IRVINE, Calif. -- The Big West Academic Honors returns for a third year on ESPN+ to herald exceptional scholar-athletes and their contributions to academics, athletics and community service. The stories and accomplishments of the 2023 Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year will be featured on ESPN+, Tuesday, August 29 at 1 p.m. PT. Twenty-two individuals were bestowed the honor as two student-athletes from each institution – one male and one female – were distinguished by their schools and The Big West.
Host Erin Coscarelli is joined by Commissioner Dan Butterly to highlight the achievements of these exceptional student-athletes in a 30-minute show filmed on the campus of UC Riverside.
Facts on the Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year:
- The 22 honorees hail from five different states and seven foreign nations.
- The group includes Big West MVP’s, All-Americans, a national Player of the Year, Olympic hopefuls and professional draft picks.
- Twelve of the 18 Big West sports (66 percent) are represented including student-athletes in fall, winter and spring sports.
- The group has a collective GPA of 3.68.
The Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year represent nearly 2,300 Big West student-athletes made the Commissioners Honor Roll, which requires a 3.0 GPA or better. Nearly half of those on the Honor Roll had a 3.5 GPA or better.
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Delanie Dunkle
Sport: Women’s Tennis
Class: Senior
Hometown: Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Major/GPA: Business Administration, Minor in Event Planning & Experience Management / 3.722
A three-time Big West Player of the Week, three-time All-Big West Second Team selection and 2022-23 team captain, Delanie Dunkle is currently tied for ninth all-time in career doubles victories and 14th in career singles victories in the Mustang women's tennis program's Division I history. Off the court, the Arroyo Grande, Calif. product was an intern at Congress Wealth Management, volunteered with the non-profit organization Craft by Jade and managed free kids tennis clinics throughout San Luis Obispo County. |
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Mathis Bresko
Sport: Men’s Track & Field (Pole Vault)
Class: Senior
Hometown: Bellevue, Wash.
Major/GPA: Aerospace Engineering with an Aeronautics Concentration / 3.409
Mathis Bresko has nine career victories in men’s pole vault competition, including winning The Big West crown in the event in 2022 and 2023. Bresko became the third Mustang in program history to repeat as Big West champion in the pole vault, and the first in a decade. The Bellevue, Wash. native has worked for Streamline Aerospace, doing airframe structural testing, and interned with engineering firm Swenson Say Faget, preforming structural design of single-family homes. Bresko plans to continue pole vaulting alongside working as an engineer with the hope of transitioning into a management role, and is pursuing a pilot’s license, having completed 30 hours of flight training to date. |
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Miranda Miller
Sport: Women’s Track & Field (Pole Vault)
Class: Senior
Hometown: Manteca, Calif.
Major/GPA: Kinesiology / 3.95
Miranda Miller is now a two-time Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year honoree after winning the same accolade in 2022. Miller is a two-time Big West champion in the pole vault, holding the Roadrunner indoor and outdoor records, as well as The Big West Championship record in the event. The Manteca, Calif. native has logged over 120 hours of community service with various organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Bakersfield Marathon and Richardson Child Development. Miller is starting a master’s program in kinesiology this fall and plans to become a P.E. teacher. |
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Matthew Kurata
Sport: Baseball (Catcher, Utility)
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Cerritos, Calif.
Major/GPA: Business, Minor in Public Administration / 3.75
During the 2023 baseball season, Matthew Kurata stepped up as the backup catcher and utility player to become one of the best hitters in the conference, finishing third in The Big West with a .369 batting average. Kurata finished top three on the Roadrunners in hits, runs, doubles, RBIs, slugging and on-base percentage, despite starting an average of ten less games than all other starters. The Cerritos, Calif. product has completed over 100 hours of community service with organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, American Heart Association and the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter. Kurata has career aspirations to become a firefighter. |
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Myka Sutherlin
Sport: Softball (Pitcher)
Class: Senior
Hometown: Gilbert, Ariz.
