CALIFORNIA (June 30) – The California (PA) athletic department announced several yearly honors this week on social media. The yearly awards were initially presented during the 2016-17 academic year and are being presented following the conclusion of the athletic and award season in its entirety for a fourth-straight year.
 
WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Divonne Franklin (Track & Field)
Franklin was chosen the Female Athlete of the Year for the fourth-consecutive year after an unforgettable 2023 campaign. She captured a pair of national titles, earned First-Team All-America status four times, claimed four league titles, shattered four PSAC Championship records and broke four all-time league records this season. For the second-straight year, Franklin swept USTFCCCA Atlantic Region and PSAC Track Athlete of the Year honors following both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Philadelphia native won the program's first national title since 1985 during the outdoor campaign when she claimed the crown in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Franklin recorded the fastest time in the 100 meters in NCAA Division II history during the finals at the NCAA Championships. The 5-foot-10 senior was named Outstanding Track Athlete at both league championships in 2023, plus Outstanding Athlete following the outdoor championships this year, and was voted an Academic All-American for the second-straight year.

MEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Santino Marra (Baseball)
Marra was a consensus first-team all-region selection at second base. He became the program's first .400 hitter since 2017 and ranked third in the PSAC in batting average while collecting the third-most hits in single-season school history. Marra finished among the top 10 in the league with a 1.063 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) while hitting Nos. 1 and 2 in the lineup. The Laurel Highlands product led the team with 44 RBI and collected 21 multi-hit games.

WOMEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Kylie Feltenberger (Tennis)
Feltenberger maintains a 3.96 cumulative GPA while majoring in social work with a minor in psychology. She was featured in the singles lineup 17 times this year, primarily at the fifth position, and split time at second and third doubles.

MEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Joshua Bogdan (Baseball)
Bogdan received the honor for a consecutive year in 2023. He graduated in May with a 3.98 cumulative GPA and a degree in political science and a minor in pre-law. Bogdan, the 2022 PSAC Champion Scholar in baseball, set career highs in every pitching category this spring.

WOMEN'S FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Alice Etienne (Track & Field)
Etienne earned All-PSAC honors during the indoor season in the triple jump and scored three times in individual events at the league championships. She placed third overall at the PSAC Indoor Championships in the triple jump with a mark of 11.52 meters (37-9.5 feet) and later finished fourth in the event at the outdoor league meet with a personal-best distance of 11.61 meters (38-1.25 feet). Etienne also placed seventh in the long jump at the 2023 PSAC Outdoor Championships.

MEN'S FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Jonathan Thrush (Cross Country/Track & Field)
Thrush was named the PSAC Freshman of the Year in cross country and received All-PSAC status in pair of track & field events. In the fall, he placed third at the league championships and later earned an individual qualifier for the NCAA National Championships in Washington. Thrush finished third in the 5,000-meter run at the PSAC Indoor Championships and closed the year by placing second in the 10,000-meter run at the outdoor league meet.

WOMEN'S BREAKOUT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Kaitlyn Achtermeier (Softball)
Achtermeier received all-region honors at shortstop from the NFCA and helped lead the Vulcans to a third-straight appearance in the PSAC Tournament, including their first post-season victory since 2018. She led the team with a .382 batting average, nearly a .100-point increase from last year, and 40 RBI. Achtermeier also posted a 1.001 OPS with team-best marks in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage, which was over a .200-point increase from her freshman total.

MEN'S BREAKOUT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Santino Marra (Baseball)
Marra earned All-PSAC West First-Team laurels and first-team all-region accolades from three organizations in his second year as a starter. He posted one of the elite batting averages in the league while more than doubling his hit total from last season. Additionally, Marra tallied 22 extra-base hits and 44 RBI after finishing with seven extra-base hits and 15 RBI as a freshman.

WOMEN'S TOP TEAM CUMULATIVE GPA – Golf
Golf boasts a 3.822 cumulative GPA. All eight golfers on the team feature at least a 3.45 GPA, including four upperclassmen (juniors/seniors/graduate students academically) with a 3.85 GPA or higher.

MEN'S TOP TEAM CUMULATIVE GPA – Soccer
Soccer holds a 3.475 cumulative GPA. The team features a total of 21 players with at least a 3.00 GPA and seven upperclassmen (junior/seniors academically) hold a 3.50 GPA or better.


Note, student-athletes must have completed 72 credit hours to be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.