June 11, 2004
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - The West Coast Conference is proud to announce the University of San Diego's Kellen Hiroto (Riverside, CA) and the University of Portland's Imani Dorsey as the first-ever winners of the WCC Post-Graduate Scholarship award, as announced by Commissioner Michael Gilleran.
During his four year's at the University of San Diego, Hiroto excelled in the classroom and on the soccer field. A four-year letterwinner, Hiroto played in 72 games with 71 starts. The Riverside, CA native was twice selected as an All-WCC Honorable Mention member and named to three WCC All-Academic teams. Hiroto graduated from USD this past May with a degree in History and finished with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.63. Hiroto earned Dean's List recognition from 2001-04 and was selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII member. Hiroto helped guide the Toreros to four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and was selected by his teammates as the team's 2003 Defensive MVP.
Earlier in the week, Dorsey was selected as the 2003-04 WCC Co-Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, sharing the league's top honor with Loyola Marymount's Kate Murray. Dorsey is no stranger to academic success, being named to the Dean's List for eight consecutive semesters. The Santa Monica, CA native is an Interdisciplinary Studies major, posting a 3.84 grade-point average. During her time on The Bluff, Dorsey was twice selected as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, named a CoSIDA Academic All-American, and was a member of two WCC All-Academic teams. Dorsey's success in the classroom was equalled by her performance on the soccer field. Dorsey helped lead the Pilots to the 2002 National Championship and was named the 2003 WCC Defender of the Year. For her efforts, Dorsey was selected to numerous All-American teams, including Soccer Buzz and Soccer Post Magazine.
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.
