Posted: May 27, 2014
Here is the program from the years Athletic Award Breakfast
PROGRAM
Welcome
Kathleen Benjamin
President, General Advisory Board
College Remarks
Michael Tuitasi
Vice President, Student Affairs
SMC Cheerleading Program Performance
Jessica Moorehead
Coach, SMC Cheerleading Program
Awards Presentation
Dr. Albert Vasquez Dean – Campus Security, Student Health, Safety and Athletics; Chief of Police
Kathleen Benjamin President, General Advisory Board
Stephanie Cohen Field Representative, Office of Assemblyman Richard Bloom
Athletic Department Coaches and Athletes
Outstanding Athletes of the Year
Closing Remarks
Kathleen Benjamin 2
Order of Presentation for
GAB Athletic Awards Program
Men's Football .........................................Gifford Lindheim
Men's Soccer ....................................................Tim Pierce
Women's Soccer .........................................Joseph Pehanich
Men's Cross Country .........................................Eric Barron
Women's Cross Country .....................................Eric Barron
Men's Water Polo ..........................................Brian Eskridge
Women's Water Polo ....................................Jennifer Bullock
Men's Volleyball ...............................................John Mayer
Women's Volleyball ...........................................Nicole Ryan
Men's Basketball ..........................................Jerome Jenkins
Women's Basketball .........................................Lydia Strong
Women's Softball .............................................Daniel Soto
Women's Tennis .....................................Richard Goldenson
Men's Track and Field .........................................Larry Silva
Women's Track and Field .....................................Larry Silva
Men's Swimming and Diving ..........................Steven Contarsy
Women's Swimming and Diving ......................Steven Contarsy
Male Athlete of the Year ............................Dr. Albert Vasquez
Female Athlete of the Year .........................Dr. Albert Vasquez 3
Honored Athlete Biographies
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Ashley Bootesaz, Women's Cross Country
Coach, Eric Barron
Ashley was born in Beverly Hills. She started running during her
sophomore year of high school. Initially, she was one of the slower
runners on the team, but she worked hard to develop her technique.
By the time she finished high school, she had set several school
records. At SMC, she has consistently been a team leader and has
been recognized as a 2013 SMC Women's Cross Country Leader,
2013 Southern California Regional participant, and 2012 SMC
Women's Track & Field Most Valuable Distance Athlete. Ashley is
majoring in History and plans to attend UCLA or USC in the fall.
Kameryon Drew Brown, Men's Track & Field
Coach, Larry Silva
Kameryon was born in Houston, Texas, and moved frequently as a
child, following the career of his father, a former NFL player and
current receivers' coach for the UCLA Bruins. Kameryon's first
sport was cross-country; unfortunately, during high school he suf- fered a lower back injury that sidelined him for two years.
Relocating to Los Angeles in his senior year, he attended Pacific
Palisades Charter High school in 2012 and ran his final track sea- son. He enrolled at SMC and joined the track team, and worked
diligently with his coaches, and became one of the fastest meter
sprinters at the Junior College level in the states. Kameryon has
been a focal point in garnering team points in the 4x100 meter
relay, the 400 meter and 800 meter, distance medley relay, 200
meter, and the 4x400 meter relay – which is currently ranked as one
of the top teams in the state. In addition to being a very dedicated
student athlete maintaining a 3.05 GPA, Kameryon is a talented
rapper -- his rap videos have appeared on MTV. Kameryon hopes to
attend UCLA on a track scholarship, and plans to major in Film and
Communications, and hopes to pursue a career in filmmaking. 4
Kasey Dunn, Men's Volleyball
Coach, John Mayer
Kasey moved to Los Angeles from a very small town in Days Creek,
Oregon. He attended Days Creek High School — a very small school
with an average of only 100 students. While there, he played bas- ketball, baseball and ran cross-country and track & field. He was
chosen male Athlete of the Year in his senior year and acquired a
State Champion medal in Triple Jump (track and field) that same
year. Academically he obtained Salutatorian in his graduating class
of 2011. Kasey plans to transfer to Benedictine University, a private
university just outside of Chicago, in Lisle, Illinois, where he plans
to continue to play volleyball and study Respiratory Therapy.
