May 29, 2012
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Men's basketball senior forward Rory Blanche, who helped the Vikings to a national championship, and junior Emily Warman, who starred in both women's soccer and track and field, have been named Western Washington University Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, for 2011-12. The announcement was made Tuesday at the third annual Dub-Dub-Blue awards ceremony.
Their names will be added to the G. Robert Ross Memorial Trophy.
Blanche, a graduate of Ashland (Ore.) High School, led the Vikings to a 31-5 record and the 2012 NCAA Division II national championship, the first in the program's 110-year history. He was a first-team National Association of Basketball Coaches and Daktronics West Region all-star, Elite Eight and West Regional all-tournament pick and unanimous first-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star.
Blanche also was outstanding in the classroom, being named a first-team College Sports Information Directors of America Capital One Academic All-American and for the third time a Great Northwest Athletic Conference academic all-star.
The team's captain and MVP, Blanche averaged 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds, both team-leading figures. He shot 59.5 percent (244-of 410) from the field, which ranked 15th nationally.
Blanche, who had 31 double-figure scoring games and seven double-doubles, both team highs, finished his four-year career ranked 13th among WWU point leaders with 1,273 points and ninth in rebounds with 544.
Warman, a graduate of Sedro-Woolley High School, placed sixth at nationals with a school record effort of 40-7 in the triple jump to earn United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America recognition.
Warman's national mark also was an outdoor GNAC record and earlier this spring she tied a WWU standard in the long jump of 19-2 that had stood for 30 years.
Warman, who redshirted in track last year, won the long jump at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. She placed second in both the long jump and triple jump at the conference indoor meet.
As a freshman in 2009, Warman was the NCAA II national champion in the indoor triple jump. She holds school indoor records in that event, going 39-11 1/2 in 2010, and the long jump with a mark of 18-10 in 2009.
Last fall, Warman earned first-team GNAC and second-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America West Region all-star honors as a senior defender in soccer. She helped the Vikings record 11 shutouts and post a 0.59 goals against average.
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 Track2011 Sarah Porter - Women's Cross Country and Track Ryan Brown - Men's Track2012 Rory Blanche, Men's Basketball Emily Warman, Women's Track & Field and Soccer
