IRVINE, Calif. – Nine outstanding student-athletes across The Big West landscape have been named 2023 recipients of The Big West’s annual Service and Leadership Award. 

UC Santa Barbara soccer player Evann Smith earned a third consecutive honor with seven newcomers to the award. With two dual-sport student-athletes, the 2023 recipients represent nine sports and the class of nine honorees ranks as the largest grouping in the award’s six-year history. 

The award winners are:

• Madison Baxter, UC San Diego women's basketball
• Minami Creamer, Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball & women's water polo
• Garrisen Freeman, Cal State Bakersfield women's basketball
• Andre Ilagan, Hawai'i men's tennis
• Katie Kennedy, Long Beach State women's indoor and beach volleyball
• Elle Laur, CSUN women's golf
• Sophia Noble, UC Davis women's water polo
• Malcolm Overbough, UC Irvine men's track & field
• Evann Smith, UC Santa Barbara women's soccer

 The Big West has celebrated student-athletes for the Service and Leadership Award annually, since the 2017-18 academic year. The award winners are selected at the discretion of each member-institution with criteria encompassing service, leadership and academics.

Each member-institution may submit one honoree per academic year who participates in a Big West sponsored sport and who engages consistently in service and leadership activities that impact the campus, community or regional levels. The awardee makes the most of opportunities presented to them by taking on key roles and is innovative in seeking out meaningful service and leadership opportunities, while keeping their academic eligibility on their respective team. 
 

