April 10, 2018
SAN DIEGO - A school-record 337 San Diego State student-athletes were recognized as scholar-athletes Monday evening at the 24th annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet held at SDSU's Montezuma Hall. To be an Aztec scholar-athlete, one needs a semester GPA of 3.2 or higher, or have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The 337 scholar-athletes broke the previous school-record of 335, originally set in 2015.
Ellison Grove (Cross Country/Track & Field) and Adam Allmaras (Men's Soccer), meanwhile, were named the Student-Athletes of the Year. This award, presented by athletics director John David Wicker and executive associate athletics director Jenny Bramer, is given annually to the all-around female and male student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. These individuals must have a minimum of 3.2 cumulative GPA, have completed at least 72 credits and be an outstanding citizen and leader.
Grove also headlined a list of 15 Malik Award recipients. The Malik Award is awarded to the male and female student-athletes who have achieved the highest GPA (4.0) in the fall and/or spring semester. Grove, along with Paola Diaz de Regules (Women's Tennis), McKenna Meyer (Swimming & Diving) and Lily Seynaeve (Track & Field), were Malik honorees for Spring 2017 and Fall 2017.
The Spring 2017 Malik Award winners include Rachel Alesi (Track & Field), Alyssa Diacono (Water Polo), Sergio Enriquez (Men's Soccer), Christine Kent (Track & Field/Cross Country), Tara Montgomery (Rowing), Kelbi Redquest (Rowing), Michaela Setiawan (Rowing) and Andrea VanderMey (Swimming & Diving).
The Fall 2017 Malik Award winners include Dallin Cutler (Men's Soccer), Arantxa Gomez Ferrer (Women's Basketball) and Ron Smith (Football).
Men's Soccer swept the highest team GPA award for both the Spring 2017 and Fall 2017 semesters on the men's side. For the women, Cross Country owned the top GPA in Spring 2017 and Women's Golf claimed the title in Fall 2017.
Lastly, the Dr. Jim Kitchen Distinguished Service Award went to Jane Kalionzes of the International Student Center. This award is presented to an SDSU faculty or staff member who exemplifies extraordinary dedication and service in enhancing the student-athlete experience.