Local Products Capture PCC Top Athlete Awards For 2018-2019

Not often have the annual Pasadena City College top student-athlete awards had as much a local feel than the 2018-2019 honors. Redshirt freshman basketball player and Pasadena High School alum Dariel Johnson was selected PCC Women's Athlete of the Year and fellow frosh baseball player Gabriel Arellano, from Monrovia High, was chosen as the PCC Men's Athlete of the Year.

The selections made by PCC Athletics are part of the annual, season-ending Elizabeth Jensen Scholarships as well as a few other scholarships designated for acceptance by Lancers student-athletes. Jensen, a member of the college's Dick Ratliff Court of Champions, spent nearly 40 years as a women's athletic director at Pasadena Junior College and later PCC. While the awards are designed primarily for graduating sophomores who competed two seasons of athletics at PCC, the top performance awards are open to both freshmen and sophomores.

Johnson was an All-State First Team selection and the South Coast Conference Freshman of the Year as a transformed post player for the '18-19 Lancers women's basketball team. She set a PCC record for most blocked shots in a season and in a game as she also performed the first points-rebounds-blocks triple-double in women's basketball history. Johnson led the Lancers in scoring (14.8 points average) and her 14.5 rebounds average was the second-highest PCC mark ever. Her 128 total blocks (4.3 per game) led the state and she was second overall in total rebounds with 436. The 6-foot-2 center earned MVP of the El Camino-hosted Crossover Challenge and PCC Round Robin Classic Tournaments. Johnson is the first basketball player to earn top female honors in 10 years (the last Kinyada Johnson in 2008-2009). 

A centerfielder, Arellano was the SCC North Division Co-MVP and an All-State selection after setting three school baseball records, including hits (75) and runs scored (46) in a season, and helped the Lancers earn a SCC co-championship this past season. He led the Lancers with a .395 batting average, 13 doubles and 10 stolen bases while adding 31 RBI. Arellano led the state in total hits and started the year with a 19-game hitting streak. He hit safely in 36 of 40 games and had an impressive 28 multiple hit performances, including twice in the postseason. Eight times, the right-handed batter had 3-hit games and two times he banged out four hits. He scored at least three runs in seven games. Currently holding a 4.0 GPA, Arellano becomes the third baseball player in the last four years to earn the college's top men's award (Jeremy Conant 2016-17, Joe Quire 2015-16)

Both Johnson and Arellano led their teams into SoCal Playoff seeds and each were a part of a playoff home victory. Both student-athletes have indicated they will return for the 2019-2020 sports season. Johnson plays for head coach Joe Peron and Arellano is under the direction of head coach Pat McGee. 

The President's Award, presented to the student-athlete that combines successful playing performance with classroom excellence and sportsmanship, goes to softball player Nathalia Velasquez. A two-time, All-SCC selection, Velasquez, a leftfielder who volunteered to be the team's second catcher as well this season, finished a fabulous career in helping the Lancers reach the SoCal Playoffs in both her seasons. From Encino Birmingham Charter HS, Velasquez tied the school record for hits in a season (62) as a freshman. Her 26 career doubles places her second on the PCC all-time list and she knocked in 60 RBI combined. Velasquez hit .376 in her Lancers career. In the classroom, Velasquez had a strong 3.6 GPA. She was guided by head coach Monica Tantlinger. 

The High GPA Awards went to baseball outfielder Frank Yokas who had a straight A (4.0) in completing 88 units as the top male in the classrom while badminton top singles player Xiaoming Yao had the women's top GPA at 3.72 in a remarkable 112 units completed. Yokas (Burbank High) wasn't just gifted at his studies but had perhaps the single greatest hitting game in PCC baseball history this past season. In a win over Mt. San Antonio, Yokas went 5-for-5 and hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, home run) plus a second home run. His 14 total bases is a PCC record as he scored five runs and added five RBI. From Shanghai, China, Yao was a member of both the 2018 CCCAA state champion team and this year's state runner-up. This year, she advanced to the state individual singles final (finished second) and was an individual doubles semifinalist. She advanced to the semifinals in singles as a freshman. A member of two SoCal champion and two undefeated South Coast Conference champion teams, Yao played under Lancers head coach Jen Ho.

This year, the AOTY pair will receive $1,500 awards, the President's award a $1,200 award, and the GPA winners each $1,165. The following student-athletes are two-year sophomores who will receive $1,000 transfer scholarships:

Gordon Ingebritson (baseball, 2.7 GPA, Sun Valley's Village Christian High) was named All-State and the SCC North Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore ace. It was the first time a Lancer earned the conference's top pitcher award since joining the SCC in 1987. The 2-time, All-SCC First Team selection set a PCC modern day record for most victories over a career (13) and his 2.29 ERA as a freshman was lowest by a starting pitcher in 54 years. His 76 strikeouts this year is the second most in a season by a PCC hurler since at least 1990. A model of consistency, Ingebritson pitched 180 innings (leading the team in most innings pitched both seasons) in his Lancers career with 144 Ks and a 2.85 ERA. He pitched a complete game win v. Glendale in the 2018 SoCal Playoffs. This year, he came within four outs of a no-hitter and settled for a 1-hitter in a conference win over Chaffey. Ingebritson signed a 4-year university scholarship to UC Irvine.

Kaylee Medrano (softball, 3.1 GPA, La Mirada High) was a starting infielder on two playoff teams. This year at shortstop, Medrano batted .370 and led PCC in RBI (32), home runs (3), walks (22), on-base percentage (.511) and slugging percentage (.560). She was named All-Southern California and All-SCC First Team. An outstanding defensive player, Medrano led PCC in assists in both her freshman (at second base) and sophomore seasons. 

