News Releases

Clark College Honors January 2011
Student Athletes of the Month

Student athletes Arman Kalan and Lacey Kruse are honored
for their leadership on Clark’s basketball teams
      

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Two talented sophomores have been named the January 2011 Clark College Student Athletes of the Month.  Arman Kalan and Lacey Kruse have brought leadership and experience to Clark’s basketball teams.

Arman Kalan is one of only two returning sophomores on this year's Penguin squad.  Over the past two years, according to head coach Mike Arnold, “The coaching staff has watched Arman grow from a quiet individual to a vocal team captain.”  The 6'7" Armenian-born center leads by example, averaging 11 points and 7 rebounds per game with 4 double-doubles on the year. 

Arnold noted, “Arman's defensive presence really fires up this Penguin team.  With 45 blocked shots on the year, Arman leads the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) in blocked shots, making him an irreplaceable force inside the paint.”

Kalan has worked equally hard in the classroom, improving his GPA to 2.74.  He is on track to graduate this spring. Several four-year schools have expressed interest in having Kalan compete on their athletics teams.

At 6'2", Lacey Kruse is a described by head coach Nancy Boone as “a dominant force inside and a rebounding machine.”  This season, Kruse leads the team in rebounds averaging over 7 per game. 

She has posted two 14 rebound games, as well as a 17 and a 20 rebound game. 

Boone said, “Lacey is also a scoring threat averaging ten points a game, with a recent 30 point game performance.” 

Kruse finished the fall quarter with a 3.62 grade point average (GPA), boosting her cumulative GPA to 3.45.  She is also scheduled to graduate from Clark this spring. 

The Student Athlete of the Month program recognizes both the academic and athletic achievements of Clark’s student athletes.  Two recipients are selected each month by a committee that includes Clark College coaches, athletic department personnel, and fellow students.

Each honoree receives a jacket with his or her name embroidered on it. The jackets are provided by Les Schwab through its support of the “Student Athlete of the Month” program, in partnership with Clark’s Penguin Athletic Club and the Clark College Foundation. 

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