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Ten WWU student-athletes earn GNAC Far Academic Award

Photo: WWU Athletics


BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Ten Western Washington University student-athletes have been named recipients of Great Northwest Athletic Conference Faculty Athletics Representative’s Scholar-Athlete awards for 2017-18.

Presented annually to the most outstanding student-athletes at each GNAC institution, the award honors those athletes who have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.85 or better. All student-athletes, including redshirts, listed on any squad list at a GNAC full-member school, regardless of whether the sport is a GNAC championship sport, are eligible for the award. Conference affiliate members could nominate student-athletes from the sport in which they compete in the GNAC. A record 207 GNAC student-athletes, 66 men and 141 women, were recognized with FAR awards with 109 as repeat selections from last year.

WWU’s 10 selections were led by four selections from the track & field and cross country programs and three members of the national-runner up women’s rowing squad. The 10 selections are tied for third-most by WWU student-athletes since the award started in 2011-12, trailing only 15 selections in 2011-12 and 12 in 2012-13. Overall WWU’s student-athletes combined for a 3.10 GPA in 2017-18, with 10 of 13 teams posting a GPA over 3.00 (Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field is combined). All eight of WWU’s women’s programs recorded a team GPA over 3.00.

WWU student-athletes honored with 2017-18 FAR Awards from the GNAC included the following:

Name

Sport

Academic Major

Year

GPA

Hometown

Maddie Bangasser

Rowing

Undeclared

Fr.

4.00

Sammamish, WA

Tess Biscup

Volleyball

Undeclared

Fr.

3.85

Duvall, WA

Aaron Bosscher

Track & Field

Electrical Engineering

So.

3.98

Lynden, WA

Mariah Brelsford

Track & Field

Undeclared

Fr.

3.88

Bozeman, MT

Angie Dexter*

Rowing

Spanish

Jr.

3.88

Anchorage, AK

Aundrea Koger*

Track & Field/Cross Country

Biology

So.

3.90

Osage City, KS

Jasmine McMullin

Track & Field

English

Sr.

3.94

Sequim, WA

Maddie Merritt

Rowing

Sociology

Sr.

3.92

Parker, CO

Mackenzie Palmer

Softball

Accounting

So.

3.89

Federal Way, WA

Cameron Unks

Soccer

Biology

So.

3.88

Centennial, CO

Dexter & Koger are two-time FAR Award recipients

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