Western Athletic Conference

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DENVER - UT Rio Grande Valley women's basketball player Shawnte' Goff, along with Utah Valley men's soccer player Paul Hoffmeister and Grand Canyon men's basketball player DeWayne Russell are the 2016-17 Western Athletic Conference Joe Kearney Award winners. 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.

With the two men's winners, it is just the second time in the 26-year history of the award that co-Joe Kearney Award winners have been named. It is also the first time a student-athlete from Grand Canyon or UTRGV has won the award.

As a senior, Goff was a first team All-WAC selection and was also named to the WAC All-Defensive Team after ranking second in the league in scoring (16.3), fourth in defensive rebounds (4.8), fifth in both minutes (34.4) and assists (2.9), and ninth in steals (1.8) and three-pointers per game (1.7). She reached double-figures in scoring 28 times, including seven games of 20 or more points. Goff led the team in scoring 21 times, assists 13 times and rebounds eight times, and posted four double-doubles. A two-time WAC Player of the Week, she was also the recipient of the UTRGV Impact Award.

The UTRGV career record holder in points (1,912), field goals made (653), free throws made (385), games played (127), minutes played (4,118) and wins (71), Goff also ranks second in assists (338), third in both steals (187) and three-pointers made (219), fourth in free throw percentage (74.0), and sixth in both rebounds (530) and blocks (64). She also ranks fifth all-time in WAC history in scoring and 10th in field goals made.

“Watching Shawnte' make history every night always made me feel bad that we didn't have more ways to honor her,” said Farrah Manthei, UTRGV Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Services and Senior Woman Administrator. “This year we created an award at our student-athlete awards banquet that was meant for people like her - a legacy award. She has been the student-athlete of the year before, but that just didn't seem like a high enough honor. She's meant everything to this program. We had never had a winning season or made the postseason at the NCAA Division I level before she got here, but Shawnte' helped to change the culture and attitude around the program.”

Hoffmeister was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) third team All-American as a junior last fall, the first NSCAA All-American in program history and lone WAC player in 2016 to earn the honor. He was also named to the College Soccer News All-America Third Team. An All-WAC first team honoree, he was also a first team NSCAA All-West Region selection. Hoffmeister was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week (Aug. 29), the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week (Oct. 17) and was additionally honored by TopDrawerSoccer.com as one of the Top 100 Players in the Country (No. 47). He led the team into the Top 25 in at least one of the four major polls during the entire regular season and scored two goals in one of the team's two wins over a top 20 opponent, the season opener against No. 20 Washington.

Hoffmeister excels in the classroom as well, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team honors to make him the only WAC student-athlete to receive both Academic All-America® and All-America status in 2016-17. A first team NSCAA Scholar All-America selection, he is also a three-time Academic All-WAC selection.

“Paul Hoffmeister epitomizes the true definition of a student-athlete and dutifully honors and represents the spirit of the Joe Kearney Award,” Utah Valley Head Coach Greg Maas said. “Paul is not just a great player and student, he is also a tremendous teammate and ambassador of Utah Valley University. The quality of his character, his commitment to excellence and his lead by example work ethic are all motivating personality traits that have helped to define our program from the inside-out. Paul's ability to engage and inspire our soccer community has been nothing short of remarkable, and his distinct qualities have set the standard for all future student-athletes for Utah Valley University men's soccer.”

Russell earned first team All-WAC honors after leading the conference in scoring (21.2), assists (5.4) and minutes (38.3) per game. The senior point guard led Grand Canyon to a 22-9 record, its second consecutive 20-win season, and set a GCU Division I scoring record for points in a season with 593. A three-time WAC Player of the Week during the season, Russell scored 42 points vs. Louisville on Dec. 3, the most by a GCU player in the Division I era. For the season, he had four games with 30 or more points, 14 games with 20 or more points and two double-doubles (points, assists).

