SCIAC honors Whittier student-athletes

1st and 2nd teams, Issue 12, Joshua De Bets, SCIAC sports honors, Sports - By Joshua De Bets on Thursday, December 1, 2011 - 04:09

As the fall sports season comes to an end, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) has begun awarding student-athletes for their performances on the field, court, track and the in pool. Whittier College athletes in football, soccer, cross country, water polo and volleyball have been named to 1st and 2nd Team Honors.
Three Poets on the Whittier College Men’s Football team were honored by SCIAC with 1st and 2nd Team awards. Senior defensive back Travis Driskell earned 1st Team Honors with his 88 total tackles, 46 solo and 42 assisted, and also forced two fumbles and had five blocked passes.

Senior left tackle Tyler Portman and junior linebacker Charles Scicli were awarded 2nd Team Honors. Portman was the only offensive player on the Poet football team to be awarded by SCIAC, as he helped open up holes for the Poet running game. Scicli led the team with 92 total tackles, 47 solo and 45 assisted, and also had two sacks and forced seven fumbles.
SCIAC also honored first-year midfielder Madison Shipherd and senior defender Stephanie Bergstrom for their performances throughout the soccer season.

Shipherd, a Whittier native and in her first year on the Poet soccer team, led the team with 13 points and 49 shots on goal. She also scored 5 goals to go along with three assists on the season. Bergstrom started 16 of the 17 games this season and had 17 shots on goal along with an assist. She also had 1 goal this season that came against Cal Lu, who at that point had not yet been scored upon this season.

Five Poets earned the All-NCAA West Region honors: juniors Christine Verduzco and Adrianna Davidek, and seniors Michele Callaway, Eva Aguilar and Molly Litherland. This is the 4th time Callaway has received the honor, the 2nd for Verduzco and Litherland and the first for Aguilar and Davidek.

Senior utility Chet Schuster obtained 2nd Team Honors for his play throughout the Water Polo season. Schuster finished with 26 goals on 59 attempts, 15 assists and four steals. This is the first time he has achieved this honor.

Sophomore outside hitter Alayna Rigo made 1st honors and junior outside hitter Alyssa Sialaris was named to 2nd team. Rigo finished the volleyball season with 421 kills on 1,202 attempts and also collected 14 blocks with seven assists. Sialaris led the team in kills with 444 on 1,125 attempts and also collected 32 blocks and 100 digs.

The accomplishments of these student athletes were rightly acknowledged as spring sports looks to continue the SCIAC 1st and 2nd Team Honors.