University of Portland rowers Veronica Conklin and Tania Hernandez were named to the 2025 West Coast Conference (WCC) All-Academic First Team, the league office announced on May 14. The Pilots also had 20 student-athletes receive honorable mention recognition, giving Portland a total of 22 honorees—the most among the ten WCC rowing institutions.
The WCC All-Academic awards recognize student-athletes who excel both in academics and athletics. To qualify, athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20, compete in at least half of their team’s contests, not be in their first year with the team, and hold sophomore or higher athletic standing.
Conklin is majoring in mechanical engineering with a cumulative GPA of 3.95 and has been a mainstay of the first varsity eight crew this season. Hernandez is a sports business graduate student with a perfect 4.0 GPA while competing as part of the varsity four crew.
The full list of all-academic team members includes representatives from several schools across different majors and class standings. Among them are Karolina Barrier from Santa Clara (communication), Lia Brackney from Gonzaga (human physiology), Danijela Concion from Saint Mary’s (physics), Paige Harty from Creighton (exercise science/pre-health professions), Lis Ana Johansen from Washington State (psychology), Taylor Jones from Oregon State (psychology), and others recognized for their academic achievements alongside athletic participation.
Portland’s honorable mention recipients include Elizabeth Adams, Claire Banasky, Savanna Collins, Megan Eckels, Emma Hanson, Rachel Hester, Julia Kiplinger, Molly Manfred, Molly Spraker, Mina Mihaijlovic, Madie Monteith, Jo Patton, Natalie Petty, Madi Quinton, Ava Ripp, Aneta Sebokova, Bella Valenzuela, Massey Willis, Gabby Wolfe and Averie Zealley.
The announcement highlights ongoing efforts by University of Portland Athletics to support academic excellence among its athletes while maintaining competitive performance in intercollegiate sports.
