PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College soccer teams are not only talented, they’re also smart.
For the third straight year, the Pirates lead all of the colleges in the Northwest Athletic Conference in the number of All-Academic award winners.
Seven women and six men were named to the 2014 NWAC All-Academic team for excellent academic performance. The award is limited to qualifying sophomore athletes.
Earning that honor this fall for the women’s team are Solana Ashe, Alyssa Bertuleit, Kasie Lough, Larkyn Nelson, Mary Pierce, Paxton Rodocker and Brooke Yoshimura.
All-Academic winners for the men are Dylan Clark, Kassio Monteiro, Daniel Moss, Victor Sanchez, Keevan Webb and Aaron Zovolokin.
“The success of the soccer program over the years has allowed us to be selective in our recruiting,” Kanyon Anderson, who served as head the head coach for both the women’s and men’s teams this year, said.
“The whole experience is better when we bring in players who excel on the field, in the classroom and in the community. And again this year, we were fortunate enough to bring in high character student athletes.”
“I am very proud of their success in the classroom,” he added. “I am looking forward to the offseason when we’ll be able to share these great people with the community.”
Peninsula College athletic director Rick Ross also had high praise for the All-Academic winners.
“We call it the Pirate Way, and it’s about striving for championships on the field, success in the classroom and giving back to our community,” Ross said.
“I’m very proud of the 13 student-athletes who achieved this award, of our coaches who make this a priority, and of our Student Services staff and our faculty who support our athletes.
“I know it’s cliché, but it takes a village. We’re all about graduating these players and finding pathways for them to complete four-year degrees.”
