Strong Februarys propel Edwards, Washington to Athlete of the Month awards

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Strong pitching and all-around excellence on the hardwood defined the month of February for Santa Ana College right-hander Jay Edwards and Merced College guard Trinity Washington who have been named the CCCAA/CCCSIA Athlete of the Month, it was announced on Wednesday.

The monthly award which spans the CCC sports season from September through May has been in existence since 2005 when the CCCSIA began the task of choosing a male and female athlete of the month. Student-athletes from all 108 colleges participating in intercollegiate athletics are eligible for the honor.

Jay Edwards - Baseball - Santa Ana - Sophomore 
In the month of February, Edwards came out of the bullpen to record four of his teams 9 wins in just eight appearances, tying him for tops in the state. In 13 innings, he struck out 11 batters and posted an ERA of 1.38. He helped highlight his month by posting five strikeouts and allowing just one hit in 4.1 innings during an 11-6 win at College of the Desert on Feb. 20.

Trinity Washington - Basketball - Merced - Sophomore
In five games Washington averaged 14.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 6.4 steals.  These were against highly ranked College of the Sequoias and Fresno City College, plus Taft and Reedley Colleges.  Her second double-double came against Cabrillo College in the NorCal Regional when she had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and one blocked shot, helping the Blue Devils move on to the second round.  She was named MVP of the Central Valley Conference and was selected the Northern California All-State Team.

Women's Honorable Mention

Sydney Doherty - Softball - Cuesta - Sophomore
Doherty is arguably the top leadoff hitter in the CCCAA.  She is the offensive catalyst for the Cougars and is a state leader in several statistical categories. After one month of play, Doherty led the state in runs scored (35), hits (39), and stolen sases (29). Her .600 on-base percentage and .549 batting average also ranked in the state's top 10 (6th and 8th overall respectively). Her batting average and on-base percentage were both ahead of Cuesta's record pace, while she was only two thefts off Cuesta's season stolen base record, and more than halfway to the career mark. Doherty has also done her job in the field anywhere the Cougars need her. She is a natural outfielder but she has played several games at shortstop and second base while also serving as the Cougars' No. 2 pitcher.

Samantha Fletes - Softball - West Valley - Sophomore
For the month of February, Fletes had the following stats: .523 AVG / .600 OBP / .636 SLG, 44 AB / 23 Hits / 5 doubles / 10 RBI / 10 walks