Madison Baxter
Madison Baxter serves the community at UC San Diego through many activities, including Adopt-a-Family fundraiser, the Triton Athletes' Council (TAC) beach clean up and volunteering for LUNGevity walk.  Captain of the women's basketball team, Baxter's leadership is on display through Executive Board positions withing SAAC as the vice president and student development and leadership chair, as well as work as the TAC canvas page leader.  Baxter earned a bachelor's degree in human biology from UCSD and currently has a 4.0 GPA in her masters studies. Baxter is a two-time CSC Academic All-District selections and three-time Big West All-Academic Team member.  Baxter sports a career three-point percentage of .355, including sinking 47 attempts and shooting 48% from beyond the arc in 2021-22. Baxter was named the Karen E. Reis Memorial Award winner at the 2023 Triton Awards for leadership on campus and community service.
Minami Creamer
Minami Creamer, a two-sport student-athlete for Cal State Fullerton, graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in criminal justice in three years, holding an impressive 3.90 undergraduate GPA. An member of the inaugural Cal State Fullerton women's water polo team in 2023, with three years of volleyball for the Titans on the resume. Creamer's leadership skills were honed in her participation in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  Creamer interned with the Fullerton police department's investigation team in 2023,  with professional aspirations of one day becoming a detective. Creamer's service activities also include participation in the "Titans Give Back" program at Cal State Fullerton. Creamer was named the Titans' school nominee for 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Garrisen Freeman
Garrisen Freemen just completed a second year of college at Cal State Bakersfield, majoring in kinesiology. Freeman serves as the Roadrunners' women's basketball team captain and SAAC president as well as a member of Associated Students Incorporated (ASI). Freeman was selected to attend the Runner Ready Leadership Academy training program to continue to hone effective leadership skills. Freeman is active in community service, amassing 133 service hours in a wide range of activities including participation in campus programming as well as volunteering time with Toys for Tots, the Ronald McDonald House, ShePower and Mother's Against Drunk Driving. Last season, Freeman played in 29 games, starting 21 as a redshirt freshman, including a full 50 minutes in CSUB's double-overtime upset of top-seeded UC Irvine in The Big West Championship quarterfinals.
Andre Ilagan
A graduate student at Hawai'i, Andre Ilagan graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance in the spring of 2022, and is currently pursuing a master's from UH. Ilagan serves the community working with Lokahi Tennis, a non-profit organization based on the the Windward side on the island of O‘ahu. Lokahi’s mission is to grow and cultivate the sport of tennis while focusing on the community they serve. Ilagan's leadership skills were on display as the men's tennis team captain in 2022-23 with a relentless growth mindset. Athletically, Ilagan's presence on the court is impressive earning first-team All-America honors in 2023, the first for a UH men's tennis player. Ilagan became the first Rainbow Warrior to advance to the NCAA Round of 16 in singles competition in 2023. Ilagan was The Big West's Player of the Year in 2022. Ilagan was awarded the highest athletics honor for a Hawai'i student-athlete in 2021-22, the Jack Bonham Award. Individuals can only win the award once while at UH.
Katie Kennedy
Katie Kennedy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Long Beach State in May 2022 with a degree in psychology, and is currently pursuing a master's degree kinesiology: sport and exercise psychology, maintaining a 4.0 GPA as a graduate student. Kennedy exhibits both service and leadership skills for the Beach as co-founder of "Snacks for the Soul", a mental health club for LBSU female student-athletes. The group has weekly club meetings that include yoga and mindfulness practices, food and journaling. Expanding the reach, Kennedy is currently offering a "Snacks for the Soul Juniors' Workshop" for middle and high school beach volleyball athletes at Spiker Beach Volleyball Club in Huntington Beach, Calif. Kennedy also recently served as an AD search committee member and a member of the student-fee advisory committee in the spring and summer of 2023.  In competition, Kennedy has  been named to All-Big West teams on four occasions, twice for indoor competition and twice on the sand.
Elle Laur
Elle Laur just completed a third academic year at CSUN, majoring in broadcast journalism. Laur has been a Dean's List honoree every semester at CSUN.  Laur is the founder and president of The Hidden Opponent chapter at CSUN, serving as campus captain. With a presence in all 50 states and in some international locations, The Hidden Opponent is an accredited non-profit and advocacy group that raises awareness for student-athlete mental health and addresses the stigma within sports culture. Laur also serves as the CSUN women's golf team captain and a youth council member for LA28.  On the course, Laur competed in nine of 10 tournaments for the Matadors and fired off a career-low round of 2-under-par 70 during the 2022-23 season.
Sophia Noble
Sophia Noble is pursuing a degree in psychology with a minor in coaching at UC Davis, while competing as the Aggies' women's water polo goalkeeper.  Noble was named the 2022-23 UC Davis Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award winner after an outstanding comeback season in the poll, which is given annually to a UCD student-athlete who has shown perseverance after a life-altering circumstance, while providing hope and inspiration for others who face similar situations. Noble holds the UC Davis program record for career saves with 748, and was an All-Big West honorable mention performer in 2023.  Noble exhibits leadership on both a team and departmental level at UC Davis, serving as women's water polo team captained the president of UCD's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Noble also served on The Big West SAAC for two years.
Malcolm Overbaugh
Malcolm Overbaugh graduated Cum Laude from UC Irvine in the winter of 2022, earning a degree in mechanical engineering with a specialization in energy systems and environmental engineering.  Overbaugh is in the midst of pursuing a doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering, while maintaining a 3.75 GPA with an expected date of graduation set for 2025. Overbaugh's service and volunteer activities are extensive and long-standing, serving in the community with family and teammates with organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank and Best Buddies.  Overbaugh's leadership has been displayed through participation in SAAC since 2019 as well as holding the role of UCI men's track & field team captain since 2021. Additionally, Overbaugh works as a private tutor in math, chemistry and physics, mentoring fellow scholars.
Evann Smith
A three-time Big West Service and Leadership Award winner, Evann Smith earned a bachelor's degree in economics and accounting with a minor in history at UC Santa Barbara. Smith was the 2023 UCSB SAAC co-chair and Big West SAAC participant, and attended the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Development program in the fall of 2021. Along with a stint as co-chair, Smith held many roles in UCSB's SAAC including DEI officer, secretary and treasurer as well as co-chair. A leader in campus diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Smith served on the UCSB athletics DEI committee as well as co-chairing Big West Undivided. After the death of George Floyd, Smith co-founded Athletes4CHNGES, a student-athlete run organization to educate and empower others to speak out and fight social inequalities and injustices in our communities. Smith's highlighted projects in the DEI space include coordinating an 8.46 mile run for Floyd and leading fundraising efforts for Black Lives Matter that raised $80,000 with participation from over 200 schools. Recently, Smith was named UC Santa Barbara's school nominee for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year program.