Pamela Galvan (women's volleyball, 3.3 GPA, Glendale's Hoover High) was named the 2018 SCC Libero of the Year as she helped the Lancers win the SCC North title. Galvan averaged 4.2 digs per set and was one of the team's best servers with 42 aces. Her 360 digs total (in 86 sets) set a new school record for one season, breaking the mark of 348 by Jennifer Estrada in 2012. She had a team and individual season high of 32 digs in back-to-back October matches. Galvan played under head coach Mike Terrill.

Ryan Lewis (baseball, 3.6 GPA, Temple City High) was twice selected All-SCC for his performances at different positions--second base as a freshman and shortstop this past season. After hitting .304 as a freshman, Lewis hit .309 with 26 RBI to help this year's Lancers win the SCC North crown. A dependable fielder, Lewis had a .982 fielding percentage as a freshman and was a part of turning 30 double plays for PCC pitchers in his his two years. Lewis will continue his education and playing career as he signed a scholarship to attend Cal State Los Angeles. 

David Vardanian (football, 3.7 GPA, La Canada High) was named All-SCFA First Team as a sophomore defensive lineman. Vardanian led the Lancers in tackles with 49 in 2018 and in his career, his hard-hitting play led to making six forced fumbles. The lineman was still mulling scholarship offers at the time of this release. He played under head coach Steven Mojarro. 

Josiah Woods (men's basketball, 3.5 GPA, El Camino Real High) joined the Lancers' 500-point club for a career in the '18-19 season as a shooting guard. He helped PCC advance to the SoCal Regional Playoffs. Twice, Woods received All-SCC honorable mentions. Known for his outside shot, Woods finished with 87 baskets from 3-point range in his PCC career and averaged 11.8 points a game in his second year. Woods was directed by head coach Michael Swanegan.

Alexxis Molinar (women's soccer, 2.8 GPA, Temple City High) was a 2-time, All-SCC First Team defender. As a center-back in her freshman season, she helped PCC to a 10-win season and the program's highest finish in the powerful SCC (third place) since 2012. Molinar's play excelled again as a sophomore. She is headed to the University of La Verne. This season, she played under interim head coach Francisco Cantero. 

Additional $500 Jensen transfer/assistance scholarships go to two-year Lancers as follows:

Joshua Moran (men's soccer, 2.5 GPA, Crescenta Valley High) was selected All-SCC Second Team at midfielder for the Lancers in 2018. As a freshman back in 2016, Moran was a starter on a Lancers team that earned the No. 7 seed and won two playoffs matches, advancing as far as the third round of SoCal Regionals. He played this past season under head coach Gerry Mora.

Kessa Rychlick (women's track and field, 3.35 GPA, Tujunga's Verdugo Hills High) made it to the SoCal Championship finals in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing in eighth place to become the first scoring Lancer in three years in the sport. Rychlick placed fourth in the 400 hurdles at the conference championships. She also participated in relays and was a sprinter and high jumper during her freshman season. She performed under head coach Innocent Egbunike.

Jessica Lee (women's badminton, 3.7 GPA, Alhambra's Mark Keppel High) was like her teammate Yao a member of a state champion team in 2018 and was this year's No. 2 singles player as well as a partner to Yao in No. 1 doubles for the Lancers. Lee and Yao heroically rallied to win in three sets to clinch the 2019 SoCal team title in a close match over San Diego City College. As freshmen, Lee won two singles matches and scored two doubles wins with Yao during PCC's state final victory over Fresno City College. This year, she advanced as far as the semifinals in the state individual doubles. 

Miles Johnson (men's track and field, 3.6 GPA, Pasadena's Marshall Fundamental High) excelled in the long jump, placing as a scorer in eighth place at the 2018 state meet. Also as a freshman, he leaped a best of 6-feet, 4.75 inches to take seventh at the SoCal Championships. Although his sophomore season didn't take him past the SoCals, he did place a PCC men's best second place at the SCC Championships. 

Football player Forest Fajardo earned the Horrell Scholarship for outstanding athletic achievement and sportsmanship. The Horrell award is named after the Horrell brothers, who excelled in athletics at Pasadena High School (part of then the campus of Pasadena Junior College) and had the program's old football stadium named in their honor--Horrell Field. Fajardo (3.3 GPA, Burbank High) was an All-SCFA First Team wide receiver, who led the American Pacific Division in touchdown catches with eight and the Lancers in individual scoring with 48 points. He had 67 receptions in his two seasons. As a sophomore, the versatile performer played also on defense at defensive back the last few games, making 10 tackles, an interception and three break-ups. It was his pick-off near the end zone that helped PCC beat Santa Barbara City College in the team's season finale.

Baseball pitcher Patrick Pena picked up the Thomas O. Mallory Scholarship. The Mallory scholarship is named after the former PCC football coach (coached 20th century sports legend Jackie Robinson) and athletic director who also is a member of PCC's prestigious Court of Champions. Pena (2.8 GPA, Salesian High/Los Angeles) set a PCC modern-day, single-season record for wins in a season with nine, including pitching the SCC North champion Lancers to a SoCal Playoff home win over Citrus. Maybe his best start was a 9-inning, 4-hitter with no runs allowed in a no decision, extra-inning loss to Santa Barbara late in the 2019 season. Pena led the Lancers in ERA at 2.59 and was an All-SCC Second Team selection. He is headed on a playing scholarship to Cal State Dominguez Hills. 

Football player Torus Stepney Jr. is winner of the James P. O'Mara Scholarship. The award is specific to a PCC athlete who excelled after also attending Pasadena High. Stepney (2.5 GPA) worked his way into the starting lineup as a defensive back his sophomore season. He finished with 13 tackles, a sack, an interception and three pass break-ups. Stepney earned a 4-year scholarship to NAIA Dickinson State University (North Dakota).