ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington men’s track and field athlete Lucas Van Klaveren and California Baptist women’s track and field athlete Greta Karinauskaite were each recognized as the 2023-24 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Joe Kearney Award winners. Named in honor of longtime WAC commissioner Joe Kearney, the awards are given annually to the top male and female student-athletes in the WAC during the preceding academic year.
 
Van Klaveren earned first-team All-America accolades during the 2024 outdoor track and field season after placing fifth in the men’s decathlon at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships June 5-8 Eugene, Oregon. Van Klaveren won the javelin throw (60.67m/199-0) and checked in third in the 400-meter dash (47.86) on the way to a fifth-place showing with 7,927 points.
 
Van Klaveren was a seven-time conference champion, including three straight outdoor decathlon titles from 2021-23, on the way to claiming a total of 10 career all-conference honors. Van Klaveren also added a first-team All-America scroll in the decathlon in 2022.
 
Karinauskaite, the WAC record holder in the 3000-meter steeplechase (9:26.88), finished in the top five in the nation in the event for the second straight season after posting a fourth-place time of 9:35.56 at the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. Along with first-team All-America recognition, Karinauskaite captured 2024 WAC Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year after defending her conference title in the 3000 steeplechase in May.
 
The 2023 NCAA national runner-up in the 3000 steeplechase, Karinauskaite won four conference championships that included a three-peat (2022-24) in the outdoor steeplechase and first place at the 2023 WAC Women’s Cross Country Championship. Karinauskaite became the first and only WAC women’s athlete since at least 2010 to post a sub 10-minute time in the 3000 steeplechase, doing so on 14 different occasions in official competition.
 
Karinauskaite was the second CBU winner of the Joe Kearney Award, joining women’s basketball player Ane Olaeta (2021).
 
Joe Kearney Award Winners:
 
2024: Lucas Van Klaveren, Track & Field, UT Arlington; Greta Karinauskaite, Track & Field, California Baptist
 
2023: Xavier Gipson, Football, Stephen F. Austin; Kristin Fifield, Softball, Grand Canyon
 
2022: Teddy Allen, Basketball, NM State; Annina Brandenburg, Track & Field, Abilene Christian
 
2021: Fardaws Aimaq, Basketball, Utah Valley; Ane Olaeta, Basketball, California Baptist
 
2020: Nick Gonzales, Baseball, NM State; Megan Hart, Volleyball, NM State
 
2019: Mark Nikolaev, Swimming and Diving, Grand Canyon; Brooke Salas, Basketball, NM State
 
2018: Jemerrio Jones, Basketball, NM State; Kelsey Horton, Softball, NM State
 
2017: Paul Hoffmeister, Soccer, Utah Valley/DeWayne Russell, Basketball, Grand Canyon; Shawnte’ Goff, Basketball, UTRGV
 
2016: Antoine Rozner, Golf, Kansas City; Gwen Murphy, Volleyball, NM State
 
2015: Michael McPherson, Track & Field, Utah Valley; Courtney Frerichs, Cross Country/Track & Field, Kansas City
 
2014: Mitchell Huxhold, Swimming and Diving, Bakersfield; Stephanie Verdoia, Soccer, Seattle U
 
2013: Kyle Barone, Basketball, Idaho; Hannah Kiser, Cross Country/Track & Field, Idaho
 
2012: Andrew Blaser, Track and Field, Idaho/Robert Turbin, Football, Utah State; Chelsea Hayes, Track & Field, Louisiana Tech
 
2011: Colin Kaepernick, Football, Nevada; Emma Friesen, Swimming and Diving, Hawai’i
 
2010: Kellen Moore, Football, Boise State; Amber Kaufman, Volleyball/Track and Field, Hawai’i
 
2009: Tom Mendonca, Baseball, Fresno State; Melanie Gloria, Tennis, Fresno State
 
2008: Steve Susdorf, Baseball, Fresno State; Emma Friesen, Diving, Hawai‘i
 
2007: Colt Brennan, Football, Hawai‘I; Kanoe Kamana’o, Volleyball, Hawai‘i
 
2006: Nick Fazekas, Basketball, Nevada; Kanoe Kamana’o, Volleyball, Hawai’i
 
2005: Gabriel Wallin, Track and Field, Boise State; Jamie Southern, Softball, Fresno State
 
2004: Kirk Snyder, Basketball, Nevada; Kim Willoughby, Volleyball, Hawai‘i
 
2003: Nick Watney, Golf, Fresno State; Kim Willoughby, Volleyball/Basketball, Hawai‘i
 
2002: David Carr, Football, Fresno State; Stacy Prammanasudh, Golf, Tulsa
 
2001: LaDainian Tomlinson, Football, TCU; Florence Ezeh, Track and Field, SMU
 
2000: Courtney Alexander, Basketball, Fresno State; Amanda Scott, Softball, Fresno State
 
1999: Andre Miller, Basketball, Utah; Martina Moravcova, Swimming and Diving, SMU
 
1998: Lars Frolander, Swimming and Diving, SMU; Amanda Scott, Softball, Fresno State
 
1997: Keith Van Horn, Basketball, Utah; Martina Moravcova, Swimming and Diving, SMU
 
1996: Keith Van Horn, Basketball, Utah; Nina Lindenberg, Softball, Fresno State
 
1995: Stoney Case, Football, New Mexico; Susanne Metz, Gymnastics, Utah
 
1994: Marshall Faulk, Football, San Diego State; Amy Van Dyken, Swimming and Diving, Colorado State
 
1993: Marshall Faulk, Football, San Diego State; Mikki Kane-Barton, Volleyball, Utah
 
1992: Carlton McDonald, Football, Air Force; Anu Kaljurand, Track and Field, Brigham Young