IRVINE, Calif. - At Sunday's Senior Legacy Banquet, the Concordia University Irvine athletics department celebrated the graduating class of 2021 and also announced the annual Senior Awards.

Six student-athletes were honored for their outstanding performances athletically, academically and in the community as well as for the remarkable legacy they will leave behind.

Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Taylor Steffen – Men's Swimming and Diving

• Member of Concordia's 2019 Conference Championship Team (PCSC Title)
• Holds School Record in the 1000 Freestyle
• Won the 1000 yard Freestyle and was member of the winning 800 yard Freestyle relay to help earn that Conference Ring
• All-Conference selection in 5 different events during his career
• Two-Time CSCAA Scholar All-American & D2ADA Academic Award Recipient
• Part of the 4-by-200 relay that upset Biola in 2021 Conference Meet
• Named PCSC Swimmer of the Week

 
Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Kennedy Fulcher – Women's Basketball

• Academic All-PacWest every year
• Ranks Top 10 all-time in all four rebounding categories - including No. 7 in career rebounds
• 4th Concordia women's basketball player ever to score 1,000 career points and block 100 shots
• No. 7 all-time in games started in program history
• Student-worker on campus working CUI home games past four years

 
Nicole Lukinbeal – Softball

• Academic All-PacWest every year
• NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete
• Member of back-to-back PacWest Conference Champions
• Student-worker on campus working CUI home games throughout her four years

 
Male Athlete of the Year
Marius Jakimcikas – Men's Water Polo

• ACWPC D2 First Team All-American and First Team All-Conference by WWPA
• Holds School Record for most goals scored in one season (102 goals in 2019)
• Ranks No. 2 all-time behind teammate & fellow senior Patrik Zsiros in Career Goals
• Also ranks Top 5 all-time in Recorded Career Assists
• Named to Academic All-Conference Team multiple times (WWPA)

 
Female Athlete of the Year
Callie Nunes – Softball

• All-American selection in back-to-back years by the NFCA, D2CCA AND Fastpitch Network
• Has thrown 6 Career No-Hitters (including one to deliver career win No. 500 for Crystal Rosenthal as head coach)
• Owns school record for Career Strikeouts AND Career Saves
• Will finish career ranked in Top 10 in the record books in more than 20 different categories
• Led All of NCAA Division II with 33 wins during the historic 2019 season when CUI softball earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking in the DII era.
• Member of back-to-back PacWest Conference Champions
• Named PacWest Pitcher of the Week 12 times
• Named First Team All-Conference and PacWest Pitcher of the Year multiple times
• Previous Top 10 Finalist for NFCA National Pitcher of the Year
• NFCA Freshman of the Year in 2018
• NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete AND Academic All-PacWest every year

 
Eagle Award
Ghazal Pakbaten – Women's Tennis

• First Team All-Conference in Singles (3x) AND First Team All-Conference in Doubles (2x)
• Named an ITA All-American along with fellow senior & doubles partner Rebekah Anderson
• Featured on the 2021 Spring Cover of CUI Magazine
• Went undefeated at No. 1 singles in all finished matches this regular season
• Helped her team be named ITA DII Women's Team of the Month and also rise as high as No. 18 in DII national rankings
• Ranks Top 6 all-time in career wins for women's singles AND doubles, and also ranks Top 5 all-time in winning percentage.
• Academic All-PacWest every year

Congrats to all our seniors and we thank them for their dedication to our school, their teams and their faith. It's a great day to be an Eagle!

Links to previous CUI Senior Award Winners:
2020 Senior Awards
2019 Senior Awards
2017 & 2018 Senior Awards
 
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