Sports - Local Colleges

POSTED: Wednesday, Jun. 04, 2008

WWU: University pair win awards

BELLINGHAM — A special year for Courtney Schneider and Sean Packer ended with high honors Tuesday.

Schneider, a senior libero who led Western Washington University women’s volleyball team to the title match at the NCAA Division II National Championships while setting national records for digs per game in a season and career, is the Vikings’ Female Athlete of the Year for 2007–08.

Western’s Male Athlete of the Year is Packer, a senior golfer who had the second–highest finish in school history as he tied for third place at the national tournament, just one stroke behind the co–leaders. The Vikings placed eighth in the team standings.

It is the second straight WWU Female Athlete of the Year honor for Schneider, a 2004 graduate of Snohomish High School, who averaged a NCAA II record 7.74 digs per game, leading the country for the second straight year, and a career–best 7.00, breaking the former standard by nearly one per game.

Schneider set school and Great Northwest Athletic Conference records for digs in a season and career with 851 and 2,695, respectively, and established a NCAA II Elite Eight record with 44 against Washburn (Kan.) in the national semifinals. She also had a school– and league–record 50 digs earlier against Central Washington.

That helped the Vikings reach the national championship match as they finished 26–5 and ranked No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll, won the school’s first Pacific Regional crown and took the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title.

The Vikings won 21 straight matches during one stretch.

“Her stats and records speak to one side of her contribution, but the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet speak volumes in other areas and that was what made our team so successful,” Western volleyball coach Diane Flick said.

Schneider was named to two All–America teams: She was a first–team American Volleyball Coaches Association selection and a second–team Daktronics choice. She also was a first–team Daktronics and AVCA Pacific Region all–star, both for the third straight season, and the GNAC Player of the Year, and was a unanimous first–team league all–star for the third consecutive year. She was also a NCAA II Elite Eight and Pacific Regional all–tournament pick.

Schneider also is a standout in the classroom, as she was a second– team ESPN The Magazine/ CoSIDA College Division District 8 all–academic choice for the second straight year as well as a GNAC academic all–star for the third consecutive season. A community health major, she is maintaining a 3.63 grade–point average.

Packer, a 2003 graduate of Auburn–Riverside High School, received Golf Coaches Association of America third–team All–America and first–team West Region and GNAC all–star honors, finishing with a 72.3 scoring average.

At nationals, Packer had three rounds of par or better, finishing at 1–under 279 for the four–day, 72–hole tournament. “Sean had a career performance at the national championships,” said Western golf coach Steve Card. “It was a story–book ending to a great career. Certainly it was one of the best performances in the history of a storied program.”

Packer began the season with three top 10 performances in his first four tournaments. At the league tournament, which was won by Western, Packer placed seventh. He finished ninth at regionals as the Vikings placed second.

“There has never been anyone more passionate about Western golf than Sean,” Card said. “He’s been a leader on and off the golf course as well as in the classroom. He exemplifies what a student–athlete is about and should be about. He’s handled himself with an extreme amount of class throughout his career.”

A business administration and marketing major, Packer has maintained a 3.42 GPA; he was a three–time GNAC academic all–star.

The national appearance was the third for Packer, who placed 35th in 2006 and 81st in 2004.

The names of Schneider and Packer will be added to the G. Robert Ross Memorial Trophy.