(March 29, 2007) - The Big West Conference has bestowed the honor of Academic All-Conference sophomore UC Riverside men's basketball Christian Soto, it was announced Thursday.

To be eligible for the All-Academic team, student-athletes have to maintain a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, complete one full academic year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received (at least a sophomore academically), and compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests. The winter teams consist of student-athletes from men's and women's basketball and men's and women's swimming. UCR does not sponsor teams in the latter two sports.

In all, six men and eight women basketball student-athletes were recognized from the conference’s eight member institutions.

(June 11, 2007) - Seven members of the UC Riverside Athletics family were recognized at the annual end-of-the-year Awards Ceremony, held in the the PE Gym on Tuesday, June 5th

Harper Scholar-Athlete Award - Carl Uhl, Baseball
Sophomore center fielder Carl Uhl posted a 3.71 GPA. A business major, he is a three-time member of the UCR Dean's List. On the field, he hit .305 with a team-high 15 stolen bases and helped the Highlanders to their first-ever Big West Championship. At the recent NCAA Regional in Tempe, he was the Highlanders' leading hitter and earned All-Regional honors.

The Harper Scholar-Athlete Award is selected by a committee of scholars and is presented annually to a student-athlete whose athletic and scholarly achievements are deemed most outstanding. The recipient may be a male or female freshman, sophomore or junior and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 with a declared program of study. The individual must be a member of a UCR intercollegiate athletics team in good standing. The award is dedicated to Margaret and Hueston Harper, the parents of UCR professor Dr. Larry Harper.

Lindy Citizenship Award - Sarah Mohammadi, Soccer
Sophomore women's soccer player Sarah Mohammadi was the recipient of the Lindy Award, on the strength of her commitment "to excellence in every sense of the word," according to her coach, Veronica O'Brien.

The Lindy Citizenship Award is presented in honor of former UCR Athletics Director Frank Lindeburg, and goes to the student-athlete who has demonstrated exceptional dedication by participating in extracurricular activities in the university and in the community.

Mohammadi's list of activities is long and varied. Among the events she has participated in:

• She is a member of the Golden Arches program.
• Co-director of Student-Athlete Mentors.
• Women's soccer representative on Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
• Works with the Get 60 Program, visiting Hyatt Elementary to teach kids why exercising is important.
• Works at the Party TOADS bars for athletic events and promotes campaigns like Save Cinco DeMayo, Memorial Day and Spring Break.
• Assists in setting up speakers to support campaigns on Wednesday evenings.
• Has been involved in top soccer for years, coaching kids with mental/physical disabilities.
• Helped the team organize an event to work with Bill's Special Kids.
• Is involved with Special Olympics.
• Works at 24-Hour Fitness designing work out programs.
• With all these roles, it is a wonder she has time to attend class or play soccer. But she does both, majoring in interdisciplinary studies/business with a minor in philosophy, and on the field starting all 18 games for the Highlanders, registering an assist.

Best Teammate Award - Hailey Marshall, Softball
A new award for the 2007-08 school year, the best teammate award is given to the individual whose efforts both on and off the field best exemplify the concepts and ideals of teamwork.

Senior softball player Hailey Marshall was the inaugural honoree, based upon her outstanding career on and off the field with the Highlander softball team. Throughout her career, whether on the field, or on the bench, in practice or the weight room, in class or out, she was the same spirited person. When she was in the game, you would hear her constant chatter from the middle infield. In the dugout, she was always standing up on the bench, cheering, and keeping the team's energy up.

Despite never entering a season as the starter, she played significantly throughout her career, taking advantage of the opportunities given to her. When injuries to teammates gave her the chance to play, she was grateful. When she came out of the line-up, she thanked her coach for the opportunity and said "Do whatever you need to do to help us win. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play today."

Off the field she was a leader, helping teammates through challenging times. She wrote a "Student-Athlete Diary" for the UCR website, helping to show the world what it was like to be a student-athlete. She even put together a highlight video for the team to enjoy after the final game.

Her Head Coach Connie Miner said, "In my 26 years, I have never seen a player understand what being a team player is and means, and to do it at such a high level as she does. She is in a league of her own. She will make you understand or remember, and reassure you, why we do what we do as coaches and administrators. If is for young people just like her."

Female Student-Athlete of the Year - Kemie Nkele, Basketball
There were several outstanding performances by female student-athletes during the 2006-07 season, but the performance of junior basketball player Kemie Nkele stood tall. Literally.

