SAN FRANCISCO.---The SF State Department of Athletics held its annual Student-Athlete Banquet on Tuesday evening in Jack Adams Hall in the Cesar Chavez Student Union on the campus of SF State. The Gators presented seven awards at this year’s banquet, including the Arete, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Freshman Male Athlete of the Year, Freshman Female Athlete of the Year, and the CCAA Dr. Hal Charnofsky Awards.
The first two awards that were presented were the Dr. Hal Charnofsky Awards. These awards recognize California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in the classroom and in their sport. Recipients are selected by their respective athletic department members in consultation with the school’s Faculty Athletics Representative. The award is named after the late Dr. Hal Charnofsky, a long-time FAR from Cal State Dominguez Hills who passed away in 2003. Men’s basketball player
Phoenix O'Rourke (San Mateo, California, Junipero Serra) and women’s soccer player
Carly Bliss (San Diego, California, Ranch Bernardo)were this year’s Charnofsky Award recipients for SF State.
Phoenix O'Rourke Was One of The Recipients of the Dr. Hal Charnofsky Awards
O’Rourke is a three-year letter-winner for the Gators and was named to two All-Tournament Teams in the Disney Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic and the Adams State Bankers Classic. He also was the Gators’ co-captain and is currently in the top ten in the SF State’s career and single season lists in three-point field goals made and attempted. The San Mateo native also was a member of the Gators’ Dean’s Lists and Athletic Department Honor Roll. He was an All-Academic CCAA selection in 2007-08.
Bliss is also a three-year letter-winner and was selected to the All-CCAA and All-West Region Second Teams. This past semester, she was named to the Dean’s List at SF State as well as the Athletic Department Honor Roll. She finished second on the team in goals scored and fourth in points. She was an All-Academic CCAA selection in 2008-09.
The Male Freshman of the Year went to men’s basketball guard,
Nefi Perdomo (Oakland, California, Skyline ) The Oakland native started in 27 of the 30 games he played for the Gators, averaging 10.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He also recorded 32 steals and dished out 47
Nefi Perdomo Was Named This Year's Freshman Male Of the Year
assists.
Iris Tolenada (Antioch, Calif., Deer Valley HS) was this year’s Female Freshman of the Year. The Gator setter was named to the All-CCAA Second Team as well as being selected as the CCAA Freshman of the Year. She played a major role in the Gators’ receiving a bid to the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championships. She averaged 10.45 assists and 2.92 digs per game.
Iris Tolenada Was Named This Year's Freshman Female Athlete of the Year
Pat Haugen (Cayucos, California, Cuesta College) was selected as the Male Athlete of the Year. Haugen was a two-year letter-winner for the Gator baseball team and finished his season with an 8-4 overall record. Haugen recorded 114 strikeouts this season with only 31 walks in 92.1 innings pitched. The Cayucos native was named to the First Team All-CCAA and also was a recipient of the CCAA Baseball Pitcher of the Week. This season, he also broke the Gators’ single season strikeout record and posted a 2.53 earned run average.
Pat Haugen Was This Year's Male Athlete of the Year
This year’s Female Athlete of the Year went to women’s basketball forward
Donisha Tate (Oakland, California, Las Posita College). The 2009-10 All-CCAA First Team selection finished her senior season averaging 11.9 points and 12.0 rebounds per game while dishing out 45 assists, blocking 17 shots and recording 42 steals. She finished second in the nation in rebounding and led the conference. The two-year letter-winner also was named the CCAA Women’s Basketball Player of the Week during the season.
Donisha Tate Was This Year's Female Athlete of the Year
The final award of the evening that was presented was the Arete Award. The Arete is given to student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in the classroom and in their sport. This year there was co-Arete Award recipients in
Dylan Glass (Rancho Cucamonga, California, Alta Loma) and Carly Bliss.
Dylan Glass played in 15 games this season as a member of the Gator’s men’s soccer team and scored 6 goals and had 8 assists while recording two game-winning goals for the Gators. He finished his four-year career in the top ten lists in assists, games played, points, and goals scored. Glass also finished this season ranked in the top 20 in the nation in assists. The Rancho Cucamonga native was named to the All-West Region Team this past season and also has been named to the Academic All-CCAA Team during his career. The four-year letter-winner also has been named to the Athletic Department Honor Roll several times during his career.
Besides being a Charnofsky Award recipient, Bliss also was a co-Arete Award recipient. Bliss started in all 20 games for the Gators this past season while scoring four goals. She played a key role the Gators allowing only 0.92 goals per game this past season.
Carly Bliss and Dylan Glass Are This Year's Co-Arete Award Recipients
The Gators also recognized individual team award winners:
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
Jodi Dailey Award Tanya Ferreira
John Moreno Award Kyle Fujitsubo
Men’s Soccer
Co-MVP Dylan Glass
Wes Whitt
Most Improved Ali Elkadi
Coaches Award Jorge Calderon
Women’s Soccer
Co-MVP Carly Bliss
Myriah Johnson
Freshman of the Year Nicole Vanni
Volleyball
MVP Beth Perkins
Most Improved Lauren Walsh
Men’s Basketball
Most Inspirational Joshua Hash
Best Defender Tim Pratt
Coaches Derek Fletcher
Co-Captains Marquel Hoskins
Phoenix O’Rourke
Women’s Basketball
MVP Donisha Tate
Best Defender Dominique Hunter
Most Improved Nicole Hicks
Hustle Award Andrea Ohlssen
Purple & Gold Award Jessica Hout-Freeman
Wrestling
Most Valuable Wrestler Steve Franklin
Most Inspirational Ben Lockett
Most Improved Vince Bordi
Baby Gator (Best Newcomer of Year) Zach Jimenez
Captain Ben Lockett
Coaches Endeavor Vince Bordi
Baseball
Most Valuable Player Ryan Williams
Most Valuable Pitcher Pat Haugen
Most Inspirational Ben Mielke
Coaches Nick Nyman
Newcomer of the Year Kevin Dultz
The women’s track and field along with the softball will present their awards later this month.