PCC 2016-2017 Women’s Athlete of the Year Melissa Cienega and Men’s Athlete of the Year Jeremy Conant. South Coast Conference MVP and record-setting hitting baseball player Jeremy Conant and double state swimming champion Melissa Cienega are the 2016-2017 Pasadena City College Athletes of the Year. It is the second year in a row that a […]
PCC 2016-2017 Women’s Athlete of the Year Melissa Cienega and Men’s Athlete of the Year Jeremy Conant.
South Coast Conference MVP and record-setting hitting baseball player Jeremy Conant and double state swimming champion Melissa Cienega are the 2016-2017 Pasadena City College Athletes of the Year. It is the second year in a row that a baseball player and women’s swimmer were chosen as the top PCC athletes for their respective genders.
The selections made by PCC Athletics are part of the annual, season-ending Elizabeth Jensen Scholarships as well as a few other scholarships designated for acceptance by Lancers student-athletes. Jensen, a member of the college’s Dick Ratliff Court of Champions, spent nearly 40 years as a women’s athletic director at Pasadena Junior College and later PCC.
As the Men’s AOTY, Conant led the Lancers baseball team to its first conference championship and first postseason appearance in 45 years, and helped PCC to advance as far as the Super Regionals, Round 2. He set PCC school records for highest batting average (.429), most RBI (44) and most hits in a season (67). The left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing first baseman became the program’s first CCCBCA All-American and the first PCC player to be named a conference player of the year in the college’s 31-year history in the SCC. From Alta Loma High, Conant accomplished the second highest GPA for all PCC men’s sophomores with a 3.43 mark. Conant played for head coach Pat McGee.
As the Women’s AOTY, the freshman Cienega became only the second PCC woman’s swimmer to win two gold medals at the same CCCAA State Championship meet. She rallied to win both the 500-yard freestyle and 1,650 freestyle titles. Named South Coast Co-Swimmer of the Year, Cienega also earned a silver medal in the 200 freestyle at the state meet. She broke school records in the 200 and 500 freestyle and the 400 individual medley, an event in which she set a new SCC record as well at the conference championships. From John Marshall High, Cienega swam for head coach Terry Stoddard.
The President’s Award, presented to the student-athlete that combines successful playing performance with classroom excellence and sportsmanship, goes to softball team shortstop Karina Moreno. A two-time, All-SCC First Team selection, Moreno set school records for runs scored in a season (48) and career (84). She also led the ’17 Lancers with 20 stolen bases, 47 hits, and 6 triples. From Hoover High in Glendale, Moreno helped PCC win 25 games and advance to the postseason for the first time in 11 years. She grew as a player under the direction of head coach Monica Tantlinger. She carried a 3.1 GPA.
The High GPA Award for male performers and best among all PCC student-athletes goes to men’s swimmer Leo Nuntapramote with a 3.831 GPA in 87 units completed to date. Nuntapramote, whose older brother Tai was once a PCC Men’s AOTY in 2008-2009, is from Japan Aviation Academy. Nuntapramote collected top 8 medals in two events at the SCC conference championships.
The High GPA Award for women’s sports goes to badminton player Hong Yan Liu, who earned a 3.827 mark in 56 units. Liu was the Lancers’ lone sophomore and the team’s No. 2 singles player on the undefeated PCC state champion team. This is the third straight year in which a badminton player excelled in the classroom as the top female GPA performer. An international student, Liu is from Jiangmen, China.
This year, the AOTY pair, the GPA duo, and the President’s Award are $1,500 awards for the recipients.
The following student-athletes are two-year sophomores who will receive $1,000 transfer scholarships:
Ilianna Blanc (women’s basketball, 2.93 GPA, Fairfax High) was twice an All-SCC First Team selection at forward. She finished No. 19 on the college’s all-time scoring list and helped lead PCC to consecutive seasons in which the Lancers reached the third round of the SoCal Regional Playoffs. Blanc inked a playing scholarship to attend the University of Antelope Valley. She played for head coach Joe Peron.
Alex Briggs (baseball, 3.1 GPA, Glendora High) was a team captain and All-SCC Second Team shortstop on PCC’s South Coast Conference champion team. Considered one of the state’s best defensive infielders, the two-year lettermen signed his scholarship to attend NCAA Division I Long Island University-Brooklyn prior to the start of the ’17 season. He batted .279 with 11 doubles and 21 RBI. He was directed both seasons by Coach McGee.
