Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State's Night of Champions
4/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | General
April 23, 2009
PHOTO GALLERY FRESNO, Calif. -
The Fresno State Athletics Department will hold its largest awards event of the year to honor all Bulldog student-athletes. The second annual Night of Champions Gala will be held Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. at the Satellite Student Union on campus. Admission is free.
This event will honor and recognize all student-athletes for their academic achievements, athletic accomplishments and community service involvement during the 2008-09 academic year.
Fresno State's champions for the last year will be honored, including all team and individual WAC champions as well as the 2008 Bulldog Baseball National Champions.
The keynote speaker will be Scott A. Graham, a former Bulldog men's basketball student-athlete. In addition, two current Bulldogs are scheduled to speak to their peers, seniors Nicole Gutierrez (soccer) and Evan Young (men's track).
In conjunction with this Night of Championships Celebration, Fresno State will continue a tradition started last year to honor its seniors. Each senior completing their eligibility will receive a specially made high quality Fresno State license plate frame with the words "Champion for Life." Each senior that graduates will receive a special commemorative Fresno State watch.
Many of Fresno State's traditional awards will be presented during the event's festivities and a few new awards will be conferred. Among them will be the second Bulldog of the Year Award, which will be presented to the top male and female student-athlete. This award honors those truly special championship individuals whose commitment to Fresno State is all areas set the standard for the true Bulldog experience. These individuals were selected because their athletic accomplishments, academic triumphs and community service work stood above all others.
Among the other awards to be presented are:
George Ilg Award
The George Ilg Memorial Award was initiated in 1977 by George Ilg to recognize two graduating seniors for their academic and athletic achievement and their service to the community. Professor Ilg was one of the 12 original professors who started the School of Agriculture, and was also a founder of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. He served as NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative for 16 years, and retired from Fresno State in the late `80s. Each honoree receives an engraved pen set and their names placed on a perpetual plaque.
Harold H. Haak Scholarship
The Harold Haak Scholarship was established in 1991 upon the retirement of the late Dr. Harold Haak, to recognize the contributions he made to the university and the athletic program while he was president from 1980-91. He served as the inaugural Director of the Fresno State Kenneth L. Maddy Institute of Public Affairs and as president of Fresno Pacific University. In 2003 this award was expanded to recognize two student-athletes. This scholarship recognizes two juniors, a male and a female, who have been on the Dean's list (3.5 GPA or better) for 2 consecutive semesters, have lettered, and will be eligible to compete in 2008-09.
Paul Schechter Courage Award
The Paul Schechter Courage Award is presented annually to an outstanding student-athlete who has overcome a physical challenge to become a champion. The award is named for long-time Bulldog athletics trainer Paul Schechter.
National Champions
2008 Baseball
WAC Team Champions Honored
2008 Women's Tennis
2008 Women's Soccer
2008 Baseball (Regular Season and Tournament)
2009 Women's Basketball (Regular season and Tournament)
Individual WAC Champions Honored
Sharon Ayala (Track - Weight Throw [Indoor]; Hammer Throw [Outdoor])
Tiera Hilliard (Track - 200m)
Frank Sanders (Track - 1500m)
Roxanne Sellick (Track - 1500m)
Bulldog Spirit Award Presented by SAAC
For the third straight year, the Student Athlete Advisory Council, better known as SAAC, will present a special award. The Bulldog Spirit Award is presented to student-athletes who are genuine teammates, those who exemplify all facets of a Fresno State student-athlete. The winners were selected by their teammates for the way they showed support to their team, the athletics department and university. Each winner has to excel in classroom, be involved in community service and university functions, and compete at a high level in their respective sports.
Athletics Director Community Service Award
Fresno State Athletic Director Thomas Boeh will recognize the top team for their service to the community as Fresno State Athletics values the importance of giving back to a region that has shown a commitment to supporting the mission of academic and athletic excellence throughout the season. At these events, student-athletes, coaches and staff look forward to interacting with fans and participating in the events as this involvement showcases role models in the community.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" -- Football season tickets are available today. Fresno State is hosting the 2009 WAC Softball Championships May 6-9 and the Bulldog Baseball team returns to Beiden Field on May 1 for a weekend series with Nevada. For ticket information, call 278-DOGS or click on the tickets icon at the top of this page.
Players Mentioned
