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5 PacWest men’s student athletes earn honors for performance on the field, in the classroom

Rylan Morihara PHOENIX, Ariz. – For their outstanding effort in the classroom and in the arena of athletic competition, the Pacific West Conference has selected its five top men’s scholar athletes for 2010-11.

The PacWest made the announcement on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, from its conference media office in Phoenix, Ariz.

The following student-athletes were voted Scholar Athlete of the Year in their respective PacWest sport and now will be placed on the conference ballot for the 2010-11 PacWest Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.

  • Baseball: Rylan Morihara (Hawai‘i Pacific University)
  • Men’s Basketball: Marques Whippy (Brigham Young University Hawaii)
  • Men’s Cross Country: Thomas Rivers Puzey (Brigham Young University Hawaii)
  • Men’s Golf: Jacob Golembiewski (Grand Canyon University)
  • Men’s Soccer: Kyle Ciliento (Grand Canyon University)

Marques Whippy The sports information directors of the conference nominated and voted on the PacWest Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year awards. The same group will vote this week on the overall PacWest Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year honor.

Baseball:
Rylan Morihara – Hawai‘i Pacific  (Jr., 5-7, 135, OF, 3.94 GPA, Honolulu, HI/Iolani School) - Morihara batted .310 with 27 runs scored, 19 RBI, 22 walks and 10 stolen bases in 2011. He produced a .420 on-base average and was named to the All-PacWest Second Team.

Men’s Basketball:

Marques Whippy – BYU-Hawaii (Sr., 6-5, 215, G, 3.16GPA, Bua, Fiji/Woods Cross, Utah) - The international business major was selected the 2010-11 PacWest Player of the Year and was named to All-PacWest First Team. He also was named the NCAA II West Regional MVP and a Basketball Times Third Team All-American.

Thomas Rivers Puzey Men’s Cross Country:

Thomas Rivers Puzey – BYU-Hawaii (Sr, 6-0, 160, 3.87 GPA, Hermiston, OR/Hermiston) – The exercise and sport science major was named to the All-PacWest First Team, finished fourth in the PacWest Championship race, and was named the PacWest Runner of the Week on Sept. 27.

He also was selected to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, and finished first at the Chaminade, Hawai‘i Pacific and Hawai‘i Hilo invitational races in 2010. He wound up 30th at the 2010 NCAA II West Regional.

Men’s Golf:

Jacob Golembiewski – Grand Canyon (Sr., 5-11, 3.935 GPA, Chandler, AZ/Corona del Sol) – The business administration major was named the 2011 PacWest Men’s Golf Newcomer of the Year. He earned a medal at the GCU Thunderbirds Spring Invite, and claimed All-PacWest First Team accolades after tying for seventh at the 2011 PacWest Championship in St. George, Utah. He finished the season ranked 26th in the region with a 74 stroke average.

Jacob Golembiewski Men’s Soccer:

Kyle Ciliento – Grand Canyon (So., F, 3.96 GPA, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle) – The business administration major led the Antelopes to the 2010 PacWest Championship, their fourth title in the five-year history of men's soccer in the conference.

He ranked first in the nation in total goals (27), goals per game (1.35) and points per game (3.0), and second in total points (60). He was named the Daktronics NCAA Division II West Region Men's Soccer Player of the Year.

In his career, Ciliento has recorded 50 goals - the second most in GCU history and just five fewer than the record of 55 set by Manoel Coelho form 1997-99. His 111 career points ranks second behind Coelho's 131.

Ciliento's 27 goals and 60 points in 2010 are the second most and fourth most, respectively, in GCU history. He led the conference this season in points (60), points per game (3.0), goals (27), goals per game (1.35) and game-winning goals (9). He also tied for fourth in the Kyle Ciliento league in assists (6) and seventh in assists per game (0.30).

 He was selected as PacWest Men's Soccer Player of the Week twice (Sep. 13 and Nov. 8), and he made the PacWest Men’s Soccer Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll seven times during the season.

Ciliento was named to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Men's Soccer Third Team, to the Daktronics NCAA Division II Men's Soccer All-America First Team, and to the 2010 NSCAA/Performance Subaru NCAA Men's Division II All-America First Team.