Amanda Duval, Women's Water Polo
Coach, Jennifer Bullock
Born in Santa Monica and raised in Culver City, Amanda had
no idea she was going to play and excel in water polo. She discov- ered water polo in her freshman year at Culver City High School.
She started at the JV level, then developed her skills and learned
the technique of the sport quickly. At the end of the season, she
was voted the MVP. In her senior year, she attained many accom- plishments, including making it to the semifinals in CIF for the
first time. She also received numerous awards including all Ocean
League 1st team, all CIF 2nd team, and MVP. In the fall of 2013,
SMC offered her a place on the team, and by the end of the season
she received 1st team All-Western State Conference, was the 2nd
leading goalie for California Community Colleges in the state, and
was named MVP All-Defense on the SMC team. Jennifer hopes to
transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to major in Mechanical Engi- neering and continue playing water polo at the collegial level.
Qujuan Floyd, Football
Coach, Gifford Lindheim
Qujuan Floyd is a winner. He won two LA City Championships at
Crenshaw High School and two as part of the SMC football team.
Qujaun comes from a strong and supportive family, and his father
attends all of his games. His older brother also played football for
Arizona State. Qujuan was an All-American as a freshman and a
Pre-Season Sporting News All American this season, which is an
extremely prestigious group. He was 2nd in interceptions in Cali- fornia and led the SMC team in tackles with 85 takedowns. He's
known for his thunderous hits on opposing receivers, his football
handling skills, and his confident leadership style. Qujuan had
numerous D1 offers, and has signed to play for Iowa St. this fall. 5
Jessica Goldbeck, Women's Tennis
Coach, Richard Goldenson
Jessica was the team captain for the 2014 women's tennis team that
went undefeated 10-0 as they captured their 4th Western State Con- ference title in 5 years! She was undefeated in WSC play at number
one doubles with partner Kaori Tsuda and also went undefeated
at number 3 singles in WSC play. Jessica plans to play more tennis
wherever she transfers. She regards playing at SMC as the best col- lege experience thus far. Jessica currently maintains a 3.5 GPA and
attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California.
Ng Jia Hao, Men's Swimming
Coach, Steven Contarsy
Ng Jia Hao (Jace) came to SMC from Singapore, where his athletic
accomplishments were well recognized, as he was a Silver Medal- ist at the Common Wealth Youth Games and at the Southeast Asian
Games. Jace came to the Unites States with a desire to further his
studies in business. He also was an excellent swimmer. In Janu- ary, he made the decision to join the SMC Swim Team, and quickly
distinguished himself and his abilities as he qualified for the Western
State Conference Championship meet as well as for the CCCAA
State Championships at East LA College. Jace plans to transfer to
UC Berkley's Haas School of Business to pursue a degree in Business
Administration.
Madison Higgins, Men's Basketball
Coach, Jerome Jenkins
Madison Higgins has been a member of the SMC Basketball Team
for the past two years. He enjoyed the designation of being Team
Captain, and guided the team fearlessly. He also regards seriously,
his efforts in the classroom, becoming a Dean's Honor student
at SMC. In his first season, Madison averaged 12 points per game
and was named Honorable Mention of the West Coast Conference.
In his sophomore season, Madison averaged 18 points a game and
was First Team All-Conference and the 3rd leading scorer in the
Conference. Madison received five scholarship offers from various
schools and will be attending Fresno Pacific University in the fall. 6
Imani Holloway, Women's Basketball
Coach, Lydia Strong
As a two-year starting center on the SMC Women's Basketball team,
Imani enjoyed the distinction of being the Team's best player aver- aging 14 points and 10 rebounds per game. As a result of her out- standing athletics in basketball, she was selected to the 1st Team All
Western State Team in 2013-2014. She was also chosen to play in
the state All Star Showcase. In 2013, she was designated the Team
MVP at the College of San Mateo. Imani plans to transfer to Hawaii
Pacific University after completing her studies at SMC.
