SHELTON AND McCOY RECEIVE BIG SKY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD 6/27/2008 SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State women’s soccer senior Katie McCoy and football senior Brett Shelton have been selected as the school’s recipients of the Big Sky Conference’s Scholar-Athlete Award. The award, which is given to one male and one female from each of the Big Sky’s nine institutions, is given to student-athletes based on their athletic and academic performance during the 2007-08 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, and have completed at least two years of athletic competition at their institution. McCoy led the Hornet women’s soccer team to its first-ever Big Sky championship, and first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2007, capping a remarkable career. McCoy, who was a three-time first team all-Big Sky selection as well as the 2007 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in assists with 22, while ranking second in points scored (76) and third in goals (27). She set single-season school records in goals (14) and points (35) during her senior season in the Green and Gold, while tying her own single-season record in assists (7). McCoy earned Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors each of the last three weeks of the 2007 season, becoming the first offensive player in conference history to accomplish the feat. A native of San Diego, McCoy graduated this past spring with a degree in business and a 3.72 gpa. This past year, Shelton was named to the Big Sky all-conference team for the fourth-straight season, becoming just the fourth football player in school history to earn all-league honors four consecutive years. He finished second on the team with 88 total tackles and started all 44 games during his career. He leaves Sacramento State ranked second in school history with 326 career tackles. He is also third with 179 career unassisted stops. One of the most consistent players to ever play for the Hornets, Shelton made at least 72 tackles in each of his four seasons. A kinesiology major with a 3.40 overall gpa (including a 3.87 gpa during the spring semester), Shelton is on pace to graduate in the fall.