Watch the Show on ESPN+ | All-Time Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year 

The Big West announced today the 22 individuals were named 2023-24 Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Two student-athletes from each institution – one male and one female – were honored by their institutions and the conference for their accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and in their communities.
 
The stories and accomplishments of these outstanding scholar-athletes will be featured on ESPN+ beginning on Wednesday, August 14, The Big West Academic Honors returns for a fourth year on ESPN+ to herald these exceptional scholar-athletes and their contributions.
 
The show premieres at Noon PT/9 a.m. HT on ESPN+ and will be available on demand for 30 days following. The show is available on the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription through an authenticated provider.

Host Chloë Clark is joined by Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly to highlight the achievements of the 22 Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
 
Facts on The Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year: 

• The 22 honorees hail from five different states and six foreign countries on three continents
• Athletically the group includes Big West MVP’s, All-Americans, Olympic hopefuls and top professional draft picks.
• Honorees represent 13 of the 21 Big West sports
• The group has an average GPA of 3.7. 

The Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year represent nearly 2,400 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.
 

Cal Poly

Peja Balanon Sport: Women’s Soccer (Midfielder) Class: Junior Hometown: Vacaville, Calif.  Major/GPA: Biological Sciences / 3.9 As a midfielder, Peja Balanon scored the game-winning goal in a victory over Hawai`i in the First Round of the 2023 Big West Women’s Soccer Championships. Academically, the junior from Vacaville, California was named to the Dean’s List in each of the last three quarters, as well as the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Big West All-Academic teams. Balanon plans to attend medical school and become a physician.

Colter Smith Sport: Men’s Tennis Class: Graduate Student Hometown: Long Beach Calif.  Major/GPA: Business Administration / 3.8 Colter Smith, along with doubles partner Bastiaan Westrate compiled a 14-3 record last season to earn First-Team All-Big West honors. Smith earned Second-Team honors both as a sophomore and as a junior at Cal Poly. Smith made the Dean’s List six times as an undergraduate and has enrolled in Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business the pursue a master’s degree and a career in financial management.

Cal State Bakersfield

Helena Valentic Sport: Women’s Track & Field (Distance) / Cross Country Class: Senior Hometown: Karlovac, Croatia Major/GPA: Health Care Administration / 3.90 As a team captain, Helena Valentic nearly earned All-Big West honors with a fourth place finish at the Big West Track & Field Championships in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Valentic holds four school records in track and cross country, including the 3,000 meter steeplechase record which is also the ninth fastest in history by a Croatian woman. Off the track, the Roadrunners' star completed nearly 90 hours of community service in just two years while earning Academic All-Conference and All-District accolades. Valentic is working to complete a residency in Physical Therapy in Croatia.

Ryan Verdugo Sport: Baseball (Right-Handed Pitcher Class: Junior Hometown: South El Monte, Calif. Major/GPA: Business Administration / 3.51 In 2024, Ryan Verdugo finished among the top five in The Big West in ERA, strikeouts, innings pitched and batting average against earning him Second Team All-Conference honors. Verdugo is fourth in Cal State Bakersfield history in career strikeouts and eighth in inning pitched. Academically, the junior from South El Monte, California made the Dean’s List five times and helped the Roadrunners win an ABCA Team Academic Award for the first time. Verdugo has completed more than 80 hours of community service with Team Impact, Northwest Little Leagues, Hoffman Hospice and the Bakersfield Christmas Parade. The right-hander was selected by the Houston Astros in the 12th round of this year’s MLB Draft.

Cal State Fullerton

Gabi Vidmar Sport: Women's Basketball (Guard) Class: Senior Hometown: Adelaide, Australia Major/GPA: Child & Adolescent Studies / 3.88 Gabi Vidmar ranks second all-time in program history in 3-pointers made and is third all-time in 3-point attempts and steals. Academically, Vidmar graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cal State Fullerton, making The Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times and the Dean’s List six times. With the long-term goal of completing a master’s degree and becoming an elementary school teacher, the All-Big West guard is also currently playing semi-professionally in Australia with the Forestville Eagles.

Nico D'Angelo Sport: Men's Water Polo (Driver) Class: Junior Hometown: Napa, Calif. Major/GPA: Communications / 3.78 As co-captain of Cal State Fullerton’s first men’s water polo team, Nico D’Angelo led the Titans with 30 steals, while adding 29 goals and 26 assists. Academically, the junior from Napa, Calif. made the Dean’s List, The Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll and ACWPC All-Academic honors. D’Angelo looks to play overseas before earning a master’s degree and coaching water polo at the collegiate level.

CSUN

Dorottya Telek Sport: Women’s Water Polo (Center) Class: Senior Hometown: Budapest, Hungary Major/GPA: Economics / 3.84 This is Dorottya Telek’s second Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor. After a record-breaking season in 2023, Telek led the conference with 94 goals and a career-high 124 points en route to All-Big West First Team honors. A three-time All-Big West performer and a 2024 ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention honoree, the senior from Budapest, Hungary also holds CSUN’s career record for goals with 272. Telek regularly volunteers both in Northridge and Hungary. While contemplating a professional water polo career, a long-term goal is to put skills in financial analysis, marketing and economics to good use in the United States.

