She’s the newcomer of the year in the Great Northwestern Athletic Conference.
For Olivia Vezaldenos, her first year at Concordia University in Portland has been one to remember.
A 2016 graduate of East Union — she was one of the top scorers in the state not to mention one of the most decorated players during her four years with the Lancers — Vezaldenos was also all-GNAC for the Cavaliers.
Both honors were as voted by the 11 coaches in the NCAA Division II conference.
Vezaldenos came to Concordia via Chabot College, where she was team MVP, first team all-conference and second team all-state.
She led her with a 15.9 scoring average, shooting 84 percent from the line while converting of 83 3s — Vezaldenos shot 39 percent from beyond the arc.
In addition, she had 63 assists, recorded 45 steals, and averaged 2.7 rebounds per game.
Vezaldenos’ Concordia teammate Keesha Sarman, who made first team all-GNAC, was also honored.
Coach of the Year went to Ryan McCarthy of Alaska Anchorage while Ozi Nwabuko of Simon Fraser received Defensive Player of the Year award.
St. Martin’s Claire Dingus was named Freshman of the Year.
Concordia’s season ended March 7 with a 68-65 loss to No. 4-seeded Central Washington in the GNAC Championships quarterfinals. The Cavaliers’ 16-13 record is their best since joining the NCAA Division II ranks.