FINAL STEP TOWARD CONFIRMATION TO TAKE PLACE JULY 21-22
Point Loma Nazarene University received notification from the NCAA Membership Committee that it has been recommended to the NCAA Management Council to become an active NCAA Division II member beginning in the 2014-15 season.
The Sea Lions will now await the final step of confirmation on July 21-22 before they are formally accepted into the NCAA.
Upon approval, there will be recognition of this landmark achievement on the Point Loma campus over the week of Sept. 1-6, when students return to mark the first week with PLNU as a fully-fledged NCAA member. FOUR SEA LIONS EARN PACWEST SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR HONORS
Each year, the Pacific West Conference elects only 15 student-athletes — one per conference-sponsored sport — to be the PacWest Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Point Loma Nazarene University now boasts four of those for the 2013-14 academic year.
Andrea Mersino (women’s golf), Daniel ten Bosch (men’s soccer), Tyler Nordgren (baseball) and Claire Mathews (women’s soccer) were selected from all student-athletes in their respective sports in the PacWest as the top individuals in combined athletic and academic performance.
Mathews holds a 3.98 grade-point average as an engineering physics major. The junior earned a place on the prestigious Capital One Academic All-District Team and was an NCCAA All-Academic selection. She also was named Second Team All-PacWest with four goals and five assists.
Mersino has a 3.97 grade-point average as a junior in applied health science. She played No. 1 and No. 2 throughout the season for the Sea Lions and helped them earn fourth place at both the PacWest and NCCAA Championships. She was also a Second Team All-PacWest performer after placing 12th at the championships.
Nordgren has already earned an undergraduate degree from PLNU and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration (3.66 GPA). He was named to two different All-American teams this season and ranked third in the PacWest in RBI (46), fourth in doubles (18) and seventh in home runs (five).
Ten Bosch completed his sophomore year with a 3.86 GPA as an engineering physics major. He was a Second Team All-PacWest selection, while leading the league with 11 assists. He was the Sea Lions’ MVP and tied for the team lead with five goals.
As a whole, the PLNU student-athletes posted a 3.3 GPA for the 2013-14 academic year; the fourth-best in PacWest history.  139 STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO PACWEST ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
The Pacific West Athletic Conference proudly placed 139 Point Loma student-athletes among the 1,469 named to its 2013-14 PacWest Academic all-conference team.
Each PLNU team had at least six selections on the PacWest All-Academic squad, including the women’s track and field team, which led the Sea Lions with 28 award recipients.
To qualify for the PacWest All-Academic team, student-athletes must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA at their university and participate in a conference-sponsored sport. VOLLEYBALL INKS THREE IN 2014 RECRUITING CLASS
Point Loma Nazarene head volleyball coach Jonathan Scott announced the signing of three women to the 2014 recruiting class. The Sea Lions will bring in Brianna Winbigler, Itali Andrade and Bethany Mandon, all of whome will join the team as freshmen in the fall.
“This incoming class will provide us lots of high-level experience and success, which all have achieved at the high school and club levels,” said Scott. “I am very excited to see how they will be able to come in and immediately contribute to a team that has already experienced success.”
Andrade, at 5 feet 8 inches, from San Dimas, had a decorated senior season in which she was named league MVP and to the Southern Section All-CIF team. She was also a two-time first team all-league selection in both volleyball and basketball.
“Itali is one of those players who will immediately contribute to the team’s success on the court and character off the court,” said Scott. “She has had played in a number of top-level club matches, and her experience and poise will contribute to our program greatly.”
Mandon, at 6 feet 2 inches, from Rocklin, was named Second Team All-State by Max Preps. She was also First Team All-League, MVP of the San Joaquin Sectional final and was co-MVP of the conference.
“I am very excited about Bethany and her upside as a volleyball player,” said Scott. “She is not only tall and physical, but she has experience at the highest levels in the club volleyball scene. She will immediately come in and compete with all our returning middle blockers.”
Winbigler, at 5 feet 11 inches, out of Oceanside, raked in the honors both at city and state levels. She was named MVP of the San Diego Section and was a first team All-CIF selection. She also earned First Team All-Avocado League and was named an all-state performer.
“Bri is one of the many standout players to have come out of the WAVE volleyball club,” said Scott. “I have personally been able to coach her in the club scene, and I know exactly what this team is going to get from her dynamic skill set. It is for this very reason that I am so excited to have her join the Sea Lions.”
These three signees will join the 11 letter winners and seven starters coming back for PLNU in 2014.