Kevin Fitzer Sport: Baseball (Outfield) Class: Senior Hometown: Aliso Viejo, Calif. Major/GPA: Business Administration - Real Estate / 3.56 A two-time All-Big West honoree, Fitzer paced the Matadors in batting average and doubles in 2024 while finishing in the top five in slugging percentage, home runs and OPS. The senior from Aliso Viejo, Calif. native is also a fixture on CSUN’s Dean’s List as well as The Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Big West All-Academic Team. Fitzer was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 16th round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Hawai`i

Bia Mantellato Dias Sport: Women’s Water Polo (Center) Class: Sophomore Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil Major/GPA: Business Administration - Marketing / 3.66 Bia Mantellato Dias, the two-time Big West Player of the Year, led the Rainbow Wahine to an all-time best 23-4 record, a No. 3 national ranking and Hawai`i’s best finish in the NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship in 2024. Mantellato Dias capped off a stellar sophomore season with 64 goals on the way to First-Team All-America honors and a nomination for the Cutino Award, the most prestigious honor in collegiate water polo. A talented student, who earned Academic All-District, Academic All-Conference and UH’s Exemplary Scholar-Athlete honors, the sophomore from Sao Paulo, Brazil looks to compete professionally in Europe with a goal of participating in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Justin McKoy Sport: Men’s Basketball (Forward) Class: Graduate Student Hometown: Raleigh, N.C. Major/GPA: Online Learning & Teaching / 3.74 Justin McKoy earned Second-Team All-Big West honors in 2023-24, finishing in the team’s top five in defensive rebounds, scoring and free throw percentage while starting all 34 games. In the community, the graduate student from Raleigh, North Carolina taught basketball both in Japan and Hawai`i. Academically, McKoy was named to the Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll, a UH Exemplary Scholar-Athlete and was nominated to the NABC Honors Court. McKoy is engaged to be married in August and plans to eventually open a training facility in North Carolina.

Long Beach State

Katie Kennedy Sport: Women's Volleyball (Opposite/Outside Hitter) Class: Graduate Student Hometown: Hood River, Ore.  Major/GPA: Kinesiology / 4.0 A First-Team All-Big West performer in 2023, Katie Kennedy led Long Beach State in hitting percentage and was second in total blocks. Away from the court, Kennedy was an active member of LBSU’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee and co-founded a mindfulness club for female student-athletes at the middle school, high school and collegiate levels. A Summa Cum Laude graduate, the graduate student from Hood River, Ore. made the President’s List and the Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll in every semester of her academic career. This fall Kennedy will embark on a year-long backpacking trip around the world with best friend, teammate and business partner, Leah Black.

Aidan Knipe Sport: Men's Volleyball (Setter) Class: Graduate Student Hometown: Huntington Beach, Calif. Major/GPA: Sport Management / 4.0 Aidan Knipe earned First-Team All-Big West and Second-Team All-America honors for a Long Beach State team that finished second nationally in men’s volleyball. A Cum Laude graduate and member of the President’s List and Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the All-Big West setter has worked off the court to expand the game by teaching, coaching and providing mentorship to fellow setters. Knipe plans to pursue playing professionally in Europe before returning to the US to work in the front office of a major sports organization.

UC Davis

Dani Barrett Sport: Sport: Women’s Track & Field (Distance) / Cross Country Class: Junior Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif. Major/GPA: Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology / 3.46 Dani Barrett is a two-sport star who earned All-West Region honors in cross country in 2023. In 2024, the Big West champion at 10,000 meters placed 11th at the NCAA Championships to earn a Second-Team All-America honors. The junior from Santa Monica, Calif. serves on the leadership team at UC Davis’ Athlete Guidance & Support organization, which advocates for student-athlete mental health resources and education. Barrett also trained a guide dog while working with Guide Dogs of America and ran a 10K race with a blind runner as a volunteer with Achilles International. The two-time Academic All-American is currently working as an intern at a climate finance firm and plans to pursue a master’s degree in business management.

Aleix Aznar Beltran Sport: Men's Water Polo (Utility) Class: Senior Hometown: Barcelona, Spain Major/GPA: Managerial Economics / 3.37 Aleix Aznar Beltran let the Aggies in points and goals and The Big West in field blocks in 2023 on the way to collecting First-Team All-Big West and Third-Team All-America honors. As a member of UC Davis’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the senior from Barcelona, Spain participated in numerous community service projects in the Davis, Sacramento and Bay areas. A member of the Big West’s All-Academic team and the ACWPC Honor Roll, Beltran plans to pursue a role in managerial economics in the Bay Area post-graduation.

