall |
Track & Field |
| 2008 |
Kari Cox |
Basketball, Track & Field |
| 2009 |
Christine Dillon |
Swimming |
| 2010 |
Todd Brown |
Basketball |
| 2011 |
Lisa Shilling |
Volleyball |
| 2012 |
Milika Tuivanuavou |
Track & Field |
|
Ethan DeJongh |
Track & Field |
| 2013 |
Kathleen Anderson |
Volleyball |
| 2014 |
Sarah King |
Soccer |
| 2015 |
Dallas Nord |
Cross Country, Track & Field |
|
Kendall Swanson |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2016 |
Wesley Coles |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Sarah Hill |
Track & Field |
| 2017 |
Donte McDaniel |
Track & Field |
|
Matlyn Morris |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2018 |
Hannah Freeman |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Austin Hussain |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2019 |
Kyle Jones |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Emma McBride |
Water Polo |
| 2020 |
Michael Warkentin |
Baseball |
|
Sam Witt |
Water Polo |
| 2021 |
A.J. Kirby |
Basketball |
|
Remy Gordillo |
Swimming & Diving |
| 2022 |
Sanne Brull |
Tennis |
|
Isaac Davis |
Track & Field |
| 2023 |
Madison Flores |
Track & Field |
|
Brady Crow |
Baseball |
| 2024 |
Tatum Benson |
Water Polo, Swimming & Diving |
|
Jesse Franco |
Track & Field |
| 2025 |
Lydia Manu |
Basketball |
|
Pablo Zubieta |
Tennis |
| 2026 |
Geneva Elliott |
Volleyball |
|
Forrest Gray |
Water Polo, Track & Field, Esports |
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