Alyssa Selve runs to All-American recognition
The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.
Alyssa Selve (Glendale Community College, 2012) junior, Adams State women’s cross-country: With Selve fresh off aiding the Glendale college women’s team’s 2011 state cross-country championship, the junior’s attempt for back-to-back team titles came up a bit short, as the Adams State women’s team took third at the NCAA Division II championships Nov. 17 in Missouri.
The Grizzlies took third with 109 points, eight behind winner Grand Valley State’s 101.
Still, Selve’s first season as a Grizzly ended with her earning All-American status. Selve was her team’s No. 4 runner in the race, finishing in 39th place — the top 40 runners are recognized as All-Americans — in 21 minutes 21.2 seconds.
Taylor Vail (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2010) junior, Bowdoin women’s volleyball: The Glendale native was recently one of eight Bowdoin student-athletes to receive Fall All-Sportsmanship accolades from the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
It’s an accolade bestowed by the NESCAC to student-athletes from each varsity sport who have put forth great dedication to sportsmanship.
Vail, a former Tologs captain, put forth some excellent work on the volleyball court as the Polar Bears’ starting libero.
After sharing the NESCAC title in the regular season, the Polar Bears advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs, where they lost to Umass-Boston, 3-2, on Nov. 11. Vail had a match-high 27 digs, to go along with four assists.
On the season, she led the team with 419 digs in addition to 15 aces and 60 assists.
David Yetenikyan (Glendale High, 2012) freshman, Occidental College men’s basketball: Yetenikyan is getting some time off the bench during his first campaign with the Tigers.
Averaging 5.4 points per game and 4.4 rebounds, the former Nitros All-Pacific Leaguer has played in all nine of his team’s games, coming off the bench to the tune of 15.7 minutes per game.
Occidental has struggled to a 3-6 record and opened up Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play 0-3. The Tigers did snap a five-game losing streak with a 74-63 win over Washington and Jefferson at the Las Vegas Hoopla Tournament on Friday.
In the win, Yetenikyan turned in one of his best outings, scoring six points on two-of-two shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, while also sinking his only free throw. He also pulled down seven rebounds and added a steal and a block.
Oxy returns to action Sunday with a doubleheader at Chapman against Colorado College.
Kenyatta Smith (Flintridge Prep, 2011) sophomore, Harvard men’s basketball: The former News-Press Male Athlete of the Year, after leading Flintridge Prep to the program’s first and only CIF championship, is imposing his size in the post when he gets playing time for the Crimson.
Smith tallied a career-high five blocks on Dec. 11 in a 65-64 win against Boston University and also notched six points and four rebounds in 16 minutes. Smith had five points in eight minutes off the bench during Harvard’s 72-65 win against Holy Cross on Saturday.
Through 10 games, the sophomore center has played in eight games with five starts, averaging 14.5 minutes a game, five points, just under four rebounds and a team-high 1.8 blocks.
Having won two straight and four of its last five, Harvard (6-4) is coming out west, as Smith is set to make a homecoming of sorts with a game at the University of California on Saturday and a game at St. Mary’s on Monday. Harvard begins Ivy League play Jan. 12 at Dartmouth.