For the fifth time in six years, the NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Washington is a Seattle Pacific University graduate. Lisa Malmin received the recognition in September after completing a collegiate career in which she was an All-America track and field participant as well as a President's Citation recipient.
The NCAA award honors those individuals who have distinguished themselves not only in the athletic arena but also in the classroom and community. Each NCAA member institution from Divisions I, II and III nominate graduating seniors. There are 11 such colleges and universities in Washington.
As a freshman and sophomore, Malmin was a key member of Seattle Pacific relay teams that placed among the top eight at the NCAA Championships, including the school record-setting 400-meter relay. She was twice selected to the Academic All-America team and earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship last spring. Malmin, a biochemistry major who graduated with a 3.99 GPA, began classes at the University of Washington School of Medicine this fall.
Each of the fall season sports have enjoyed early success, with the soccer team quickly rising into the national rankings. Coach Cliff McCrath, whose team returned nine starters after advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals in 1997, believes this could be one of his most talented groups. It features predominantly underclassmen, including two of the top scorers in the region, junior Dana Garner and sophomore Vadim Tolstolutsky.
After a five-game win streak in mid-October, the Falcons were rated No. 8 in the nation. Tickets should sell quickly for the final regular season game, featuring crosstown rival Washington November 7 at Interbay Stadium.
In volleyball, Seattle Pacific bolted to its best start in three years, again despite Coach JoAnn Atwell-Scrivner's use of a very young lineup. With wins in 12 of 13 matches, the Falcons moved to the top of the Pacific West Conference's Western Division, and are nearly assured a place in the postseason tournament, to be played November 12-14 in Hawaii. The tournament is necessary to determine the champion, now that the PacWest has expanded from seven to 16 teams.
Expansion may make it more difficult for the SPU women's cross country team to defend its conference crown. The Falcons, who feature two-time individual champion Heather Wallace, have finished among the top 10 in the nation each of the last two seasons. This fall's NCAA West Regional Championship will be held November 7 at Lake Padden, outside of Bellingham.
Even the most diehard Falcon fan may have to miss a game once in a while, and those who have relocated out of the Puget Sound area might find it darn near impossible to catch a contest. Fear not: Here are some alternative methods to keep informed.
First, there's the SPU Athletics web site at www.spu.edu/depts/athletics. You can find schedules, rosters and weekly news releases with updates on results, the athletes and the conference. There are also links to national polls and playoff results.
For those who want to know everything, there are Seattle Pacific's award-winning media guides, which contain all-time records as well as coach and athlete profiles. Last year the SPU guides for soccer, gymnastics, and track and field were judged best in the nation. Copies are available by mail for $8 each (includes postage and handling), with separate editions for soccer, volleyball, women's basketball, men's basketball, gymnastics and track. Publication dates vary according to sport.
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