2019 Athletics Department Awards announced
ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University Athletics announced its annual senior departmental awards at the Sports Appreciation Jog-a-Thon earlier this afternoon. The department awarded both male and female Student-Athlete of the Year awards as well as male and female Leadership Awards.
Male Senior Student-Athlete of the Year: Tyler Peck, Baseball
Peck has made his mark this year as one of the best pitchers in the nation while also keeping an impressive 3.4 GPA as a Business Administration major in the classroom. The four-year starter ranks second in the nation with 125 strikeouts this season and is just eight strikeouts shy of the school record. In the 2018 season, the Corte Madera native earned ABCA All-West Region Second Team honors, was selected as the National Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 10th, and earned All-SCIAC Second Team recognition for his work on the mound. This year, Peck earned All-SCIAC First Team honors and helped the Panthers earn the top seed in the upcoming SCIAC Postseason Tournament.
Female Senior Student-Athlete of the Year: Kellyn Toole, Diving
Toole is the best diver to make her way through the program since Chapman joined the SCIAC in the 2012-13 season. A seven-time All-SCIAC selection, she is one of the most decorated in school history. The Centennial, Colo. native also boasts a 3.8 GPA with a major in Strategic and Corporate Communication and will graduate Magna Cum Laude in just one week. In her final season, Toole was the first diver in program history to reach NCAA Division III Nationals after placing third on the 3-meter board and earning the title of West Region Champion on the 1-meter board.
Don Perkins Male Leadership Award: Alec Kohn, Football
Kohn, a four-year starter on an incredibly successful Chapman football squad, has been a leader on and off the field for the Panthers. In his four years, the Panthers have posted three consecutive winning records and earned a SCIAC Championship in the 2017 season. Kohn, a Los Angeles native, is a three-time SCIAC All-Academic Team member and a two-time All-SCIAC selection. A Political Science major, Kohn plans on going to law school in the fall and has already been accepted into several all over the country. Coach Casey Shine had nothing but positive things to say about Kohn's leadership abilities, saying "he's a great teammate and great worker who leads by example."
Jack Duddy Female Leadership Award: Lauren Friend, Volleyball
Friend is the coach's dream – a fierce athlete who fights for every point on the court and a stellar student who works even harder in the classroom. A double major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Friend is a three-time SCIAC All-Academic Team selection and a two-time All-SCIAC selection. The Kirkland, Wash. native is set to attend graduate school at Columbia and is currently in Columbus, Ohio working as an intern for NASA. Friend has done countless hours of research in the sciences while also serving as President of the Chapman Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Head coach Mary Cahill said, "she's the perfect embodiment of the Division III player. She is an outstanding student in the classroom and her stats speak for themselves on the court. She represents the definition of student-athlete."
The Jog-A-Thon and Sports Appreciation Day is a tradition spanning the decades for Chapman University Athletics. Family, friends and loved ones sponsor a Chapman student athlete to jog 10 laps around the Holly and David Wilson Field at a choice of levels ranging from $100 per lap to $.50 per lap.
These funds are utilized throughout the year to support important equipment, programs and events for the Donald P. Kennedy Intercollegiate Athletics Program at Chapman University.
by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant
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