On the basketball floor, she started 32 games, averaging 16.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She shot 45% from the field, 73% from the free throw line and 34.7% from the three point line. She scored double-figures in points in 27 games. She was named the 2007 Big West Conference Player of the Year, the Big West Conference Tournament MVP for the second year in a row, and to the All-Tournament team for the third year in a row. She is a three-time Big West first-team honoree. She reached the 1,000 point career milestone on December 6, 2006, scoring 24 points and playing 39 minutes despite having a badly sprained ankle.

"She is a great leader and she leads by example," said her Head Coach, John Margaritis. "She will ask questions when she already knows the answer because she knows that her teammates do not know the answer. I feel that Kemie was God's gift to me. I got a chance to coach and God gave me Kemie so I can win."

Male Student Athlete of the Year - James Simmons, Baseball
The 2007 Male Student-Athlete of the Year was a fairly simple choice as junior right hander James Simmons was the only nominee. However, he received multiple nominations for the award. Simmons' statistics tell the tale. He finished his season with the UCR baseball team at 11-3 with a 2.40 ERA. He struck out 116 batters in 123.2 innings of work while walking just 15. He won seven of his first eight decisions, and capped his season with 7.1 innings of work against Nebraska in the Highlanders' win over the Cornhuskers at the NCAA Regionals in Tempe.

He earned third team honors on the Collegiate Baseball 2007 TPX All-American team, was awarded Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year and first team all-conference. He collected Big West Pitcher of the Week honors a school record three times this season, on February 19 and back-to-back weeks April 2 and April 9. Simmons was also named the InsidePitching.com West Region Pitcher of the Week twice this season and once was named Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. He remains a top-30 finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes the National Player of the Year, and also a top-50 finalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award. He became the third pitcher in the school’s Division I history to win at least 10 games in a season and the first since 2003.

Braveheart Award - Heidi Von Arx - Sports Medicine
The Braveheart Award is the highest award given to a student-athlete, coach or staff member at UC Riverside. It is named after the Scottish freedom fighter, William Wallace, whose nickname was "Braveheart" and who exploits were dramatized in the movie of the same name. The Braveheart Award is given annually to the individuals who have demonstrated exemplary courage over the current school year.

Certified Athletic Trainer Heidi Von Arx was the first honoree, having shown extraordinary courage as she dealt with a potentially life threatening illness, eventually undergoing surgery.She never missed a beat at work, and her smile and outstanding work ethic were on display for all to see. After the surgery, she was right back at work, taking care of her student-athletes in soccer and softball. Throughout her personally trying time, she never lost her professional edge, handling several medical issues that were above and beyond the standard call of duty. She spent a great deal of her personal time to assist with the needs of her student-athletes.

Braveheart Award - Vonn Webb - Men's Basketball
For many, being appointed a head coach is a dream come true. But for Vonn Webb, the thrill of being a head coach was tempered by tragedy in the form of injuries, illness and death. When then-Head Coach David Spencer was sidelined by an illness, this man stepped up into the position of interim head coach and never missed a beat. He was a leader in practice and on the sideline and had his student-athletes working for him, while all the time acknowledging that in the best case scenario he was simply keeping the seat warm until Spencer returned. However, when it became clear that Spencer would not return, this man continued his great efforts at the helm, providing the leadership that this group of young men needed. The growth exhibited under the efforts of this coach were tremendous. And all the while, this man's attitude of hard work and devotion, mixed with a tremendous sense of humor, did not change or wane. He was the same man, day in and day out.

"It would be fair to say that the entire men's basketball team could share in this award following their experiences in 2006-07. However, every group has a leader, and in this case, this leader deserves the recognition of the highest award offered by the UCR Athletics Department," Athletics Director Stan Morrison said. "I know he will be the first to share this with his fellow coach, Michael Mitchell and student-athletes."

(June 13, 2007) - The Big West Conference has bestowed the honor of Academic All-Conference upon 24 UC Riverside spring sport student-athletes, it was announced Wednesday.

To be eligible for the All-Academic team, student-athletes have to maintain a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, complete one full academic year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received (at least a sophomore academically), and compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.

UCR’s contingent represented seven of UCR's eight spring sports, including three from baseball, five from softball, one each from men's golf and men's tennis, five from women's tennis, six from men's track and field and three from women's track and field.

A total of 152 Big West spring student-athletes were recognized from the conference’s eight member institutions.