Parrish West and Mariya Pavlovskaya closed out their collegiate careers with the Alaska Nanooks Saturday in a capstone ceremony that saw them named the school's Most Outstanding Athletes.
West led the men's basketball team in most offensive categories and led the nation in scoring average with 27.2 points per game. For his efforts, he was named the 2010-11 Ron Lenz National Player of the Year, as well as All-American and All-GNAC. He set the school record in single-game scoring with 43 points against Saint Martin's on Jan. 20, breaking a 42-point mark set by Milo Griffin in the 1967-68 season. He went on to break Griffin's season scoring average record, set that same year at 26 points per game.
West became the first player in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history to score 30+ points in seven straight games between Jan. 13 and Feb. 3. He also became the first ever to score 40+ in back-to back games between Jan. 15 and Jan. 20. His 13 total 30+ point games are also a conference record.
Pavlovskaya departs as the most decorated swimmer in Alaska history with eight All-American certificates. After falling short in her first season with the Nanooks, she qualified for nationals in each of her final three seasons. This year, she placed in the 400 Yard IM and 200 Yard Breaststroke.
She was an all-conference selection at this year's Pacific Collegiate Swim & Dive Championships. Her best swim came in the 400 IM, where she swam a 4:28.95 and captured second place. She led the team to a fourth place finish in the end.
Pavlovskaya also won the Intercollegiate Athletics Council's Student-Athlete of the Year award. Kevin Petovello won it for the men.
The Alaska athletics department officially renamed its humanitarian award the Bart LeBon Humanitarian Award after former Nanooks player and tireless supporter Bart LeBon. He was on hand to present the award, which was given to two athletes this year: Ron Meyers and Kimani Shotwell.
Meyers volunteers time with local youth hockey programs, the Denali Center, the Senior Games, the 4H and the Helping Hooves Therapeutic Riding Program. Shotwell spearheads all community appearances for the men's basketball team, including events put on by the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and the Boys and Girls Club.
Petovello earned the Harris Shelton Spirit of Competition Award after clearly putting his team above himself this season. Petovello delayed season-ending knee surgery to finish out his senior year with the team, and it paid off. He played in key minutes down the stretch and scored big goals for the team, including a pair in the Governor's Cup series with Alaska Anchorage.
Alaska Athletics Director Forrest Karr named ski and cross country coach
Scott Jerome Coach of the Year. He named Assistant AD for Travel and Ticket Operations
Denise Irish and SRC Facility Manager Erik Ofelt Staff Members of the Year.
Each sport's Dr. Wood Scholar-Athlete of the Year and MVP were submitted by its coaches. This year's winners included:
Men's Basketball – Aaron Kohring and Parrish West
Women's Basketball – Grace Milliken and Nicole Bozek
Men's Hockey – Bryant Molle and Scott Greenham
Women's Swimming – Courtney Nichols and Mariya Pavlovskaya
Men's and Women's Rifle – Ida Peterson and Donnie Hannan
Women's Volleyball – Jennifer Holland and Tereza Bendlova
Men's Cross Country – Lex Treinen and Tyler Kornfield
Women's Cross Country – Heather Edic and Raphaela Sieber
Men's Skiing – John Parry and David Norris
Women's Skiing – Theresia Schnurr and Raphaela Sieber
