SEATTLE (June 19) - Kerie Hughes, the sparkplug point guard from Seattle Pacific University's record-setting basketball team, was voted the 2002-03 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Female Athlete of the Year.

Hughes (Sr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa.), who was earlier selected as the SPU Athlete of the Year and GNAC basketball player of the year, averaged 12.4 points, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals in leading the Falcons to a 29-1 record and into the championship game of the NCAA Division II West Regional women's basketball tournament. Seattle Pacific was ranked No. 1 in the nation for five consecutive weeks.

She becomes the second Falcon in as many years to win the award. Track & field champion Stephanie Huffman was athlete of the year in 2001-02.

The award is voted on by the athletic directors at the 10 GNAC schools.

Western Washington volleyball player Liz Bishop finished second in the balloting. Humboldt State basketball standout Fred Hooks was the GNAC male athlete of the year.

Hughes is a business administration major who also received the Falcon Award For Excellence for career achievement in academics, athletics and leadership.