17 student-athletes who represent the best of the best as athletes and students have been honored today with one of the Pacific West Conference’s highest awards.
The Pacific West Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year by Sport has been announced. One person per sport was selected by the conference’s Sports Information Directors for this award, which combines excellence in their sport and in the classroom.
Nine different PacWest schools can claim honorees on the impressive list.
2024-25 PacWest Scholar Athletes of the Year
| Sport |
Name |
School |
GPA |
Major |
| Baseball |
Wyatt Madison |
Concordia |
4.0 |
Engineering |
| Men’s Basketball |
Erik Howlin |
Vanguard |
3.70 |
Industrial Organizational Psychology |
| Men's Cross Country |
Aaron Lakeman |
Azusa Pacific |
3.83 |
Finance |
| Men’s Golf |
Jack Stark |
Menlo |
4.0 |
Information Systems |
| Co-Men's Soccer |
Martin Fiala |
Menlo |
4.0 |
Finance |
| Co-Men’s Soccer |
Koki Hamada |
Hawaii Hilo |
3.72 |
Business Administration |
| Men's Tennis |
Soeren Grandke |
Azusa Pacific |
3.99 |
Finance |
| Men’s Track and Field |
Tevz Podlipnik |
Fresno Pacific |
3.60 |
Kinesiology |
| Co-Women’s Basketball |
Alberte Frisch |
Menlo |
3.90 |
Psychology |
| Co-Women's Basketball |
Kaylee Byon |
Vanguard |
3.79 |
Kinesiology |
| Women’s Cross Country |
Maddie Reeves |
Point Loma |
3.99 |
Business Administration |
| Women’s Golf |
Annika Yturralde |
Point Loma |
3.79 |
Visual Art Studies |
| Women's Soccer |
Megan Clapinski |
Dominican |
3.81 |
Computer Science |
| Softball |
DJ Symons |
Biola |
3.94 |
Public Health |
| Women’s Tennis |
Alina Kupfer |
Point Loma |
3.98 |
Business Administration |
| Women’s Track and Field |
Kaylee Best |
Vanguard |
4.0 |
Biology |
| Volleyball |
Mikayla Weiss |
Fresno Pacific |
4.0 |
Master’s Business Administration |
Point Loma, Menlo and
Vanguard led the way with three selections, followed by
Fresno Pacific and
Azusa Pacific with two.
Biola, Concordia, Dominican and
Hawaii Hilo each had an honoree.
All 17 honorees, including two co-winners, are first time selections.
Five student-athletes have a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average. That grouping is led by
Fresno Pacific’s Mikayla Weiss, who carried perfect grades while pursuing her master’s in Business Administration. She was also the PacWest Setter of the Year, a Third Team AVCA All-American and a First Team AVCA All-Region selection. After transferring from Fresno State, Weiss helped lead the Sunbirds to a 27-2 record with a co-PacWest title and a PacWest tournament championship.
Here is a look at the other 4.0 honorees.
*
Concordia’s Wyatt Madison (baseball) is a junior with a 4.0 GPA in Engineering. The talented 2-way player hit ten home runs and was also 5-1 on the mound with a 2.72 ERA. He was a First Team All-PacWest and First Team All-West Region selection.
*Menlo’s Jack Stark (golf) had a 4.0 GPA in his graduate work of Information Systems. He was named to the All-PacWest Conference team and was a Second Team finisher (eighth) at the PacWest tournament. He had a 73.8 scoring average.
*Co-winner in soccer
Martin Fiala of
Menlo is a senior with a 4.0 in Finance. He was a Second Team All-PacWest pick as a goalkeeper and let the conference with a .737 save percentage. He had a 11-4-2 record in the goal for the Oaks.
*
Vanguard’s Kaylee Best has a 4.0 GPA in her major of Biology. The track and field star won the PacWest gold medals in both the long jump and triple jump. She was named the PacWest Field Freshman of the Year, and earned All-American honors with a fourth place standing at the NCAA Championships in the long jump.
Also selected to this elite class were...
*
Azusa Pacific’s Soeren Grandke, a junior tennis standout with a 3.99 GPA in Finance. Grandke was also the PacWest Player of the Year. He helped lead the Cougars to the PacWest title and finished with a 25-6 record at No 1 singles on the season.
*Co-Men’s Soccer winner
Koki Hamada of
Hawaii Hilo graduated with a 3.72 GPA in Business Administration. Hamada was the PacWest Defender of the Year and a First Team All-American. A four-year starter, he helped lead the Vulcans to their first NCAA postseason appearance.
*
Vanguard’s Erik Howlin has a 3.70 GPA in his graduate work while starring for the Lions in basketball. The Industrial Organizational Psychology major was a First Team All-PacWest pick and First Team All-Region honoree. He led the conference in scoring with 19.2 points per game.
*
Azusa Pacific’s Aaron Lakeman is the award winner for cross country. The redshirt freshman has a 3.83 GPA in Finance and earned First Team All-PacWest honors with a fifth place crossing at the conference championships.
*
Fresno Pacific’s Tevz Podlipnik has a 3.60 GPA in Kinesiology. The freshman won the PacWest title in the javelin and finished second at the NCAA Championships for All-American honors. He was selected as the PacWest Male Field Athlete of the meet.
*Point Loma’s Alina Kupfer has a 3.98 GPA in Business Administration while excelling on the tennis courts for the Sea Lions. The senior played on court one all year for PLNU, earning First Team singles honors. She won the Fall West Region ITA singles championship and was the ITA West Region Singles Player of the Year.
*
Dominican’s Megan Clapinski has a 3.81 GPA in her major of Computer Science. The senior forward was a First Team All-PacWest pick and was selected as the Co-PacWest Player of the Year. She helped lead the Penguins to a runner-up finish at the conference championships and led the league in goals scored (nine) and points (21).
*Biola’s DJ Symons is a senior softball standout with a 3.94 GPA in Public Health. Symons pitched her team to the NCAA Regional final and had 20 wins in the pitcher’s circle with seven saves. She was selected as the PacWest Pitcher of the Year and was a Second Team All-Region selection.
*Annika Yturralde of
Point Loma has a 3.79 GPA in Visual Art Studies when not on the golf course. The junior was selected as the PacWest Player of the Year after finishing third in the West Region Championships and 31
st at the NCAA Championships, both best finishes in Sea Lion history.
*
Point Loma’s Maddie Reeves has a 3.99 GPA as a senior in Business Administration. The cross country star finished third at the PacWest Championships and was fourth at the NCAA West Regional Championships. She set the school record in the XC 6K.
*The PacWest has co-winners in women’s basketball.
Menlo’s Alberte Frisch has a 3.90 GPA in Psychology. The senior guard led the PacWest in scoring with 17.8 points a game and was a First Team All-PacWest selection.
Vanguard’s Kaylee Byon was the PacWest Player of the Year while carrying a 3.79 GPA in Kinesiology. She helped lead the Lions to their first-ever PacWest title and NCAA regional berth.
From this group of winners, the overall 2025-26 Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the Year will be chosen, selected by the PacWest's Athletic Directors next week.