Russell closed out his career scoring in double figures in 33 straight games and led the Lopes in scoring in 18 of his 28 games as a senior. He led the country in minutes per game (38.29) and ranked tied for 16th in scoring (21.2). Voted by his peers as the 2017 GCU Male Student-Athlete of the Year, Russell finished runner-up in the Great Clips Men's 3-Point Shooting Championship at GCU Arena prior to Final Four weekend.

“I can't say enough about what DeWayne has meant to our team and our university,” Head Coach Dan Majerle said. “He's a tough kid, hard worker and has been the leader of our team the last three years. He worked tirelessly last summer to improve his shot and I think the results speak for themselves, but he did it because it would help the team. He wants to do whatever it takes to win, and if that means scoring he'll score and if that means giving it to other people he'll do that also. That's how you get a guy that led the conference in scoring and assists this season. He has continued to grow on the court, in the classroom and as a man. His competitiveness, his hunger and his will to win is second to none.”

Previous Joe Kearney Award Winners

Year	Men, School, Sport	Women, School, Sport
2015-16	Antoine Rosner, UMKC, Golf	Gwen Murphy, NM State, Volleyball
2014-15	Michael McPherson, Utah Valley, Track & Field	Courtney Frerichs, Kansas City, Cross Country/Track & Field
2013-14	Mitchell Huxhold, CSU Bakersfield, Swimming	Stephane Verdoia, Seattle U, Soccer
2012-13	Kyle Barone, Idaho, Basketball	Hanna Kiser, Idaho, Cross Country/Track & Field
2011-12	Andrew Blaser, Idaho, Track & Field	Chelsea Hayes, Louisiana Tech, Track & Field
	Robert Turbin, Utah State, Football
2010-11	Colin Kaepernick, Nevada, Football	Emma Friesen, Hawai‘i, Diving
2009-10	Kellen Moore, Boise State, Football	Amber Kaufman, Hawai‘i, Volleyball/Track & Field
2008-09	Tom Mendonca, Fresno State, Baseball	Melanie Gloria, Fresno State, Tennis
2007-08	Steve Susdorf, Fresno State, Baseball	Emma Friesen, Hawai‘i, Diving
2006-07	Colt Brennan, Hawai'i, Football	Kanoe Kamana'o, Hawai‘i, Volleyball
2005-06	Nick Fazekas, Nevada, Basketball	Kanoe Kamana'o, Hawai‘i, Volleyball
2004-05	Gabriel Wallin, Boise State, Track & Field	Jamie Southern, Fresno State, Softball
2003-04	Kirk Snyder, Nevada, Basketball	Kim Willoughby, Hawai‘i, Volleyball
2002-03	Nick Watney, Fresno State, Golf	Kim Willoughby, Hawai‘i, Volleyball/Basketball
2001-02	David Carr, Fresno State, Football	Stacy Prammanasudh, Tulsa, Golf
2000-01	LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU, Football	Florence Ezeh, SMU, Track & Field
1999-00	Courtney Alexander, Fresno State, Basketball	Amanda Scott, Fresno State, Softball
1998-99	Andre Miller, Utah, Basketball	Martina Moravcova, SMU, Swimming
1997-98	Lars Frolander, SMU, Swimming	Amanda Scott, Fresno State, Softball
1996-97	Keith Van Horn, Utah, Basketball	Martina Moravcova, SMU, Swimming
1995-96	Keith Van Horn, Utah, Basketball	Nina Lindenberg, Fresno State, Softball
1994-95	Stoney Case, New Mexico, Football	Suzanne Metz, Utah, Gymnastics
1993-94	Marshall Faulk, San Diego State, Football	Amy Van Dyken, Colorado State, Swimming
1992-93	Marshall Faulk, San Diego State, Football	Mikki Kane-Barton, Utah, Basketball/Volleyball
1991-92	Carlton McDonald, Air Force, Football	Anu Kalijurand, Brigham Young, Track & Field