Major/GPA: Kinesiology / 3.83
Myka Sutherlin accumulated over 250 strikeouts during the course of two seasons as a Titan, including two no-hitters, earning accolades such as The Big West Pitcher of the Year, All-Big West First Team and All-West Region Second Team. Sutherlin has parlayed that into a professional softball contract with Club Forli of the Italian Serie A1 Softball league. Off the field, the Gilbert, Ariz. native is a two-time dean’s list honoree, SAAC Representative and member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Sutherlin has been accepted to Boston University for a Master's in Financial Management, and hopes to become a financial advisor for business and individuals. |
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Fynn Chester
Sport: Baseball (Pitcher)
Class: Senior
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Major/GPA: Communication Advertising / 3.32
A two-time Big West Honorable Mention and two-time Big West Pitcher of the Week on the mound, Fynn Chester served as a team leader for Cal State Fullerton, helping younger teammates acclimate to the team’s culture. The Canadian also gave back to the community by volunteering at youth baseball camps, participating in the “Titans Give Back” event, assisting with beautification of the Fullerton Arboretum and serving as an intern scorekeeper for the Titan men’s and women’s soccer programs. After graduation, Chester hopes to continue to play baseball for as long as possible before transitioning into a coaching role, helping the next group of young athletes accomplish their dreams. |
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Dorottya Telek
Sport: Women’s Water Polo (Center)
Class: Junior
Hometown: Budapest, Hungary
Major/GPA: Business Administration – Financial Analysis / 3.82
A two-time ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention and All-Big West Second Team member, Dorottya Telek shattered the CSUN single-season scoring record in 2023, compiling 101 goals. Telek is active in the Northridge community, volunteering at a local dog shelter and elementary school, but also back home in Hungary as well, distributing food to homeless and donating blood. In the classroom, the Hungarian has earned CSUN dean’s list honors every semester and is dedicated to financial analysis studies, hoping to becomes a financial planner after graduation. |
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Jakob Simons
Sport: Baseball (Outfield)
Class: Junior
Hometown: Pleasanton, Calif.
Major/GPA: Communication Studies / 3.8
Jakob Simons was the 2023 Big West Co-Field Player of the Year and an All-Big West First Team member leading the league in OPS, and ranked second in slugging percentage, third in home runs, and fourth in batting average, OBS, and runs scored. Simons has earned dean’s list honors every semester and is a SAAC representative, helping organize Red Rally games to get more student support at athletic competitions on campus, and also facilitated the Black Student-Athlete and Women in Sports panels. The Pleasanton, Calif. product hopes to pursue a career in professional baseball and become a firefighter or paramedic when it is time to hang up the cleats. |
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Lilian Turban
Sport: Women's Track & Field (High Jump/Multis)
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Tallinn, Estonia
Major/GPA: Communications / 3.98
Lilian Turban won every high jump competition during the 2023 outdoor regular season, culminating in The Big West Conference high jump title. Turban ended the year placing fourth in the event at the NCAA Championships with a personal best (1.87m), earning All-America honors. In the classroom, the Estonian has earned dean’s list honors every semester. Turban's life goals include competing at a major championship one day, either at the World Championships or Olympics, and completing a Master's degree to work in the communications field. |
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Jakob Thelle
Sport: Men’s Volleyball (Setter)
Class: Graduate Student
Hometown: Tonsberg, Norway
