Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame Honors
Four Student-Athlete With Scholarships
SANTA ANA, CA - For the first time in its history the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame awarded four $1,250 scholarships to transferring student-athletes, Tuesday. Elle Cruikshank (track & field), Matt Morris (baseball), Robert Reynaga (basketball) and Jessica Wardle (softball) became the first recipients of the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame Student-Athlete Scholarships when their names were announced during the awards dinner of the 2005 Ed Arnold Golf Classic, a fundraiser for the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame, held at Mile Square Golf Course in Fountain Valley , CA.
“The Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame was established to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves from the thousands of student-athletes and hundreds of coaches who have excelled at Santa Ana College,” said Ken Purcell, chair of the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame. “Our executive committee wanted to take things one step further and honor student-athletes, who will be transferring to four-year institutions, for their academic and athletic accomplishments while at Santa Ana College . We couldn't have asked for a better first class than we have tonight in Elle, Matt, Ray and Jessica and we're honoreed to help them pursue their educational goals.”
During her two years at Santa Ana College, Elle Cruikshank has compiled a 3.87 GPA and made a name for herself by winning nearly everything she's entered in track & field. Earlier this month (May), Cruikshank capped her Santa Ana College career by winning the heptathlon title at the California Community College Commission On Athletics State Track & Field Championships.Cruikshank, who broke her own school record for the second-time this season, scored 4,618 in the seven-event competition to easily outdistance Cerritos College 's Jacqueline Taylor who finished second with 4,283 points.
While at Santa Ana College , the former Foothill High School-product won back-to-back Orange Empire Conference (OEC) and Southern California Regional heptathlon titles to go along with a state heptathlon title this year. Her only second-place finished came in the heptathlon at the 2004 California Community Colleges Commission On Athletics Track & Field Championships when she was a freshman. This past year Cruikshank was named the Orange Empire Conference's (OEC) Women's Track Athlete of the Year while as a freshman she was named the OEC Women's Field Athlete of the Year.
Matt Morris , meanwhile, helped guide the Dons' baseball team to a
65-17 record, two conference titles and a pair of Southern California Regional appearances during his two years at Santa Ana College . Morris, who sports a 3.67 GPA, was a first team all-OEC selection both years and was an all-Southern California honoree as a freshman. For his career he batted .365, scored 87 runs, hit 20 doubles, collected 43 RBI and was 31 of 33 in stole base opportunities.
On Sunday (May 22), Morris nearly carried Santa Ana College into the state baseball tournament as he finished 8 for 10 at the plate with 4 doubles, a home run, 5 runs scored and 5 RBI in the final two Southern California Regional championship games. In the first game, he drove in the tying run and scored the winning run while hitting a three-run home run in the second game to tie the game, 6-6, in the ninth.
In his only season at Santa Ana College, Robert Reynaga helped led the Dons to a 12-14 overall record, a third place finish in the OEC and their first playoff appearance in four years from his guard position. He started in 16 of 26 games and averaged 6.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. He finished fourth on the team with 37 assists and 24 steals, respectively. He currently has a GPA of 3.17.
Jessica Wardle , who has a GPA of 3.63, was a member of the Santa Ana College fastpitch softball team that finished 20-19 overall and fourth in the conference. The sophomore was a key member of the Dons' offense where she finished fourth on the team with a .371 batting average. She led the team with 26 runs scored and was third with 33 hits. She also led the Dons in stolen bases with 15 in 19 attempts.
For more information on the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame Student-Athlete Scholars, contact Dean Hopkins, Santa Ana College sports information coordinator by telephone at (714) 564-6934 or by email ( hopkins_dean@sac.edu ).
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