Gallery: (4-12-2023) 2023 Varsity N Recognition Ceremony

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - CSUN Athletics celebrated 92 student-athletes at the 41st annual Varsity N Athletics Honor Roll Ceremony on Tuesday evening (April 11).

The event, held at the Soraya on campus, featured guest speakers and special awards and honored Matadors who have competed for at least one season and have a minimum 3.2 grade point average (GPA) for the two most recently completed semesters. 

Tuesday's ceremony marked the 41st anniversary of the Varsity N which was started by the late CSUN professor Dr. James Sefton. Doc Sefton had a special relationship with Matador Athletics and initiated CSUN's annual academic recognition of student-athletes in 1982, which is now known as Varsity N.
 
CSUN alum Bill Courtland, a familiar voice at Matador sporting events, emceed the evening's ceremonies, which started with a speech from CSUN President Erika D. Beck.

Beck praised the group of student-athletes for dedicating their valuable time to their classes on top of their busy athletic schedules. She added that she was proud to see such a large number of student-athletes earn Varsity N recognition and encouraged the student-athletes to finish strong.
 
Following the individual recognition of each of the night's awardees in each sport, Mason Le of the CSUN baseball team spoke about his career as a Matador student-athlete before CSUN Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Cedric Hackett announced the Team Academic Awards.

The men's volleyball team was honored for the second straight year for having the highest average team GPA out of the men's sports, before the women's tennis took home the honor on the women's side for the fourth year in a row. In addition to women's tennis' team excellence in the last three years as well, men's track and field received the award for 2019 while men's golf received the award for 2020.

Associate Athletics Director for Administration and Finance, Shareef Amer then announced the Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Typically two student-athletes are honored for achieving the highest GPA's out of all CSUN student-athletes. For only the third time in Varsity N history, seven student-athletes shared the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award while Taylan Cook and Luke Krzmarzick of the men's volleyball team was honored on the men's side.
 
The list of female winners to achieve academic excellence included Elle Laur (women's golf), Samantha Alarcon (women's soccer), Ashley Cruz (women's soccer), Jacqueline O'Neill (women's tennis), Elizabeth Gannon (women's volleyball), Lacey Hall (women's water polo) and Dorottya Telek (women's water polo).

Hall, a two-time recipient of Scholar Athlete of the Year recognition, then delivered a heartfelt speech on the challenges of balancing her studies while also being a student-athlete.
 
The event concluded with closing remarks from Director of the Matador Achievement Center, Lindsey Schantz before the honorees assembled on the Soraya's grand staircase for a group photo.
 
Since the inaugural event in 1982, nearly 1,000 student-athletes have been inducted into Varsity N.

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