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February 27, 2007
Release: #0704

News Release
For Immediate Release

Sacramento, CA . . . The Commission on Athletics Awards Committee is proud to announce Jonathon Falcioni (Chaffey College) and Mary Hanley (Moorpark College) as recipients of the 2006 Pepsi Scholar Athlete Award.

Falcioni and Hanley, along with the other 2006 Honor Roll members and Scholar Teams, will be honored at the Pepsi Celebration of Student Athletes Luncheon, at the 10th Annual COA Convention, on Thursday, April 5, at the Doubletree Ontario Airport Hotel in Ontario, CA.

The Pepsi Scholar Athlete award is the highest student achievement honor awarded annually by the COA, which oversees intercollegiate competition at 104 community colleges and nearly 25,000 student athletes each year. The winners are selected from nominations made by COA colleges. A conference committee screens these nominations, and conference nominees are forwarded to the COA Awards Committee, which selects the Pepsi Scholar Athletes of the Year. The Honor Roll is comprised of all conference nominees. The COA Awards Committee selects Scholar Teams based on a combination of academic and athletic accomplishments, including the team members' average GPA and the team's win/loss record and conference standing.

The 2006 Men's Honor Roll includes: Nicholas Falcioni (Santa Ana College track and field, 4.00 GPA), Chad Freeman (Santa Barbara City College track and field, 3.69 GPA), Jack Hui (College of the Desert tennis, 3.54 GPA), Andrew McNeil (Citrus College water polo, 3.74 GPA), Allen Smith (Shasta College baseball, 3.95 GPA), Dan Weiner (Palomar College football, 3.72 GPA), and Cong Zhao (Sacramento City College swim and dive, 3.96 GPA).

The 2006 Women's Honor Roll includes: Adriana Borman (Citrus College golf, 3.93 GPA), Ashley Casassa (Solano College soccer, 4.00 GPA), Torri Catalano (Saddleback College softball, 3.94 GPA), Tiffany Fisher (Modesto Junior College track and field, 3.65 GPA), Amy Jay Hoyt (Cuyamaca College basketball, 3.55 GPA), Krystal Quinn (Antelope Valley College track and field, 3.62 GPA), Stephanie Rosa (Sacramento City College basketball, 4.00 GPA), Nicole Ruesch (Chaffey College water polo and swim and dive, 3.91 GPA) and, Cassidy Smith (Butte College volleyball, 4.00 GPA).

The 2005-06 Scholar Teams:
(Fall 2005) Butte College women's basketball 3.33; Cuesta College men's Cross Country, 3.01 GPA; West Valley College women's cross country, 3.25 GPA; West Valley College men's soccer, 3.08 GPA; Santiago Canyon College women's soccer, 3.20 GPA; Glendale College women's volleyball, 3.30 GPA; Los Angeles Valley College men's water polo, 3.20 GPA; Orange Coast College women's water polo, 3.26 GPA; Sierra College women's golf, 3.46 GPA.

(Spring 2006) Cypress College baseball, 3.07 GPA; Santa Barbara City College men's golf, 3.10 GPA; Shasta College softball, 3.21 GPA; Ventura College men's swimming, 3.17 GPA; Diablo Valley College women's swimming, 3.14; Allan Hancock College men's tennis, 3.35 GPA; El Camino College women's tennis, 3.19 GPA; Moorpark College women's track and field, 3.02 GPA.

A specialist in the backstroke at Chaffey College, Jonathan Falcioni approaches life head-on. The youngest of four boys in the Falcioni household, Jonathan began his swimming career at the age of 6 in his hometown of Alta Loma, CA. As a student athlete, he prefers to keep his grades high and his event times low.

As a freshman, Falcioni raced in three individual events and four relays at the conference finals. He also qualified for the COA California Community College Championships where he was a finalist in the 200-yard Backstroke and competed in the 200 Individual Medley and 400 Individual Medley. As a sophomore, he returned to the state championships in the 200 Backstroke and 400 Individual Medley. Falcioni's head coach Mike Dickson says, "Jonathan's work ethic in and out of the pool make him a natural team leader and a clear choice as team captain."

A member of the honors program at Chaffey, Falcioni's advisor described him as "a most remarkable individual who is at once a scholar, athlete, and humanitarian". He maintained a 4.0 throughout his Chaffey College career, and was honored as his class valedictorian.

Falcioni shared his leadership skills with the community through his involvement with the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. The group organized many community service activities, and Falcioni emerged as a leader and become a vital part of the events. He participated in the Relay for Life Marathon which promotes cancer awareness globally, and the Muddy Buddy biathlon to raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Falcioni is currently attending the University of California, Santa Barbara as a political science major. After graduation, he is considering a tour of duty with the Peace Corps, which would provide him an opportunity to further explore his interests in foreign relations and community service.

Mary Hanley was a two-year star on the Moorpark College track and field team, qualifying for the COA California Community College Championships in 2005 and 2006 in both the hammer and discus events. She helped the Raiders to a second-place finish at the championships in 2006 by placing 5th in hammer and 7th in discus at the state event. She was named to the All-Western State Conference second-team in hammer and received honorable mention in discus. Hanley's best marks include an impressive 152-0 in the hammer, a 146-5 in the discus, and a 40-5 in the shot put. She was named the Moorpark College Athlete of the Year in 2006.

In the classroom, Hanley maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA as she tackled courses such as micro and macroeconomics, and calculus with analytic geometry. In 2006, she received the Moorpark College Dean's Scholarship, Associated Student's Scholarship, and the Jason Raufman Memorial Scholarship. Instructors referred to her as a "jewel" in the classroom referencing her academic excellence, leadership presence, and politeness. Combining her interest in business with her athletic talents, Hanley established the Moorpark Track and Field club and was involved in several community service activities.

She was a member of the Alpha Gamma Sigma, a service-oriented honor society. She was a member of Project Concern, a group that assists students in need of food and clothing, and she served as a part- time helper at the Redwood Middle School autism program. She also shared her academic skills as a math tutor for elementary and middle school children.

Hanley is currently attending the University of California, Los Angeles, majoring in economics and competing on the UCLA track and field team.

Tickets for the April 5 event may be purchased by mailing payment and a registration form, available at www.coasports.org/convention, to COA, 2017 O St, Sacramento, CA 95814.

About the COA
The Community College League of California Commission on Athletics (COA) is a non-profit organization per IRS Section 501 (c)(3). The COA establishes the rules and regulations to administer the athletic activities of the nearly 25,000 student athletes at California's community colleges. To view the latest news, information, and updates of all 23 COA-sanctioned sports visit www.coasports.org.

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