Lizeth Lopez, Women's Softball
Coach, Daniel Soto
Liz has demonstrated a high level of achievement not only on the
field, but also in the classroom. She has displayed leadership quali- ties that make her an outstanding teammate and a great representa- tive of Santa Monica College athletics.
Liz currently holds a 3.26 GPA and is on track to transfer from
SMC in the fall, with plans to major in Kinesiology. She always
places her education before all else and goes to great lengths to
receive her education here at SMC, including a bus ride that can
take more than 1.5 hours from the Los Angeles Harbor area.
Liz was one of only two returning sophomores to the 2014 SMC
Softball team, which her coach regards to speak highly of her char- acter. The 2013 Softball team won only 2 games and suffered a
very tough year, and it would have been very easy for Liz to throw
in the towel and quit, but that is not in her nature. Liz demon- strated exceptional leadership qualities to the freshman class, which
comprise the majority of the SMC team. Without her guidance
and maturity, this year's team would not have attained the successes
reached this year. Liz led the 2014 SMC Softball team in home-runs
and in outfield putouts; she has not only helped with her positive
attitude, but has also been a great asset on the field.
Stephen Loredo, Men's Cross Country
Coach, Eric Barron
Stephen was born and raised in Los Angeles. Growing up, Stephen
often went biking with his father. He also liked junk food, so he
decided to join track in high school to find a way to burn calories.
Stephen ended up winning several running awards there, and he
decided to continue his running at SMC. 7
Once at SMC, however, Stephen learned that he would need knee
surgery for a congenital bone condition. He worked hard at recov- ering from that operation, and ended up as the team's 2nd fastest
runner. He was recognized in 2013 as Men's Cross Country Most
Improved Athlete, received a WSC Honorable Mention-All Confer- ence, and was a State Championship participant. In the classroom,
Stephen enjoys studying Urban Planning, and plans to transfer to a
4-year College in the fall.
Ricky Malmstroem, Men's Soccer
Coach, Tim Pierce
This was the second season in the return of Men's Soccer to SMC,
and Ricky demonstrated himself to be a staple in the center of defense
for these 2 years – he played an instrumental role in helping the
team to a 12-5-4 season, building off a 9-6-5 first year. A native
of Sweden, Ricky travelled a long way to attend SMC. Here he has
maintained a 3.61 GPA through dedication to his studies. When the
revival of Men's soccer at SMC was announced, he was one of the
top players in the tryout process. He started virtually every game of
his 2-year career in the center back position. Ricky scored 3 goals
and added 4 assists as a defender and provided the final goal of the
2013 season in the final minute of a 5-1 victory. He was the Team
Captain, voted 2nd Team All-Conference as a freshman, 1st Team
All-Conference as a sophomore, and a Team Defensive MVP by his
teammates both seasons. He has captured the attention of a num- ber of coaches and is in his final decision-making process regarding
which college to attend in the fall.
Evan Peterson, Men's Water Polo
Coach, Brian Eskridge
Evan Peterson was born in Torrance and was raised in El Segundo.
As a young man, Evan played soccer and competed on the local swim
team. He discovered water polo during the summer leading to his
freshman year of high school. Evan's high school team won the CIF
Division V Championship during his sophomore year. During his
final two years in high school, he was 1st All Ocean League, Ocean
League MVP and Team Captain. After graduating from high school,
Evan enrolled at SMC and maintained the goal of transferring to
one of the UCs or Cal States. During his freshman year at SMC,
Evan was the leading scorer in the Western State Conference with
91 goals as well as being top three in the Conference in steals and
assists. Evan was named team MVP and 1st Team All Western States
Conference. 8
This past season he was Team Captain and was again named team
MVP and 1st Team All-Conference while ranking near the top of
the Conference again in goals, steals and assists. During his tenure
at SMC, the water polo team posted their best record in more than
a decade, and have placed higher in Conference each year. Evan has
demonstrated himself to be a true leader, and has been integral to
the success of SMC water polo. He has helped to change the culture
of the program into one that expects to win. Evan aspires to coach
water polo, and to help bring others to their true potential.
