PORT ANGELES — Miranda Schmillen, Ryley Callaghan, Kasie Lough, Micah Weller, Cherish Moss and Karen Corral were honored at Peninsula College’s annual awards ceremony last week at the Cornaby Center.
Schmillen and Callaghan received the Art Feiro Award for women’s and men’s basketball in recognition of outstanding contribution to leadership, athleticism, academics and citizenship.
Lough and Weller were named the Wally Sigmar Award for women’s and men’s soccer, also for outstanding leadership, athleticism, academics and citizenship.
Moss and Corral were the 2014-15 William and Annie McMullen Award winners, an award specifically for freshmen female athletes who were inspirational, dedicated, accomplished and were outstanding ambassadors to their respective sports.
“It will be an honor to etch these six names onto trophies that will become part of Pirate sports history,” said Rick Ross, associate dean for athletics and student life at Peninsula College.
“Our coaches had so many choices for these awards, and these six athletes represent all of the outstanding and dedicated athletes who, year in and year out, continue to put Peninsula College and this community on the map.”
Schmillen, a 5-4 guard from Honolulu, was named to the 2014-15 Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team and played arguably the best game of her life, leading the Pirates with 21 points, six assists and nine rebounds, in the title game against Lane to help the Pirates win the first NWAC women’s basketball championship in school history.
She will play at Multnomah University in Portland next year.
Callaghan, of Port Orchard, is a freshmen guard who led Peninsula College in scoring in 2014-15 with 17.5 points per game, and whose leadership on the floor helped the Pirates not only qualify for the postseason, but eventually capture a third-place trophy at the NWAC men’s basketball championships.
He also was a leader off the floor and is among the academic leaders on the men’s basketball team.
Lough, a sophomore goalkeeper from Roy, was a key member of the 2013 NWAC soccer championship season, and then helped the Pirates to a second-place finish in 2014.
She was a part of arguably the best goalkeeper unit in the NWAC and she was a member of the 2014 NWAC All-Academic Team.
Lough will play for Vancouver Island University in the fall.
Weller, a forward from Cheney, made an immediate impact as a freshman, scoring four goals and helping the Pirates to a sixth straight West Division championship and a berth in the playoffs that ended in the NWAC quarterfinals.
He demonstrates leadership on and off the field and is among the academic leaders on his team.
Moss, a freshman guard from Neah Bay, played a key role in Peninsula’s championship season.
Her calm leadership, dedication to her team, her work ethic and her athletic contribution off the bench were instrumental in the Pirates’ success.
She and her teammates also are part of a popular Pirate Pals program that provides mentorship and skill development for the North Olympic Peninsula’s youth.
Corral, a freshman from Spanish Springs, Nev., was a key part of Peninsula’s defense that led the NWAC in goals-against, giving up only four goals in 18 matches in 2014.
Known as a hard worker, Corral has shown dedication to her sport, her studies and to serving the youth in her new community.