Major/GPA: Earned a Bachelor's in Environmental Science (May 2022) and Master's in Urban and Regional Planning (August 2023)
Jakob Thelle leaves Hawai'i as one of the most celebrated and decorated student-athlete in the Rainbow Warrior men's volleyball program history and one of the most accomplished in NCAA men's volleyball history. Those accolades include two NCAA national titles, AVCA National Player of the Year, two AVCA First Team Academic All-America, Big West Player of the Year and Jack Bonham Award. The Norwegian will leave the islands with two degrees, earning a Bachelor's in Environmental Science last year and a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning this summer. Thelle will play volleyball professionally, but aspires to return to Hawai'i someday to become the CEO of a Hawaiian Poke restaurant or open up one in his home country, bringing island cuisine to Norway. |
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Ryley Fick
Sport: Women's Track & Field (800m and 3000m Steeplechase) and Cross Country
Class: Senior
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
Major/GPA: Dietetics and Food Administration: Nutrition and Dietetics / 3.81
Ryley Fick earned was crowned The Big West Track Athlete of The Year for the second consecutive time in 2023 and earned All-Big West honors in both Track & Field and Cross Country. The Bakersfield, Calif. product led the Beach to a second straight Big West Championship, winning the 3000m Steeplechase and 800m for the second straight season. Fick also holds the Long Beach State program record for fastest 3000m steeplechase and the second fastest 6K and 800m. Off the track Fick volunteers for the Long Beach Marathon, Food Finders and at local elementary schools in the area. Fick graduated Magna Cum Laude in May and aspires to qualify for the Olympic Trials. Outside the track, she plans on using her nutrition degree to work at an eating disorder clinic to help people develop healthier relationships with food. |
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Mason Briggs
Sport: Men's Volleyball (Libero)
Class: Junior
Hometown: Valencia, Calif.
Major/GPA: Finance; Minor: Consumer Affairs / 3.50
Mason Briggs helped Long Beach State to back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances, earning two AVCA First Team All-America and All-Big West First Team honors along the way. The Valencia, Calif. native was a member of the USA National Team last summer traveling to Canada, Mexico, France, Italy, Poland and Brazil. Briggs is the men’s volleyball SAAC representative and has been a guest speaker at schools and summer camps in the local community. Briggs' post-college plans are to play volleyball professionally overseas and to become an Olympian for Team USA, and also wants to grow his business, Friendzy, a mobile app that has a mission to bring people together like never before! |
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Anna Dethlefson
Sport: Softball (Outfield)
Class: Senior
Hometown: Fair Oaks, Calif.
Major/GPA: Molecular and Medical Microbiology / 3.75
Anna Dethlefson was named the 2023 Big West Field Player of the Year after aiding UC Davis to a fourth-place finish in the league table. The Fair Oaks, Calif. product paced The Big West in slugging (.627), doubles (15) and stolen bases (40 on 44 tries), was second in batting average (.407), OPS (1.104), runs (43) and hits (61), and third in on-base percentage (.477) from the leadoff spot. Dethlefson is UC Davis’ first Big West Player of the Year since joining the conference in 2008. |
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Daniel Carrion
Sport: Baseball (Pitcher)
Class: Junior
Hometown: Winters, Calif.
Major/GPA: Communication / 3.50
Daniel Carrion finished the 2023 baseball season, setting career-high marks in every pitching category this year. It was the first season that Carrion was dedicated to being a full-time pitcher, which paid being drafted in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft. |
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Alyssa Moore
Sport: Women’s Soccer
Class: Senior
Hometown: Meinfee, Calif.
