ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – The Soka University of America Athletics Department proudly announces the award winners for the 2025-2026 season. The awards include, Most Outstanding Athlete for each program, Recreation Center Employee of the Year, Female & Male Athlete of the Year, Dr. Cheng Comeback of the Year Award, Female & Male Athletics Director Award, Female & Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Lion Hearted Team Award, Lion Hearted Individual Award, and the highest honor awarded to a Soka student-athlete, the Wyatt Balman Award.
Each coach concludes the season by honoring and recognizing their Most Outstanding Athlete. (A complete list of awards winners by sport is provided below.)
Men's Cross Country Most Outstanding: Eiichi Takemura
Women's Cross Country Most Outstanding: Yuko Hashimoto
Men's Soccer Most Outstanding: Armando Carrera
Women's Soccer Most Outstanding: Sienna Manns
Men's Swimming Most Outstanding: Jaeger Frazier
Women's Swimming Most Outstanding: Beatriz Ulian Vilanova
Men's Golf Most Outstanding: Joaquin Belmonte
Women's Golf Most Outstanding: Mariah Brooks
Men's Track & Field Most Outstanding: Lev Nakemura
Women's Track & Field Most Outstanding: Miki Kawamura
Men's Volleyball Most Outstanding: Kamoholaii Chan
Recreation Center Employee of the Year: Leo Lau
Female Athlete of the Year: Yuko Jitoho
Male Athlete of the Year: Christian Obergfell
Female Athletics Director Award Recipient: Linnea Yamamoto
Male Athletics Director Award Recipient: Mateus Quesada
The Scholar-Athlete recipients are chosen based on the two highest GPAs and are named the Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Mili Fukada
Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Mark Pliuschanskii
The Dr. Cheng Sports Medicine Comeback Award is named after our former Sports Medicine Team Physician, John Cheng, who passed away heroically in May 2022 after saving parishioners at his church from an active shooter. Dr. Cheng was an active Aliso Viejo community member and a beloved physician, friend, and family man. He embodied the Soka philosophy of care, commitment, and compassion in his work as a physician with his patients and athletes. The Dr. Cheng Sports Medicine award is given to a Student-Athlete who has sustained a significant injury that requires commitment to recovery, courage, and resilience to return to competition.
Dr. Cheng Sports Medicine Comeback Award: Florencia Linares Banos
The Lionhearted individual award is given to the Student-Athlete with the most community service hours for the year. The Lionhearted team award is given to the team that generates the most service hours per capita.
The Lionhearted Individual Award: Robbie Cotton
The Lionhearted Team Award: Women's Soccer
The Wyatt Balman Award honors the individual who best embodies the characteristics Wyatt possessed, and receiving this award is the highest honor a student-athlete can achieve. The presentation of this award should serve as an inspiration to all current and future Soka student-athletes and recognize their exceptional behavior. This individual has excelled athletically and exhibited outstanding behavior and enthusiasm, just as Wyatt did. Those who receive this award are considered the ultimate teammate, radiating positivity, team spirit, and passion. They will welcome every day with optimism and a desire to become the best version of themselves.
The Wyatt Balman Award: Mallorie Barteau
Additionally, S.A.A.C. would like to announce the presidential election result. Next year's S.A.A.C. President is Nicole Skzyrpek.
