2015-16 WWU Athletics All-Sports Review

Western Washington University completed another excellent athletics season finishing 26th amongst 307 NCAA Division II schools in the final 2015-16 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings. The Vikings finished in the top 50 in the Directors' Cup Standings for the 13th consecutive year and placed inside the top 30 for the eighth time.

The 2015-16 sports season included several standout performances, including women's soccer and volleyball reaching the Final Four, rowing finishing 3rd in the NCAA II Championships and women's cross country recording a 6th-place finish at the national meet. Men's and women's golf both advanced to the NCAA Regional and men's and women's basketball both reached the semifinal of the GNAC Tournament.

WWU was also crowed the GNAC all-sports champion for the eighth consecutive year and for the 12th time in the 15-year history of the league. Also marked the sixth consecutive year that WWU has been the women's all-sport champion garnering 124 points, while the men's teams tied for second with 79 points, snapping its streak of seven consecutive winning years.

Overall Achievements:

• Finished 26th in the 2015-16 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Division II standings.
• Won 8th consecutive GNCA All-Sports Trophy.
• Final Four appearances by women's soccer and volleyball, and a third-place finish by rowing.
• Both basketball teams advanced to the semifinal round of the GNAC Tournament
• Women's Cross Country placed 6th at the NCAA Championships for the highest finish in program history.
• Track & Field sent 12 athletes to the NCAA Championships, the most since joining the NCAA level.
• Men's and women's golf advanced to the NCAA Regional...for the men it was the 18th consecutive season to advance to postseason.
• Men's Golf and Women's Soccer won GNAC conference tournament championships.
• First-Team All-Americans: Delanee Nilles (women's soccer), Taylor Guenther (Cross Country), Bethany Drake (Track & Field - Javelin), Katie Reichert (Track & Field - Javelin), John Haskin (Track & Field - Javelin), Katya Hewitt (Rowing).
• 2nd Team All-Americans: Miranda Osadchey (Indoor Track & Field - High Jump), Jasmine McMullin (Indoor Track & Field - Triple Jump), Travis Milbrandt (Track & Field - 110m Hurdles), Alex Donigian (Track & Field - 100m & 200m), Anosi Laupola (Track & Field - Javelin).
• Honorable Mention All-Americans: Rachel Roeder (Volleyball).
• Academic All-Stars: A total of 62 selections to the GNAC Academic All-Star teams.
• GNAC Athlete of the Week: 36 GNAC Athlete of the Week selections and five Red Lion Hotels Team of the Week Awards.

2015-16 WWU Athletics Award Winners:

• Male Athlete of the Year: Alex Donigian (Track & Field) earned his second consecutive WWU Male Athlete of the Year honor...repeated as the 100m and 200m winner at the GNAC Championships and holds school and conference records in both events...finished his career with nine GNAC Championships (4 outdoor, 5 indoor).
• Female Athletes of the Year: Delanee Nilles (Soccer) was a first-team NSCA All-American and named the GNAC Defender of the Year...she finished her career helping lead the Vikings to a 79-9-6 record and four trips to the NCAA II Tournament, including two Final Four appearances...Bethany Drake (Track & Field) earned first-team All-America honors by placing 2nd in the Javelin at the NCAA II Championships with a school and GNAC record throw of 54.18m/177-9...Drake also won the WWU Female Athlete of the Year honor in 2014...Katie Reichert (Track & Field) earned first-team All-America honors by placing 3rd in the Javelin at the NCAA II Championships.
• Female Scholar Athletes of the Year: Karisa Stapp (Rowing) has maintained a 3.86 GPA as an accounting major and is one of the leading forces on the WWU Rowing Varsity 8 that placed third in the nation during the NCAA II Rowing Championships...Taylor Guenther (Cross Country and Track & Field) held a 3.90 GPA as a communications sciences major while also earning first-team USTFCCCA All-America status during the cross country season placing 26th at the NCAA II Cross Country Championships.
• Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Mark Seely (Track & Field) carried a GPA of 3.60 as a plastics and composite engineering major. He was the GNAC Champion during the outdoor championship in the Triple Jump and placed 2nd during the indoor season. He leaves WWU as the indoor record holder in the Triple Jump (14.41m/47-3.5) and 2nd in the outdoor event (14.65m/48-0.75).