BMCC Names Athletes of the Year

Blue Mountain Community College honored two student-athletes with the Wally McCrae Student Athlete of the Year award for outstanding academic and athletic achievements for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Baseball player Nolan Weber and women’s basketball player Savannah Heugly were honored for their outstanding performance on the court and on the field, as well as for their high GPAs and commitment to academics, strong leadership, sportsmanship, integrity, and accomplishments throughout the year.

Each year, a male and female sophomore athlete at BMCC are selected by the Athletic Director – Brett Bryan – to receive the high honor, which began in 1975, and honors BMCC’s first college president, Wally McCrae. In addition to each receiving a plaque, they’ll have their names added to a plaque in the McCrae Activity Center (MAC).

Nolan, a shortstop from Bonney Lake, Wash., had 104 at-bats this season, with a .212 batting average and hit three home runs. He was recently awarded the NWAC Spring Academic Excellence Award, and maintained a 3.33 GPA through the college’s winter term. He plans to attend Washington State University this fall and walk on to the baseball team there.

“This award (Wally McCrae) is very humbling to me,” Weber said. “It’s proof that hard work pays off. A lot of people are pushing you to do the right thing, from your coaches to your instructors to your teammates. Athletics just makes you a better person – without athletics in my life, I probably wouldn’t have had better grades.”

Assistant Baseball Coach Chris Henke commended Weber for his ability to manage the demands of athletics with being a full-time student. “These guys have to put in time every day and juggle school,” he said. “But I think it helps them stay motivated, as well as with life after college.”

Heugly, a 5’11” guard from Tualatin, maintained a 3.5 GPA at BMCC this year, and in April signed a national letter of intent with Western Oregon University to continue her collegiate basketball career. In the 2015-2016 season, Heugly averaged 21.29 points, 2.54 steals, and 11.32 rebounds per game, with an average of 7.36 defensive rebounds per game. Heugly earned a spot on the NWAC All-Star Team – one of just five women from the NWAC East Region to do so. Heugly was named to the 2016 NWAC All-Eastern Region first team and All-Defensive team for her outstanding efforts this season, as well as to the NWAC Winter Term Academic Excellence Team.

“It’s been a privilege to have the opportunity to coach Savannah the last two years,” said BMCC Head Women’s Basketball Coach Adam Driver. “It can be tough to balance school with athletics, but Savannah is one we never had to worry about. She always showed up to class and made her school work a priority.”