SAN NICOLAS NAMED MVP TO FINISH COLLEGIATE HOOPS CAREER

By Carmen Gogue

Mia San Nicolas finished off her senior season as a Golden Tornado earning Geneva College Basketball’s 2024 Most Valuable Player to wrap up a stellar collegiate career. San Nicolas definitely made her mark at the West Pennsylvania college finishing with the second most blocks (180), ninth most rebounds (676), and eleventh most points (1,221) in school history, all in just three seasons! Check out her array of accomplishments below.

Geneva College Golden Tornadoes Highlights: 2023-2024

• President’s Athletic Conference (PAC) Women’s Basketball Player of the Week (12/11/2023)
• Surpassed 1,000 career points scoring 16 points against Bethany (1/6/2024)
• Broke the single-season Geneva blocks record at Allegheny during PAC Quarterfinals (2/20/2024)
• PAC All-Tournament Team
• Started all 26 games in her senior season
• Led the PAC in points per game (18.6), field goal percentage (.456), and blocks per game (3.2)
• 3rd in the PAC for rebounds averaging 10.2 per game
• First Team All-PAC

2022-2023:

• Hope All-Tournament Team (11/12/2022)
• Scored a career-high 36 points at Waynesburg on (12/10/2022)
• Second Team All-PAC
• Started all 26 games in her junior season
• Averaged 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game (highest for both on team)
• Finished 4th in the PAC in scoring and 10th in rebounding, and her 1.9 blocks were 2nd.
• NCCAA Midwest All-Region Second Team 

2021-2022:

• Transferring to Geneva from Wenatchee Valley College, San Nicolas played all 25 games with 12 starts.
• Finished 2nd on the team with 11.9 points per game, while pulling down a team-high 8.8 rebounds
• 48 blocks, tied for 5th most in a single season in school history
• Finished with 11 double-doubles
• Scored a career-high 23 points against Franciscan in the opening round of the PAC Playoffs
• PAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week (12/20/2021) scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds over Chatham
• All-PAC Honorable Mention

Mia is the oldest daughter of Yvonne Speight and John San Nicolas from the village of Sinajana. She has one younger sister, Ava San Nicolas.

Mia has been playing basketball since she was just seven years old attending St. Anthony Catholic School for elementary then Bishop Baumgartner Memorial School for middle school.

Moving into high school, she attended the Academy of Our Lady of Guam. While playing at Academy, she earned the IIAAG’s MVP award twice and played for the Guam Women’s National Team in various competitions.

After graduating in 2019, Mia went on to her first collegiate stop playing her first two years at the Wenatchee Valley College before transferring over to Geneva College. Noting what’s been most memorable for her, San Nicolas says:

“First, I really have to acknowledge Wenatchee Valley College for accepting me as a freshman and for the two years I spent playing for the Knights. Second, I have to acknowledge Geneva College Coach Mike Grinder for recruiting me to play for him. His coaching style, prior exposure as an international basketball player and method of the game allowed me to increase my skillset. Third, having my parents fly out to watch me play in person will always be very special for me,” said San Nicolas.

Mia also provided insight to her most important gain from playing at the collegiate level, “Geneva College was special because Coach Mike Grinder was not a traditionalist. He pushed me and our team to improve all aspects of our game. Between my first two years, he wanted me to work on my mid-range and 3-point shooting. I spent all summer working on both and as a result, during my senior season my shooting percentage for mid-range and 3-pointers improved dramatically. On the defensive end, I had to improve my perimeter defense. Our team uses a lot of full-court pressure and trapping tactics, which required me to play out of my previous comfort zone,” said San Nicolas.

San Nicolas will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Physical Therapy and although her collegiate basketball career comes to an end, she will remain committed to playing for Team Guam this summer at the Micronesian Games hosted in the Marshall Islands.

“I continue to work out to assure that I remain in shape and will also be attending a European Cup Basketball Camp in April 2024.”

– Mia San Nicolas on preparing to play for Guam in the Micronesian Games

Mia shares her gratitude to the immense amount of people who have shaped the player she is today, “I am extremely blessed and thankful for everyone who has helped me in my journey, to include my current and former teammates, coaches, and family. I do not want to leave anyone out, but if I do, I apologize:

The late Tony Thompson, Conrad Berg; Ryan Treltas; Glen Gogue; Eddie Pelkey; Jimmy Yi; Nena Taimanglo-Valenzuela; Pastor Paul Pineda; Stu Schaefer; E.J. Calvo; Arleen Madd; Roxanne Madd; Rachel Goetz; Mike Grinder; Kevin Florent; Jenn Gornick; and Jeana Luciana. I would also like to thank my physical therapists: Chris Fernandez and Jordan Tingson; and athletic trainers: Charity Davis and Madison Reger, for assisting me in recovery from injury, surgery, and recovery during the season,” said San Nicolas.

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