Athletes from Clark County won half of the eight awards presented at Concordia University’s “Navy & White” Awards presentation last week.
Honored as the school’s male and female Athlete of the Year were basketball player Adam Herman, a Prairie High School gradaute, and soccer player Hannah Kimsey, a Columbia River High School graduate.
Named the Cavaliers’ male and female Outstanding Senior Athlete were soccer player Septi Danciu, an Evergreen High School graduate, and track and field thrower Gabi Dixson, a home school graduate who competed for Battle Ground High School.
Other awards presented were for the school’s male and female Scholar Athlete of the Year and “Champions of Character.”
Student-athletes were judged based on performances ranging from the spring of the 2012-13 academic year to the fall and winter of the 2013-14 academic year. Performances in the spring of 2014 will be eligible for honors at next year’s awards.
The accomplishments of each Clark County honoree, as announced by the university:
— Earning First-Team All-American honors after guiding CU to its first NAIA National Tournament appearance in more than 10 years, Herman capped his Concordia career as the all-time leading scorer in school history.
Herman was chosen as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Player of the Year as a senior, his third All-CCC selection.
— The NAIA National Player of the Year in 2013, Kimsey led Concordia to its first national championship during her senior campaign.
A two-time NAIA First-Team All-American, Kimsey was also recognized as a finalist for the Oregon Sports Awards Small College Athlete of the Year.
— Danciu, the all-time leading goal scorer in school history, was a two-time CCC Player of the Year, including an unanimous selection in 2013.
Danciu earned NAIA Second-Team All-American honors as a senior after being named to the third-team as a junior. Danciu led the CCC in every major statistically category in 2013 with eight game-winning goals, 16 total goals, 13 assists and total of 45 points.
Danciu finished his career with 54 career goals scored in 79 appearances.
— A four-time NAIA national champion, including three as a senior, Dixson closed out her career as CU’s most honored athlete by earning a school record 14 All-American honors.
Named the 2013 CCC Field Athlete of the Meet, Dixson was an 11-time All-CCC performer and was tabbed as the CCC’s Athlete of the Week on 20 occasions throughout her career, three of which went on to National Athlete of the Week accolades.
Women’s gymnastics
McCartney ninth in national semifinals
Sacramento State University junior Kalliah McCartney of Vancouver placed ninth in her semifinal grouping at the NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics Championships held over the weekend in Birmingham, Ala.
McCartney, a graduate of CAM High School in Battle Ground and the first Hornet gymnast to compete at the national championships, totaled 38.950 points in the four events during competition Friday.
McCartney scored 9.825 on floor, 9.750 on vault, 9.700 on bars and 9.675 on beam.
The top four individuals from each session in each event (plus ties) of the semifinals advanced to Sunday’s individual finals.
Women’s golf
Bartek helps Sac State to second in Big Sky
Sacramento State freshman Chloe Bartek tied for 22nd at the Big Sky Conference Women’s Golf Championship that concluded Tuesday in Chandler, Ariz., helping the Hornets place second in the team standings.
The Columbia River High School graduate shot 78-78-80–236 over the three-day event. Sacramento State was tied for the lead after two rounds, but finished 15 strokes behind team champion Portland State (895-910).
Softball
Linfield wins NWC tournament crown
Three starters from Clark County high schools helped the Linfield College softball team garner an 11th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs with three dominating wins in the Northwest Conference tournament.
Linfield’s lineup includes catcher McKenna Spieth (Union High School) and outfielders Erin Carson (Camas High School) and Grace Middelstadt (Prairie High School), all juniors. Also on the roster is freshman catcher Erin Tauscher, a Camas High graduate.
The Wildcats won three games on their home field by an aggregate score of 31-4. Linfield (34-7) beat Willamette 14-3 — avenging a 10-2 loss in the regular season finale less than a week before — then twice beat second-seeded Pacific by eight runs, winning 9-1 on Friday then 8-0 on Saturday.
Linfield hit .444 as a team in the three tournament games while limiting opponents to an 0.56 earned run average.
Middelstadt went 4 for 4 with an inside-the-park home run Saturday against Pacific. She hit .667 in the team’s three tournament games.
Carson was 3 for 3 with a triple and scored twice in the championship game.
Regional sites and assignments for the national tournament will be announced on May 5.
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