SAN DIEGO – Clare Adams,
Jessica Ong and
Remington Hirano earned San Diego's Highest GPA Awards for the senior, junior and sophomore classes, respectively, as USD Athletics began its week-long rollout of its annual Celebration of Excellence honors.
The trio of Torero scholar-athletes represented women's rowing, women's cross country and track, and golf with the academic achievements. All three had a perfect 4.0 GPA or nearly reached that mark.
All week, USD Athletics will announce the Celebration of Excellence awards, which include the Highest GPA Awards, Father Owen Mullen Service Award (May 27), Spirit of the Torero Award (May 27), Newcomers of the Year (May 28), and Torero Athletes of the Year (May 29).
The annual awards, usually presented to Torero scholar-athletes at the Celebration of Excellence event in San Diego, were voted on by athletics administration and nominated by head coaches.
Highest GPA Award
Senior Class
Clare Adams (Women's Rowing)
Adams, an international relations and Spanish double major, ended her time at USD with a 3.98 GPA and as the 2020 recipient of the Alcala Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior by university president James T. Harris III.
Adams competed in USD's top boat in the last three years and was a two-time All-WCC selection. She also earned WCC All-Academic honors as a sophomore and junior.
Off the water, Adams was an active participant in community service, working with such groups as the Youth and Leaders Living Actively, San Diego Rapid Response Network, local schools, and the Torero Ambassadors Club. A daughter of two veterans, Adams will join the Peace Corps after graduation and volunteer in Kenya.
Junior Class
Jessica Ong (Women's Cross Country/Track)
Ong, a psychology major and management minor, has a perfect 4.0 GPA through her junior year. The WCC All-Academic honoree competed in five events this past fall for the Toreros in cross country, running a personal-best of 22:34 at the Highlander Invitational and finished 28th at the USD Invite.
Sophomore Class
Remington Hirano (Golf)
Hirano, a finance major and real estate minor, maintained a 4.0 GPA through his sophomore year. On the course, Remington competed in two events this past season for the Toreros and nine tournaments throughout his first two years.