Major/GPA: Criminology, Law & Society and Psychological Sciences / 3.83
Alyssa Moore has 12 career goals, including four game-winning goals during the 2022 season, the most in The Big West. In the past two years, Moore has played in a total of 38 matches with 25 starts and 1,889 minutes. The Menifee, Calif. product also served as SAAC president, organizing bi-monthly SAAC meetings and presenting at senior administration meetings. Moore interned at KidWorks, mentoring youth with their future college aspirations, in study hall and sports specific skills. Moore plans to enter the National Women's Soccer League Draft after the conclusion of the 2023 season, hoping to continue playing soccer for as long as possible. When that comes to an end, Moore aspires to become a criminal behavior analyst or forensic psychologist. |
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Francesco Sani
Sport: Men's Volleyball
Class: Senior
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Major/GPA: Economics, Minor in Management / 3.25
Francesco Sani is a two-time All-American and two-time All-Big West First Team honoree. Sani was second in The Big West in points, kills, and aces, ranking eighth, 13th and 14th, respectively, in those categories nationally. The Bethesda, Md. product earned dean’s list honors four times and also competed for the USA Men’s Volleyball National Team during the summer. Sani is currently pursuing a professional volleyball career in Italy, and hopes to use his Irvine connections to become an entrepreneur in the business finance space after retiring from playing. |
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Esther Mattaranz
Sport: Women's Basketball (Forward)
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain
Major/GPA: Electrical Engineering / 3.94
Esther Matarranz has logged minutes in 45 games in two seasons at UC Riverside. The Barcelona, Spain product has a near-perfect 3.94 GPA majoring in electrical engineering, and has earned nothing below an A-. Matarranz is a dedicated student and is on track to walk the stage in Spring of 2024 and earn a bachelor's degree in only three years. |
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Freymar Omarsson
Sport: Men's Soccer (Defender)
Class: Senior (Sixth Year)
Hometown: Garðabær, Iceland
Major/GPA: Earned a Bachelor's in Business Finance (May 2022) and Master's in Finance (May 2023) / 3.92
Freymar Omarsson played in 52 games in four seasons at UC Riverside and compiled four goals and two assists, earning All-Big West First Team and Academic All-Conference honors. The native of Garðabær, Iceland has earned two degrees from UC Riverside, a bachelor's in business finance and master's in finance. Omarsson is currently looking for opportunities to work in the financial sector, preferably in corporate financial management. |
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Bobbi Aguirre
Sport: Softball (First base, Utility)
Class: Senior (Sixth Year)
Hometown: Chino Hills, Calif.
Major/GPA: Human Biology & Psychology / 3.429
Bobbi Aguirre graduates from UC San Diego as a three-year SAAC President, two-time team captain, and an All-Big West Second Team and Honorable Mention honoree. The Chino Hills, Calif. product has worked in the community with Adopt a Family, the American Red Cross, and organizes multiple beach clean ups through SAAC. Aguirre plans on traveling before returning to school to purse a career in the medical field. |
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Michael Fuhrman
Sport: Baseball (Second base)
Class: Senior
Hometown: Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Major/GPA: Earned Bachelor's in Psychology, Specialization in Human Health and Minor in General Biology
Michael Fuhrman served as team captain during the 2023 season and lead the Tritons to their first ever Big West Championship. The Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. native averaged .287 at the plate and led the team with 44 runs scored, which ranked eighth in the conference. A true utility man for UC San Diego, Fuhrman started 46 games, making 22 starts at second base, 10 at shortstop, five in left field, four at catcher, three in right field and two as the designated hitter. Fuhrman participated in team captains training through the UC San Diego Performance department and is a four-time Big West Academic All-Conference honoree. |
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Amelia Honer
Sport: Women’s Tennis
Class: Junior
Hometown: Newtown, Pa.
Major/GPA: Global Studies / 3.71
Amelia Honer was named the 2023 Big West Player of the Year and earned All-Big West honors in singles and doubles. The record breaking six-time Big West Player of the Week finished the season with a 16-1 record in singles, including a win over the No. 1 player in the country at the Southwest Regionals, and earned an automatic qualifying position in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Tournament. The three-time dean's list honoree hopes to eventually transition into college sports to make an impact on future athletes, either as a coach or Senior Woman Administrator position at a Division I institution |
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Ajay Mitchell
Sport: Men's Basketball
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Ans, Liege, Belgium
Major/GPA: Global Studies / 3.32
There was no sophomore slump for Ajay Mitchell, as the 2022 Big West Freshman of the Year continued to excel and was named the 2023 Big West Player of the Year, Big West Championship MVP, All-Big West First Team and Big West All-Academic. The Belgian finished the 2022-23 campaign averaging 16.3 points and 5.1 assists per game, while shooting at 50.6 percent from the field, registering double-digit points in 30 games and recorded three double-doubles. Mitchell aspires to play professional basketball and eventually transition to a role in financial management or becoming a sports agent. |