June 1, 2010
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Two track and field athletes, pole vaulter Ryan Brown and distance runner Sarah Porter, have been named Western Washington University Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, for 2009-10. The announcement was made Tuesday at the first Dub-Dub-Blue awards ceremony.
Brown, a junior from Bellingham (Squalicum High graduate), was the NCAA Division II champion in the pole vault at both the indoor and outdoor national championships, earning United States Track and field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America honors. He is the first Viking athlete to win two nationals titles in the same academic year.
"Ryan is a great athlete, who makes the best of any situation," said Western track coach Pee Wee Halsell (23rd year). "Watching him at outdoor nationals was an amazing thing to witness."
Porter is the first Viking to qualify for the USA Championships, doing so with a school-record 10,000-meter time of 33:36.83 as she placed 15th at the Stanford Payton Jordan Invitational, one of the nation's elite meets, on May 1. She earned All-America honors in three sports for the second straight year, placing second at the NCAA II national cross country championship and in the 10,000 at the outdoor nationals.
"Sarah has an amazing amount of desire," Halsell said. "I would venture to say she is one of the hardest working athletes in the nation. She is fun to watch because you know it's going to be a race whenever she is competing."
Brown became the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference pole vaulter to reach 17 feet both in indoor and outdoor competition. He broke his own school and conference records in winning the outdoor title, clearing 17-8 1/2. That ranks 10th nationally collegiately in all divisions this spring.
In indoor competition, Brown broke his own school and GNAC records with a season-best of 17-1 1/2 at the University of Washington Indoor meet on Jan. 30.
The 6-foot-3 Brown cleared 16-11 to win the indoor national title and was named the UST&FCCCA NCAA II West Region Male Field Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. He also was the GNAC Male Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year as he won the league's pole vault title for the third straight year.
WWU Director of Athletics Lynda Goodrich congratulates 2009-10 WWU Female Athlete of the Year Sarah Porter at first Dub-Dub-Blue awards ceremony
Porter, a junior from Hockinson (graduate of Hockinson High School), earned All-America honors in both the 10,000 and 5,000 at outdoor nationals, where she placed third in a school-record 16:23.52.
Her 10,000 time at Stanford was a personal best by nearly 54 seconds and broke her own school record and was a GNAC best by 32 seconds.
Last winter, Porter set school indoor records in the 3000 (9:44.31) 5,000 (16:47.07) and distance medley relay (11:46.27). She placed fourth at nationals in the 5,000 (17:26.05) and helped the DMR finish seventh (12:02.32),
In all, Porter has made nine national championship appearances, going three times each in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. She shared WWU Female Athlete of the Year honors in 2008-09.
The names of Brown and Porter will be added to the G. Robert Ross Memorial Trophy.
WWU President Bruce Shepard and Director of Athletics Lynda Goodrich with Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Sports Trophy
WWU ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
1954 Ken Swalwell - Football, Men's Track & Field, Baseball1955 Bruce Randall - Football, Men's Basketball1956 Ted Whan - Men's Track & Field1957 Bruce Randall - Football, Baseball1958 Fred Emerson - Football, Baseball1959 Sam Martin - Football1960 Jerry Joyce - Men's Track & Field1961 Don Trethewey - Men's Track & Field1962 Mike Kirk - Men's Basketball1963 Jim Adams - Men's Basketball1964 Bob Thomas - Men's Basketball1965 Keith Shugarts - Football, Men's Basketball1966 Jack Nighbert - Men's Basketball, Baseball1967 Steve Richardson - Football, Baseball1968 Dave Weedman - Football1969 Gary Reiersgard - Men's Basketball1970 Mike Clayton - Men's Basketball1971 Gary White - Men's Basketball1972 Lee Andersen - Wrestling1973 Mike Franza - Men's Basketball1974 Mike Vorce - Men's Track & Field1975 Chuck Price - Men's Basketball1976 Charmon Odle - Women's Basketball1977 Pat Locker - Football1978 Bruce Manclark - Men's Track & Field, Men's Cross Country1979 Rohn McCoy - Men's Basketball1981 Jo Metzger - Women's Basketball1982 Marilyn Thibodeau - Women's Cross Country. Women's Track & Field1983 Wendy Malich - Women's Track & Field1984 Joan Williamson - Women's Track & Field1985 Dave Peterson - Football Genevie Pfueller - Women's Cross Country and Track & Field1986 Carmen Dolfo - Women's Basketball Allen James - Men's Track & Field1987 Kim Nix - Men's Track & Field and Football Hollie Watson - Women's Track & Field1988 James Johnson - Men's Basketball Shelly Borovich - Women's Volleyball and Track & Field1989 Peter LaBarge - Football Anna Rabel - Women's Basketball1990 Peter LaBarge - Men's Soccer Lorrie Post - Women's Volleyball1991 Peter LaBarge - Men's Soccer Scott Lohr - Football Lorrie Post - Women's Volleyball1992 Jeff Van Kleeck - Men's Cross Country & Track Joanie Armstrong - Women's Crew1993 Shane Volkmann - Football Lynton Hyde - Football Kris Maraveller - Women's Cross Country & Track1994 Dwayne Kirkley - Men's Basketball Brandi Stevenson - Women's Track1995 Bill Christensen - Football Gina Sampson - Women's Basketball1996 Orlondo Steinauer - Football Gina Sampson - Women's Basketball1997 Chris Nicholl - Football Amy Cameron - Women's Track1998 Mark Spencer - Football Cathy Johnson - Fastpitch1999 Joel Skarbo - Men's Golf Devin Kemper - Men's Track Celeste Hill - Women's Basketball2000 Ben Clampitt - Football Celeste Hill, Women's Basketball Craig Welty - Men's Golf2001 Erik Totten - Football Michelle Parker - Volleyball2002 Scott Mitchell - Football Shannon Rowland - Volleyball2003 Mike Palm - Men's Basketball Liz Bishop - Volleyball Ashlee Vincent - Women's Cross Country and Track2004 Nicola Parker - Volleyball Kurt Hartmaier - Men's Cross Country and Track Josh Griesse - Men's Crew2005 Michael Koenen - Football Tim Feenstra - Men's Golf Julia Gamache - Women's Rowing2006 Grant Dykstra - Men's Basketball Katja Trygg - Women's Golf2007 Anthony Tomsich - Men's Track and Cross Country Courtney Schneider - Volleyball Lindsay Mann-King - Women's Rowing2008 Courtney Schneider - Volleyball Sean Packer - Men's Golf2009 Ira Graham - Men's Basketball Jake Koppenberg - Men's Golf Sarah Porter - Women's Cross Country and Track Audrey Coon - Women's Rowing2010 Sarah Porter - Women's Cross Country and Track Ryan Brown - Men's Track
