SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- University of Portland cross country standout Tommy Betterbed was named the West Coast Conference Mike Gilleran Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was also presented with the WCC Postgraduate Scholarship, league commissioner Jamie Zaninovich announced on Thursday. He is the first student-athlete to earn both distinctions in WCC history.
Betterbed becomes the tenth overall student-athlete in Portland history to garner WCC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. He joins Bryan Bothwell (cross country ’00), Uli Steidl (cross country ’97) and Jason Boykoff (soccer ’93) as the only UP male honorees.
The WCC Postgraduate Scholarship is the fifth received by a Portland student-athlete since the award began seven years ago, the most of any conference member. Betterbed joins former teammate David Kinsella (’09) as well as Kari Evans (women’s soccer ’07), Andreas Gahlmann (men’s basketball ’05) and Imani Dorsey (women’s soccer ’04) as the Pilot postgraduate recipients.
"Tommy has been a great leader and will be dearly missed,” Portland men’s cross country head coach Rob Conner said. “He has left a blue print for success that all the current and future team members will be able to use."
Jennifer Lee-Heinser of San Francisco’s women’s tennis team was the WCC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Lori Conrad of Gonzaga’s women’s soccer team was the WCC Female Postgraduate Scholar.
“The mission of the WCC’s member institutions is to develop student-athletes holistically with opportunities to grow as leaders through athletics, academics, and community service,” said Zaninovich. “Thomas and Jennifer embody the ideals of our member schools and are very deserving recipients of this distinguished award.”
“It is the conference’s honor to help Lori and Thomas take their education to the next level,” Zaninovich added.
Betterbed was a four-year runner for the Pilot cross country program and competed in three NCAA Championship meets, leading Portland to top 15 finishes each season including a seventh place showing in 2007. The Fox Island, Wash. native placed 52nd at the 2008 NCAA Championships, his top showing at nationals. The 2006 WCC Freshman of the Year, Betterbed earned All-West Region honors in 2008 and 2009.
He majored in biology with minors in chemistry and Spanish and began working on his Master’s of Business Administration this year. Betterbed earned Dean’s List distinction six times and was twice named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National All-Academic Team.
Betterbed has been accepted to Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) where he will begin studying this fall in the School of Dentistry.
Mike Gilleran WCC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2010 - Tommy Betterbed (POR), Jennifer Lee-Heinser (USF)
2009 - Gregory Moss (LMU), Julie Rubenstein (PEP)
2008 - Tavo Hall (USF), Stephanie Cox (POR)
2007 - Richard Johnson (PEP), Kim McGivens (SCU)
2006 - Nick Kliebert (PEP), Christine Sinclair (POR)
2005 - Michael Putnam (PEP), Megan Kakadelas (SCU)
2004 - Blake Stepp (GON), Kate Murray (LMU) & Imani Dorsey (POR)
2003 - Jeff Kovar (LMU), Katherine Hull (PEP) & Aly Wagner (SCU)
2002 - Dan Dickau (GON), Danielle Slaton (SCU)
2001 - Michael Cortez (LMU), Anne Garrison (SCU)
2000 - Bryan Bothwell (POR), Susan Erpelding (USD)
1999 - Clemens Philippi (LMU), Brittany Lindhe (USF)
1998 - David Sivulich (SMC), Tracy Holman (LMU)
1997 - Uli Steidl (POR), Mollie Flint (SMC)
1996 - Brendan Graves (SCU), Valerie Gillon (USF)
1995 - Jacob Slania (USD), Margaret Krawiec (SCU)
1994 - Jeff Brown (GON), Sheri Brown (LMU)
1993 - Jason Boykoff (POR), Nikki Rosenfeldt (POR)
1992 - Jarrod Davis (GON), Martha Sheldon (POR)
1991 - Brenden Griffin (USD), Anja Bordt (SMC)
1990 - Joe DeBortoli (USF), Paula Mascari (USD)
1989 - Rick Hirtensteiner (PEP), Tracy Thorne (POR)
1988 - Wes Bilven (SCU), Mary Carlson (USF)
1987 - Steve Krallman (USD), Debbie Dunbar (USF)
1986 - John bustos (USF), Chris Starr (NEV)
1985 - Bryce McPhee (GON)
1984 - John Stockton (GON)
1983 - Brandon Bennett (SMC)
1982 - Bill Dunlap (GON)
1981 - Al Smoot (USF)
1980 - Ted Wood (SMC)
1979 - Rodney Lee (USF)
1978 - Patrick McVeigh (SCU)
1977 - John O'Shaughnessy (SCU)
1976 - Dick Skophammer (PEP)
The Mike Gilleran WCC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award is selected by a vote of the WCC's institutional representatives to recognize the finest accomplishments in athletics, academics and community service by individuals who have completed their WCC eligibility. The award was re-named in honor of the conference's first full-time Commissioner, Mike Gilleran, who retired in May after 24 years of service to the WCC.
WCC Postgraduate Scholarship Award
2010 - Tommy Betterbed (POR), Lori Conrad (GON)
2009 - David Kinsella (POR), Elizabeth Doran (SCU)
2008 - Mitchell Henke (SCU), Lauren Zuckerman (GON)
2007 - Richard Johnson (PEP), Kari Evans (POR)
2006 - Keith Jarbo (PEP), Kari Durgan (GON)
2005 - Andreas Gahlmann (POR), Robin Bell (SCU)
2004 - Kellen Hiroto (USD), Imani Dorsey (POR)
Committed to promoting the educational experience and academic achievements of its student-athletes, the WCC provides one male and one female student-athlete with a scholarship to assist them in their graduate school or professional school education. Candidates must own a minimum 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, demonstrate a significant athletic contribution on the varsity athletic level in a WCC sponsored sport and participate in a WCC sport for a minimum of two years. In addition, candidates must have a record of participating in campus or community activities, completed their athletic eligibility, and competed in intercollegiate athletics in the academic year in which they are nominated.