SAN ANTONIO (June 24, 2020) – Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) celebrated its 2019-2020 season with the virtual Ninth Annual Big Blue All-Sports Athletic Banquet on May 6.
The event began with a welcome from Athletic Director Shane Hurley. He honored the athletes, staff and everyone who contributed to a successful 2019-2020 season. The Saints won their seventh straight Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) All-Sports Award.
OLLU University Ministry Director Creighton Chandler led viewers in prayer before the awards for each sport were announced. After the opening prayer, coaches spoke about their team and their accomplishments.
Women's team and individual awards in alphabetical order
BASKETBALL, 11TH year: 26-6/17-1; NAIA National Tournament Qualifiers; RRAC Tournament Runners-Up; RRAC Regular Season Champions; K. Barber: All-Conference Honorable Mention; T. Lopez: Champions of Character; J. Miller: All-Conference Second Team; K. Saldana: NAIA All-American Third Team, All-Conference First Team, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; Z. Shatri: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. White: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; D. White: NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, All-Conference First Team, All-Tournament Team, RRAC Player of the Week, NAIA Player of the Week; L. Wilson: All-Conference Second Team, All-Tournament Team, Saints 1,000 Point Club; S. Stephens: RRAC Coach of the Year, Hoopdirt.com Coach of the Week; Team was unable to participate in the NAIA National Tournament due to COVID-19.
CROSS-COUNTRY, 11TH year: NAIA National Championship Participants; RRAC Champions; NAIA Scholar Team; L. Broussard: All-Conference, RRAC Top Finisher; R. Espericueta: All-Conference; A. Gandara: USTFCCA All-Academic, All-Conference, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; S. Garcia: All-Conference, RRAC Runner of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; P. Lammons: All-Conference, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; N. Sifuentes: All-Conference, Two-time RRAC Runner of the Week; A. Vidales: All-Conference; K. Watson: All-Conference; S. Sherman: RRAC Coach of the Year
SOCCER, 12TH year: 13-3-1/8-1; RRAC Tournament Champions; RRAC Regular Season Champions; USC Team Academic Award (2018-19); NAIA Scholar Team (2018-19); I. Brenes-Rodriguez: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; D. Brinkley: All-Conference First Team, All-Tournament Team, RRAC Offensive Player of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete, Academic All-District; L. Briseno: Champions of Character, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; V. Castro: All-Tournament Team; O. Eagleson: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; M. Garza: All-Conference Second Team; M. Gilbert: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; S. Hernandez: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; M. Herrera: All-Conference Honorable Mention, All-Tournament Team, RRAC Defensive Player of the Week; B. Polansky: All-Conference First Team, RRAC Offensive Player of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Seto: All-Conference First Team, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Villarreal: All-Conference Second Team; Y. Vazquez: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; E. Zapata: All-Conference Second Team, RRAC Defensive Player of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Zapata: All-Conference Second Team, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Salazar: RRAC Coach of the Year
SOFTBALL, 11TH year: K. Dreese: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Estrada: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; K. Kennedy: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; C. Martinez: RRAC Pitcher of the Week; A. Montgomery: RRAC Player of the Week; K. Salazar: RRAC Character Athlete of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; F. Villanueva: RRAC Pitcher of the Week; Team was unable to finish its season due to COVID-19.
TRACK AND FIELD, 6TH year: NAIA Scholar Team; A. Culliver: All-Conference in long jump, triple jump and 400m, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Esparza: All-Conference in high jump and 400m, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Gandara: All-Conference in 3k, 4x800m relay and 1500m, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; S. Garcia: All-Conference in 3k, 1500m and 10k, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; P. Okpe: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; D. Joseph: RRAC Track Athlete of the Week, All-Conference in the 100m, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; P. Lammons: All-Conference in 1500m, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Pineda: All-Conference in 400m hurdles and 4x800m relay, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; M. Romain: NAIA National Indoor Qualifier, All-Conference in 100m hurdles, RRAC Scholar-Athlete, NAIA Scholar-Athlete; Team was unable to finish its season due to COVID-19.
