GAMBOA AND HOWARD NAMED BIG SKY SCHOLAR-ATHLETES, 18 HORNETS RECEIVE SPRING ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS 7/22/2009 SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State women’s soccer’s Sarah Howard and football’s Juan Gamboa were selected as the school’s recipients of the Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete Award. In addition, the conference named 18 Hornets to the spring all-academic team. The scholar-athlete award, which is given to one male and one female from each of the Big Sky’s nine institutions, is awarded to student-athletes based on their athletic and academic performance during the 2008-09 school year. To qualify for the award, a student-athlete must compete in a Big Sky sanctioned sport, have a minimum cumulative gpa of 3.2 or better, be a member of the graduating class and/or have completed their last year of intercollegiate athletic eligibility. Howard and Gamboa were also selected as Sacramento State’s Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year at a end-of-the-year ceremony in late April. Howard, who was a standout midfielder during her four years with the soccer program, was a Big Sky all-conference and all-academic selection every year of her career. She is tied for the most games played in school history, seeing action in all 80 matches the Hornets played during her four seasons. She finished her career with nine goals and seven assists, totaling 25 points. In the classroom, the Chico, Calif., native posted a 4.0 gpa in both the fall and spring semesters last year, and graduated with a 3.85 gpa in communication studies. Gamboa was a key contributor to the Hornet football squad over the last four years. A four-year starter at place kicker, he leaves Sacramento State as the fifth-leading scorer in school history. He led the team in scoring each of his first three seasons and was a two-time all-Big Sky choice. In the classroom, Gamboa was a four-time Big Sky all-academic selection and earned his bachelor’s degree in communication studies (final gpa of 3.63) in December. The San Jose, Calif., native also earned All-America honors by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a senior based on his performance in the weight room. Among the Hornets’ 18 spring all-academic selections were student-athletes representing the men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s outdoor track and field, and women’s outdoor track and field squads. The honor is given to student-athletes who have participated in at least half of the team’s competitions, achieved at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at the conclusion of the spring term, and have completed at least one academic term at a Big Sky institution. A complete list of the Hornet all-academic selections are below. MEN’S TENNIS *Kiryl Harbatsiuk, So., Business Administration Marko Starcevic, So., Business Administration **Anton Stryhas, Jr., Business Administration WOMEN’S TENNIS *Joyce Martinez Gutierrez, Sr., Communication Studies Maria Meliuk, Fr., Business Administration *Aileen Tsan, Jr., Biology MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD *Ronald Brookins, So., Business Administration *Scott Grose, Jr., Communication Studies Andrew Lohse, Fr., Undeclared Cameron Mitchell, Fr., Criminal Justice **Jason Nelson, Jr., Criminal Justice **David Rabinowitz, Jr., Psychology Benn Rinn, Fr., Geography WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD *Ify Agwuenu, So., Biology Nicole Jackson, Fr., Undeclared ***Morinsola Keshinro, Sr., Health Science **Ericka Violett, Jr., Interior Design Lea Wallace, So., Family and Consumer Studies * Two-time winner of the award ** Three-time winner of the award *** Four-time winner of the award