University of Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Hawai'i diver Emma Friesen are the 2010-11 Western Athletic Conference Joe Kearney Award winners.
Kaepernick is the third male from the University of Nevada to win the award, while Friesen wins her second Kearney award and the seventh for Hawai'i since 2003. Named in honor of former WAC commissioner Joe Kearney, the awards are given annually to the top male and female student-athletes in the WAC.
Kaepernick began his college football career as the WAC Freshman of the Year after throwing for 2,175 yards and 19 touchdowns with just three interceptions in less than nine full games. This past season, he threw for 2,817 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 1,206 yards and 20 more scores. He became the WAC's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 59 for his career.
As the only player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and throw for 2,000 yards in three different seasons, Kaepernick completed his senior season as the WAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year and earned first team all-WAC honors. He rushed for at least one touchdown in every game but one, ran for at least 100 yards in five games, and had a total of 16 100-yard efforts in his career. To round out his career, Kaepernick finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting, the first time a Nevada player has ever been in the top 10.
Friesen previously received the Joe Kearney award after the 2007-08 season. In her four years diving for UH, Friesen qualified for the NCAA Championships every year she competed. She is a three-time All-American and the first four-time WAC champion on the 1-meter board. In addition to her successes in the pool, Friesen also managed to earn a 3.38 GPA during the four seasons she competed.
Friesen finished her senior year as the WAC Diver of the Year and was a WAC all-academic selection. In 2011, she finished seventh nationally on the 1-meter. To finish out her career at UH, Friesen won the Jack Bonham Award (female division), an award given to a UH student-athlete for outstanding performances on and off the field.
Carson hosts LL
all-star tourney
The District 1 9-10 and 10-11-year-old all-star tournaments get under way tonight at 5:30 at Governors Field.
The tournaments will run nightly, except July 4, until July 9.
Teams from Carson City, Gardnerville/Minden, North Tahoe, Reno, South Tahoe, Sparks and Truckee are competing. The winner of the district tournament advances to Las Vegas for the state tournament.
Carson City won't play until Thursday night.
The 11-12-year-old tourney starts July 2 and runs until July 11.