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Gustafson for two. Fittingly, the top player from Seattle Pacific University’s most successful team has received her school’s No. 1 athletic prize. Valerie Gustafson, the high scorer and record-setting shooter for the women’s basketball team which went 30-1 and reached the NCAA Elite Eight, was voted as Athlete of the Year for 2003-04. That award, along with the Falcon Awards for Excellence and various other honors were presented during the annual banquet, held June 3 in the Queen Anne Room of Gwinn Commons.

Valerie Gustafson has been voted as Athlete of the Year for 2003-04. She is also among a group who received the Falcon Award for Excellence

Gustafson (Sr., Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) became the seventh female basketball player to in 46 years to earn the university’s top annual award. The 6-foot redhead averaged 15.2 points and converted 57.8 percent of her field goals during a season in which the Falcons extended their regular season unbeaten streak to 60 games, won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship for the second year in a row and won the NCAA West Regional. SPU, after falling to Drury (Mo.) in the national quarterfinal round, finished No. 3 in the final poll. Gustafson was voted the GNAC player of the year, all-region and honorable mention All-America. She also finished among the GNAC leaders in steals and rebounding.

Head coaches of the 14 varsity sports voted for athlete of the year, and the ballot was full of worthy candidates, including national championship rowers, a national championship gymnast and All-America track & field athletes. Gustafson is the second winner from women’s basketball in as many years; Kerie Hughes won in 2003.

Tops in their class. Gustafson was also among a group of five distinguished seniors who received the Falcon Award for Excellence, the highest honor for career achievement in athletics, academics and leadership. Also receiving the award from President Philip Eaton were basketball sparkplug Kristin Poe (Sr., Enumclaw, Wa.), distance runner Jamie Witt (Jr., Folsom, Ca.), crew coxswain Joanna Hodgkiss (Sr., Tacoma, Wa./Puyallup) and oarsman Joel Braman (Sr., Wyoming, Mi.).

Braman, a three-year letterman, was the stroke for two conference-winning lightweight fours. During his senior year, the crew went on to claim a regional title and finish sixth in the nation. He was all-conference and the team’s oarsman of the year in his final year. As a novice, Braman stroked the boat which took third nationally. He is a political science major with a 3.79 GPA.

Gustafson, a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter, was a three-time academic all-conference selection. As a senior she was also first team all-conference, team co-captain and co-MVP. She No. 3 in career field-goal percentage, as well as 8th in rebounding and 10th in scoring. She is a European studies major with a 3.52 GPA.

A fifth-year senior, Poe was a three-year starter and two-time all-conference selection. A physical education major with a 3.12 GPA, she served as team co-captain and was also voted most inspirational for three seasons. Poe was team co-MVP as a senior and completed her career tied for No. 2 in single-game rebounding, No. 3 in career steals and No. 6 in rebounding.

Hodgkiss is the coxswain for the varsity women’s four which is bound for Henley later this month. That crew won eight of nine races, including conference, regional and national titles for the second year in a row. Hodgkiss, a four-year letterwinner, has a 3.76 GPA in business and economics. She earned academic all-district as a senior and national scholar athlete as a sophomore, and was named all-conference and all-region as a senior. Prior to this season Hodgkiss was cox for crews which won a conference, two regional and, as a junior, a national championship in the varsity lightweight four category.

Witt, a four-year squad member and three-year letterwinner, was a two-time all-conference selection in both cross country and track. This past year she was the GNAC runner-up in cross country and the indoor mile champion. She is an English major with a 3.85 GPA. She was named academic all-conference for two seasons in each sport, and academic all-district this year. Last fall Witt served as cross country team captain, and was voted most inspirational and team MVP.

Top of the class. Braman and discus thrower Lauren Kooy (Sr., George, Wa./Quincy) were recipients of the Clifford McCrath 101 Scholar Athlete Award, presented by the Washington Athletic Club’s 101 Club. Kooy, a business administration major with a 3.89 GPA, and Braman owned the highest GPAs among the graduating seniors.

Our Dean's List. A total of 26 scholar athletes were recognized for maintaining a GPA of 3.50 or higher over the past three quarters, dating back to spring of 2003. The complete list: Linda Blake, track & field; Joel Braman, rowing; Shannon Buehler, rowing; Noelle Diaz, soccer; Jessica Henson, soccer; Joanna Hodgkiss, rowing; Rebecca Knox, cross country/track & field; Jeff Knudson, basketball; Jean Kolb, soccer/track & field; Lauren Kooy, track & field; Katy Kravitz, volleyball; Brittney Kroon, basketball; Jordan Lee, basketball; Aaron Libadisos, cross country/track & field; Paul Mach, cross country/track & field; Tim Marston, cross country; Corrie McDaniel, gymnastics; Sarah Melby, soccer; Amber Rose, track & field; Michelle Sanders, soccer; Janna Schaafsma, track & field; David Stalsbroten, rowing; Allison Teague, soccer; Tyler Van Stright, rowing; James Ward, soccer; Jamie Witt, cross country/track & field.

Blanketed with awards. Receiving embroidered personalized blankets for being four-year letterwinners were 13 seniors: Annastasia Ahr, Gymnastics; Kirsten Bjork, Cross Country; Joel Braman, Rowing; Chris Cohen, basketball; Valerie Gustafson, basketball; Katy Higgins, volleyball; Joanna Hodgkiss, crew; Lauren Kooy, track & field; Tim Marston, cross country; Kristin Poe, basketball; Amber Rose, track & field; Michael Schefter, soccer; and Trevor Winters, rowing.

Tale of the tape. Featured speakers at the banquet were outgoing seniors Poe and soccer’s Matt Laughlin, and with closing remarks, President Eaton...The Falcons finished with three teams (gymnastics, women's basketball and women's track) which were among the nation’s top 10. Women’s cross country, soccer, indoor track & field and basketball accounted for the four GNAC championships and the women’s all-sports crown...Individually, to date there are nine All-America athletes, seven all-region and 55 all-conference. There are three Academic All-America, 16 academic all-region and 55 academic all-conference...One of the year’s highlights was the induction of the second charter class into the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame. Those inducted were Les Habegger (basketball coach/athletic director), Ken Covell (soccer), Roy Duncan (track & field), Debbie Halle Jackson (gymnastics) and Bob Thompson (tennis).