Clarque De Young (women’s water polo, 3.3 GPA, South Pasadena High) was twice selected All-SCC First Team as the Lancers’ goalie. She led the South Coast Conference in saves with 245. She recorded the best goals against average (7.24) in school history as a freshman when she also backstopped three shutouts. De Young played for Coach Stoddard.
Franceska Millanponce (women’s cross country/track and field, 3.4 GPA, Temple City High) took third place overall at the 2016 SCC Cross Country Championships and was the Lancers’ first All-SCC runner in six years.
Additional $500 Jensen transfer/assistance scholarships for two-year Lancer sophomores went to:
*Monica Hernandez (women’s volleyball, 3.5 GPA, Eagle Rock High) served the second highest total for aces in a PCC season with 56 as a sophomore. Her 213 digs were second on the team. Hernandez was a setter/libero her freshman year when she averaged 4.74 assists per game. She helped PCC earn a playoff spot in the 2015 season. *she received a $600 award as the third highest GPA student-athlete in the academic year.
Michelle Boyd (women’s volleyball, 3.1 GPA, Verdugo Hills High) was an All-SCC First Team selection as a libero. She led the North Division in overall digs with 275 (3.16 per set) and she served 42 aces. Boyd worked hard in the classroom, returning to the Lancers after playing on the 2014 team. Hernandez and Boyd played under head coach Mike Terrill.
Brittany Ching (softball, 3.0 GPA, Covina High) was an All-SCC Second Team choice as one of the region’s best fielding third basemen. She batted .309 overall this year with a team-high six doubles and 10 RBI. Her 82 assists led the conference. She played both of her Lancers seasons under Coach Tantlinger.
Kailyn Gideon (women’s basketball, 3.2 GPA, Glendale High) was named All-SCC Second Team her sophomore season after setting PCC school records for blocked shots in a single season and career. She led the state in shot block average this season at 3.8 per game. Gideon recently earned a D-1 scholarship to Grambling State University. She played her two seasons under Coach Peron.
Juliana Gurule (women’s soccer, 2.9 GPA, Maranatha High) was a 2-year starting midfielder for the Lancers. She played all 21 games her freshman season. Gurule played under head coach Reggie Rivas both her PCC seasons.
Steven Ramirez (football, 3.0 GPA, Contreras Learning Center) was a 2-year starter on the PCC offensive line. He played mostly guard this past season. As a sophomore, he played under head coach Tom Maher.
Oscar Vanegas (men’s soccer, 2.6 GPA, Pasadena High) played at forward in all 21 games this year, scoring three goals and adding three assists for a Lancers team that won two playoff games in the 2016 SoCal Regional Playoffs. Vanegas played for head coach Henry Cabral.
OTHER PCC SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
Baseball player Andres Kim received the Horrell Scholarship for outstanding athletic achievement and sportsmanship. The Horrell award is named after the Horrell brothers, who excelled in athletics at Pasadena High School (part of then the campus of Pasadena Junior College) and had the program’s old football stadium named in their honor–Horrell Field. Kim played as an All-SCC First Team second baseman during the Lancers magical run to a South Coast title and first round playoff win over Riverside. Kim (St. Francis High), a transfer from UC San Diego, set a PCC school record for runs scored in a season (43), batted .335 with two home runs and 26 RBI. He did well in the classroom with a 3.0 combined GPA. He played for Coach McGee.
Men’s basketball guard Todd Barnes, a two-time, All-SCC honorable mention, picked up the James P. O’Mara scholarship. The award is specific to a PCC athlete who excelled after also attending Pasadena High. A two-year starter, Barnes averaged 15.6 points a game as a sophomore. He finished with 648 career points to place him No. 46 on the college’s all-time scoring linst. Barnes played for head coach Michael Swanegan.
Women’s basketball players Bridget Phu (sophomore guard, Rosemead High, 3.4 GPA), Patience Madayag (sophomore forward, Atwater High), and Alisa Shinn (freshman center, Crescenta Valley High, All-SCC Second Team) were recipients of the Tiana Sanders #24 Scholarship. The $500 awards are named after the PCC Hall of Fame and CCC Basketball Hall of Fame alumna who was the State Player of the Year in 1998-1999.