Avery Rice, Women's Volleyball
Coach, Nicole Ryan
Avery is the type of student athlete coaches wish they could clone.
She is one of 6 kids, is a long time resident of Venice and started
playing volleyball at an early age. She earned a scholarship out of
high school to NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athlet- ics) at Lourdes College. At SMC, she earned 1st All Conference in
2014 as starting setter/captain.
Avery came to SMC with a fire in her belly, and stepped effortlessly
into her team's leadership role. She was regarded to be a great team
leader and wonderful role model for her peers. She was ranked
as the top 8 setters in the state the entire season. Her coach said,
"Avery is one of the hardest working athletes I've ever coached." She
also takes her studies seriously, maintaining a 3.67 GPA at SMC,
and has been on the Dean's Honor list every semester.
Devyn Gabrielle Ruiz, Women's Track & Field
Coach, Larry Silva
Devyn's coach describes her as one of the most enthusiastic, dedi- cated and determined student athletes he has supervised during his
entire coaching career at SMC. Although she is only a freshman, she
has set herself up to be prodigious prospect as she looks to transfer
after next year. During her first semester at SMC, Devyn found the
training regimen at SMC to be a challenge, but her determination
resulted in her overcoming all challenges. By the end of the fall
semester, Devyn was running sub 60 seconds in the 400 meters even
though that was not her race. In competition, Devyn garnered more
points for the team than any other athlete. She competed and scored
in every event she participated in, which included 4x100 meter
relay, 4x400 meter relay, 100-meter high hurdles, 100 meter, 200
meter, long jump and triple jump. Devyn is currently ranked 9th in
Southern California in the long jump and in the top 15 in the triple
jump. It is widely anticipated that she will continue to improve and 9
exceed her accomplishments enjoyed during her first year at SMC.
She was a Dean's Honor student in high school, and has been on the
Dean's Honor list each semester at SMC.
Cassidy Schweiger, Women's Soccer
Coach, Joseph Pehanich
Cassidy began her career at SMC in the fall of 2012, and is currently
a sophomore. She has one brother and grew up in Chatsworth, CA.
Cassidy is considered one of the most talented soccer players to
come through the SMC Women's Soccer program. In her second
year at SMC, she has earned an MVP and 1st Team All-Conference
awards. In addition to being an excellent soccer player, she is a seri- ous student, maintaining a 3.3 GPA. She plans to attend the Uni- versity of La Verne in the fall to play soccer and pursue a biology
degree, with long range plans to become a medical doctor special- izing in sports medicine. We are very proud to call her a Corsair and
wish her the best!
Xiao Lei Samantha Zhang,
Women's Swimming
Coach, Steven Contarsy
Samantha Zhang came to SMC from Hong Kong. She sought to
follow in the footsteps of her elder sister, who also attended SMC
and was a member of the SMC Swim Team. An excellent swim- mer, Samantha was a champion at the Ontario Federation of School
Athletic Associations' competition in Toronto in 2013. Samantha
plans to transfer to UCLA or UC Berkeley to continue her studies
in Environmental Sciences, by first seeking a Bachelor's degree, and
then a Masters in Environmental Studies. She has been an exemplary
student, attaining a GPA of 3.8. 10
General Advisory Board Executive Committee 2013-2014
Gary Avrech
Randy Ball
Kathleen Benjamin
Lennart Christofferson
Charles Fox
Gretchen Goetz
Alonzo Hill
Sonki Hong
Kathy Irby
Fabian Lewkowicz
Ho Nguyen
Herb Rose
Gaby Schkud 11
Special Thanks
Dr. Albert Vasquez,
Dean – Campus Security, Student Health, Safety and Athletics; Chief of Police
Athletic Department and Athletic Coaches
GAB Athletic Selection Committee:
Gary Avrech, Gretchen Goetz and Dr. Albert Vasquez
SMC Events Staff
Beth Kimball & Staff, Campus Kitchen
Charles Mark-Walker, SMC Marketing Department
David Gomez, Student Worker, SMC Marketing Department
SMC President's Ambassadors
SMC Office of Public Programs