CCCAA announces 2018 Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Scholar-Athlete Team honors

SACRAMENTO - The diamond sports provided the backdrop for baseball pitcher Will Zurcher from the College of Marin and softball team captain Janelle McAfee of West Valley College to help them impressively achieveme inside and outside of the classroom on their way to being named the 2017-18 men’s and women’s Scholar-Athlete Award winners by the California Community College Athletic Association, it was announced on Monday.

The pair will be honored at the annual CCCAA Convention in Concord on March 27, along with 18 other impressive student-athletes from conferences throughout the state who earned distinction on the Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll, and 18 programs that will receive Scholar Team Awards.

All the Scholar-Athlete award winners are recognized for excelling academically with at least a 3.50 GPA, athletically and in citizenship, and represent the positive outcome of dedication, hard work and service. The Scholar Team Award is the highest academic team achievement given annually by the CCCAA. All team members must have excelled academically with a total GPA of 3.0 or higher. The teams have also demonstrated better than average accomplishments in intercollegiate athletic competition.  

Zurcher saw action at third base for the Mariners as a freshman in 2017 before finding time on the mound last season. He helped Marin win a pair of Bay Valley Conference Championships, was among the team leaders for innings pitched, games started and ERA, and finished off the Mariners’ lone playoff win during an 18-4 victory over the College of San Mateo. As a freshman, he posted the team’s second-best on-base percentage (.467).

Zurcher graduated with Honors while posting a 3.93 GPA in Social Sciences at Marin and now attends UCLA. He earned distinction on the Marin Honor List four times and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He dedicated his time outside of the classroom and his team to several service Wefforts, including organizing study sessions and writing workshops for his teammates, helping second-year teammates by reviewing application materials during their transfer process, and volunteering with both the Rotary Club of San Rafael and the Marine Mammal Center. The Eagle Scout also assisted as an Assistant Scoutmaster and was an adult leader for the Boy Scouts of American National Youth Leadership Training Program.

An outfielder for the West Valley softball team, McAfee enjoyed an outstanding 2017 freshman season, leading the Vikings in at-bats (113) and stolen bases (15) while posting a .274 batting average. She was third on the team in RBIs (13), second in triples (1) and received All-Freshman honorable mention recognition. She collected 20 hits and 10 RBIs last season and added another five stolen bases and a triple to her career totals.

McAfee’s academics took her to another level. She posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in business and was the valedictorian of her graduating class. She was a Dean’s List honoree and Scholar Athlete each of her four semesters at West Valley and was a member of the AGS Honor Society. But her achievements extended beyond her classwork and her sport. She volunteered with the Campbell Fastpitch Youth Softball League and Los Altos Nova Fusion softball team, taught youth band at her church, led Bible Study groups and worked as a tutor. She also devoted her time to volunteering at soup kitchens and other community focused groups.

McAfee was accepted to several colleges, including Princeton, Notre Dame, UC Berkeley, Northwestern and Carnegie Mellon, and is currently attending Washington University in St. Louis.