UC Irvine

Sameen Andar Sport: Sport: Women’s Track & Field (Distance) / Cross Country Class: Junior Hometown: San Ramon, Calif.  Major/GPA: Biological Sciences / 3.89 A two-time All-Big West performer in cross country, Sameen Andar also holds UC Irvine’s school record in the indoor 5,000 meters and ranks second in school history in the 10,000 meters outdoors. As a sophomore Andar set a meet record in the 10,000 meters at the Big West Track & Field Championships, earning the first of two career invitations to the NCAA Regionals. On campus the junior from San Ramon, Calif. is active in student government and UCI’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Off campus, Andar worked as a physical therapy aide and patient care volunteer at Orange Coast Medical Center. With 23 undergraduate academic honors ranging from the Dean’s List to Academic All-District, Andar's career plans include pursuing graduate studies in microbiology and molecular epidemiology.

Jacob Pyle Sport: Men's Water Polo (Goalkeeper) Class: Junior Hometown: Huntington Beach, Calif. Major/GPA: Business Economics / 3.96 Jacob Pyle stopped 14 shots to earn the Most Valuable Player Award at the 2023 Big West Men’s Water Polo Championship, leading the Anteaters to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 30 years. A three-time ACWPC All-Academic team member and 11-time Dean’s List honoree at UCI, the junior from Huntington Beach, Calif. plans to pursue a master’s degree at UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business.

UC Riverside

Gigi Araki Sport: Softball (Catcher) Class: Senior Hometown: Wahiawa, Hawai'i Major/GPA: Psychology / 3.54 UC Riverside team captain Gigi Araki earned Second-Team All-Big West honors in 2024, hitting .302 with 13 doubles and 17 RBI. Araki’s 16 career home runs are fifth best all-time in school history. A member of the UCR Dean’s List, the Highlander Honor Roll, The Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Academic All-Big West Team, the senior catcher will move on to be a Graduate Assistant in the softball program at Hiram College.

Kyle Owens Sport: Men's Basketball (Forward) Class: Graduate Student Hometown: Calabasas, Calif. Major/GPA: Management / 3.57 Kyle Owens was a two-year starter and team captain who helped the Highlanders to their highest two-year win total in school history. A buzzer beater against Cal State Bakersfield was a SportsCenter Top 10 play and Owens’ battle with leukemia inspired his team’s performance throughout the stretch run in 2024. Despite the diagnosis, the forward from Calabasas, Calif. claimed a spot on the Highlander Honor Roll and The Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll and earned an MBA from UCR this Spring.

UC San Diego

Caroline Christl Sport: Women's Water Polo (Attacker) Class: Senior Hometown: San Clemente, Calif.  Major/GPA: International Business / 3.60 A two-time All-Big West performer and ACWPC All-American, Caroline Christl led the Tritons in goals, points and shots in 2024. As a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, the senior from San Clemente, Calif. raised money for literacy education and is also trained in American Sign Language. Academically, Christl made The Big West All-Academic team and is a two-time CSC All-District and three-time ACWPC All-Academic honoree. Post-graduate plans include playing water polo professionally before pursuing a master’s degree and a career in international business.

Izaak Martinez Sport: Baseball (Left-Handed Pitcher) Class: Graduate Student Hometown: Glendora, Calif.  Major/GPA: Public Policy / 3.40 Team captain Izaak Martinez led the Tritons with 25 appearances out of the bullpen, collecting 61 strikeouts in 63.1 innings of work. Martinez finished first in The Big West and second nationally with an ERA of 1.85 and was a finalist for the 2024 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award and semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year and the Dick Howser Trophy. An active member of UCSD’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Big West Undivided, the left-hander also coaches young players in mental skills, pitching mechanics and personal growth training. The Cleveland Guardians selected the three-time Big West All-Academic honoree in the 18th round of this year’s MLB Draft.

UC Santa Barbara

Amelia Honer Sport: Women’s Tennis Class: Junior Hometown: Newtown, Pa.  Major/GPA: Sociology / 3.81 Amelia Honer earned a second consecutive Big West Player of the Year and UCSB Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards in 2024. An All-Big West performer in singles and doubles, Honer became the first player in Big West and UC Santa Barbara history to advance to the Quarterfinal Round at this year’s NCAA Women's Tennis Singles National Championships. With multiple appearances on UCSB’s Dean’s List, Honer has plans to play professional tennis before pursuing a career in sports psychology.

Ajay Mitchell Sport: Men's Basketball Class: Junior Hometown: Ans, Liege, Belgium Major/GPA: Global Studies / 3.26 In a stellar career at UCSB, Ajay Mitchell earned 2022 Big West Freshman of the Year, 2023 Big West Player of the Year and Big West Championship MVP and two First Team All-Conference and All-Academic honors. This is Mitchell’s second Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. In June Mitchell became the 128th all-time NBA Draft selection from The Big West and first since 2013 when the New York Knicks selected the Belgian 38th overall before a trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Career plans post-professional basketball are to become a sports agent.