VOLLEYBALL, 13TH year: 19-7/8-4; RRAC Tournament Runners-Up; NAIA Scholar Team; S. Ballesteros: All-Conference First Team, RRAC Attacker of the Week; N. Fazio: All-Conference Second Team, RRAC Attacker of the Week; K. Ketchens: All-Conference First Team, RRAC Newcomer of the Year; T. Kruta: All-Conference Honorable Mention, RRAC Attacker of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Maldonado: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Marquez: All-Conference First Team, All-Tournament Team, Three-time RRAC Defender of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Rivera: AVCA All-South Central Honorable Mention, All-Conference First Team, Champions of Character, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Tamez: AVCA All-South Central Honorable Mention, All-Conference First Team, All-Tournament Team, Four-time RRAC Setter of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete
Men's team and individual awards in alphabetical order
BASKETBALL, 11TH year: 10-18/6-12; C. Fields: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; R. Monzon: All-Conference Second Team, Champions of Character, RRAC Character Athlete of the Week, RRAC Player of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; V. Roper: All-Conference Freshman of the Year, All-Conference Honorable Mention; M. Saladin: All-Conference Second Team; F. Wilczek: RRAC Scholar-Athlete
CROSS-COUNTRY, 11TH year: NAIA National Championship Participants; RRAC Champions; A. Bustamante: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Moczygemba: USTFCCA All-Academic, All-Conference, RRAC Runner of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; M. Segura: USTFCCA All-Academic, All-Conference, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; C. Marcus: All-Conference; I. Martinez: All-Conference; H. Puente: All-Conference; N. Rodriguez: All-Conference, RRAC Top Medalist, Two-time RRAC Runner of the Week; J. Zarate: All-Conference, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; S. Sherman: RRAC Coach of the Year
SOCCER, 13TH year: 11-6-2/6-2-1; RRAC Tournament Semifinalists; B. Alvarenga: All-Tournament Team; L. Balestieri: All-Conference Second Team; G. Borba: All-Conference Honorable Mention; G. Cardenas: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J.M. Chica: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; S. Couper: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; C. Elbayeh: All-Conference Second Team; N. Lira: All-Tournament Team; M. Medrano: RRAC Offensive Player of the Week; R. Posadas: Champions of Character; P. Pye: All-Conference Second Team; M. Sanchez: All-Conference Second Team; G. Serrano: RRAC Scholar-Athlete
TENNIS, 12TH year: (Following are award from last season.) NAIA Scholar Team; G. Braga: RRAC Player of the Week, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Etzberger: RRAC Player of the Week (this year); S. Rodriguez: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; V. Silva: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; Team was unable to finish its season due to COVID-19.
TRACK AND FIELD, 6TH year: (Following are awards from last season, except where indicated.) A. Bustamante: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Samudio: RRAC Track Athlete of the Week (this year); A. Moczygemba: All-Conference in 3k, 5k and 10k, RRAC Scholar-Athlete, NAIA Scholar-Athlete; M. Segura: All-Conference in 3k, 4x800m relay and 1500m, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; C. Sennette: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; C. Townsend: All-Conference in 110m hurdles, RRAC Scholar-Athlete, NAIA Scholar-Athlete; J. Zarate: All-Conference in 3k, 800m and 1500m, RRAC Scholar-Athlete; Team was unable to finish its season due to COVID-19.
BASEBALL, 6TH year: (Following awards are from last season except where indicated.) NAIA Scholar Team; R. Chapa: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Collazo Jr.: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; T. Cook: RRAC Pitcher of the Week (this year); J. Diaz: RRAC Pitcher of the Week (this year), NAIA Ball All-Ball Second Team (pitcher/this year), RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Garza: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; L. Garza: Two-time RRAC Pitcher of the Week (this year), NAIA Ball All-Ball First Team (pitcher/this year), RRAC Scholar-Athlete; A. Gonzalez Jr.: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Jimenez: Two-time RRAC Pitcher of the Week (this year); M. Klar: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; L. Klostermann: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; D. Melecio: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Montejano: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; B. Putnam: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Ramirez: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; N. Ramirez: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; T. Scherer: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; Team was unable to finish its season due to COVID-19.
GOLF, 12TH year: (Following are awards from last season, except where indicated.) NAIA Scholar Team; D. Garcia: A.I.I. All-Conference (this year); R. Gutierrez: A.I.I. Champions of Character (this year), RRAC Scholar-Athlete; D. Jones: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; J. Sturt: RRAC Scholar-Athlete; K. Ybarra: A.I.I. All-Conference (this year), CoSIDA Academic All-District (this year), CoSIDA Academic All-American (this year), RRAC Scholar-Athlete; Team was unable to finish its season due to COVID-19.
Top Team GPA Award
Women's soccer earned the Top GPA Team Award with a 3.40 GPA. Watch the video of all scholar teams:
Big Blue Top Saints
The Top Saints male nominees included soccer's Luan Balestieri, cross-country's Andrew Moczygemba, basketball's Michael Saladin, tennis' Murilo Salviato, baseball's Jose Diaz, golf's Kane Ybarra and track and field's Clayton Townsend.
The Top Saints female nominees included soccer's Dawson Brinkley, volleyball's Anyssa Rivera, cross-country's Andrea Gandara, basketball's Kasey Saldana, softball's Ciera Martinez and track and field's Miki Romain.
Diaz was awarded the Big Blue Top Saints award for the male category. Diaz's athletic honors at OLLU include being a 2019 Conference Tournament participant, 2019 All-Conference First Team, NAIA Player to Watch, All-Tournament, RRAC Player of the Week and Conference Scholar-Athlete. Diaz was also credited with breaking several records in baseball. Since his team did not finish the season, Diaz was granted another year of eligibility and will play this season.
Saldana took home the award for the female category. She is an RRAC Scholar-Athlete, was named to the First Team All-Conference Team, First Team All-Tournament Team, became a member of the Saint's 1,000-Point Club member and guided her team to an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament. She also became the all-time leading scorer in women's basketball history with 1,583 points.
Watch the video of all of our Top Saints:
The virtual event concluded after a benediction from OLLU University Chaplain Father Kevin Fausz.