PRESS RELEASE – The University of Guam Triton Athletics presented over 20 awards on Monday night at the UOG Student-Athlete Awards Reception held in the UOG Calvo Field House.

More than 50 student-athletes were present, in addition to UOG administrators including UOG President Dr. Robert A. Underwood, Senior Vice-President of Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez and Vice-President of Administration and Finance Randy Wiegand.

Others in attendance were former Guam Senator Nerissa Underwood, UOG Chief Planning Officer David Okada, UOG Chief Information Officer Rommel Hidalgo, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences James Sellmann, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Norman Analista, Director of Integrated Marketing Communications Jonas Macapinlac, Acting Director of the RFK Library Monique Storie, and Student Government Association President Samantha David. Also in attendance were family and friends of the student-athletes.

The award ceremonies started out with welcoming remarks and congratulations to the student-athletes from President Underwood and Vice President Wiegand, followed by a short update on the positives of the year from Athletic Director Doug Palmer. Palmer also noted the challenges the new Triton Athletics program has faced to get four varsity athletic programs started.

President Robert Underwood – SAAR

Some of the “Positives” For 2016-17 mentioned were:

• Women’s Soccer – Spring 2017 Guam Football Association Women’s Division 2 Champions
• Men’s Basketball – Guam Men’s Basketball College League Champions
• Women’s Volleyball – Guam Women’s Volleyball College League Champions
• Women’s Volleyball – Trip to Taiwan
• Scholarships – Athletics to give sport scholarships in the Fall of 2017
• Summer Camps – UOG Athletics begins summer camps in 2017
• Additional Varsity Sports – UOG plans to add other sports in the near future to include baseball, women’s basketball, men’s volleyball, softball and women’s rugby
• Athletic Hall of Fame – UOG plans to start an Athletic Hall of Fame and will begin inductions in the Fall of 2017The reception then moved to award portion of the program and UOG Volleyball Head Coach Tatiana Sablan came forward to give out the volleyball awards:

  Academic Awards (4.00 GPA for Fall 2016) were given to:

• Jestyne Sablan
• Jasmine Almoguera
• Beeheartly SibaVolleyball Awards:

• Most Improved – Lori Okada
• Sportsmanship – Beeheartly Siba
• Best Defense – Jasmine Almoguera
• Best Offense – Andriana Chang
• Most Valuable Player – Jestyne SablanHead Coach Brent Tipton then stepped up to the microphone for the UOG Men’s Basketball Team to present four awards to his Triton team to include:

  Men’s Basketball Awards:

• Sportsmanship – Tony Taianao
• Best Defense – Rafael Sablan
• Best Offense – Andrew Carlos
• Most Valuable Player – Ryan NangautaThen Men’s and Women’s Soccer Coach Rod Hidalgo came forward to give awards to his Triton teams:

  Appreciation Awards were given to two men’s soccer players who are transferring to mainland universities in 2017-18:

• Ben Wiegand, Jr.
• Tyler GeorgeMen’s Soccer Awards:

• Sportsmanship – Dominic Gadad
• Best Defense – Kautong Omengkar
• Best Offense – Jacques Diambra
• Most Valuable Player – Dylan NaputiWomen’s Soccer Awards
• Sportsmanship – Amy Dydasco
• Best Defense – Koholali’i Maertens
• Best Offense – Elisha Benavente
• Most Valuable Player – Shaeina Torres

UOG’s Four MVPs – Left to Right – Dylan Naputi, Men’s Soccer, Shaeina Torres, Women’s Soccer
Jestyne Sablan, Women’s Volleyball, Ryan Nangauta, Men’s Basketball.