SPOKANE, Wash. - Seattle University soccer players Adam Jensen and Ana Gutierrez have been selected the 2006-07 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year. The awards are voted on by the athletic directors at the nine Great Northwest Athletic Conference schools.
Jensen is the first Seattle University athlete and the first soccer player to win the men's award. Gutierrez is the second SU athlete and the second soccer player to win the women's award. The Redhawks' Nicole Sauvageau won the women's award in both 2001-02 and 2002-03.
Jensen and Gutierrez, who are both defenders, each earned all-star honors on the field and in the classroom this past fall in leading their squads to GNAC titles and berths in the NCAA Far West Regional playoffs.
Jensen, who had a 3.9 GPA during his four years at SU, earned second team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, was a three-time GNAC Academic all-conference selection and twice was named to the CoSIDA all-district academic team. He also won Seattle University's Mission Award for Outstanding Leadership in Academic Excellence.
Last Sunday at Seattle University's Commencement ceremonies, he received the John S. Ju Award from the College of Science and Engineering. Jensen, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry, earned the award for being "a graduating science student who exudes wonder at new ideas, curiosity to pursue the unknown, and the ability to integrate and apply knowledge."
On the pitch, Jensen earned first team all-conference honors and second team Daktronics Far West Region honors helping lead the Redhawks to the Far West Regional title and to a berth in the NCAA quarterfinals. In four seasons, his teams posted a .738 winning percentage, compiling a won-loss record of 58-20-2.
Gutierrez earned first team GNAC all-conference honors in each of her four seasons, leading the Redhawks to a combined won-loss record of 58-17-8 (.747) and becoming only the third woman in conference history to accomplish that feat. She also was a three-time NSCAA Far West Region first team all-star capping off her career this past fall by earning third team All-American honors.
In the classroom, Gutierrez compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.897, earning first team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors this past fall. She was also a three-time GNAC Academic All-Conference selection and twice earned CoSIDA first team all-district honors. She also walked across the stage at Qwest Field last Sunday, graduating with magna cum laude honors and earning her bachelor's degree in sociology and Spanish.
By winning the GNAC Scholar-Athlete award, Jensen and Gutierrez are now nominees for the Division II Commmissioners Association Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. The regional and national winners will be announced later this summer.