California State University Northridge Athletics
CSUN Celebrates Scholar-Athletes at 44th Annual Varsity N Ceremony
4/14/2026 9:00:00 AM | General
The ceremony, held for the first time at the Northridge Center 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.Â
Monday's ceremony marked the 44th anniversary of the Varsity N Honor Roll Ceremony, which was originated 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.
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CSUN alum Bill Courtland, a familiar voice at Matador sporting events, emceed the evening's ceremonies, which opened with remarks from CSUN Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Meera Komarraju.
"Your athletic goals and your academic goals are both critical," Komarraju said to the room of student-athletes. "Your achievements reflect your ability to be disciplined. To be disciplined includes the ability to prioritize, to be organized, work really hard, be focused, to be able to avoid distractions, and effectively manage your thoughts, emotions, and behavior, so kudos for being disciplined."
Following the individual recognition of each of the night's awardees in each sport, men's volleyball student-athlete Jordan Lucas shared his thoughts on transferring to CSUN and competing for one season (2026).
"When I first arrived at CSUN in Spring 2025, it was both exciting and challenging," Lucas said. "Transferring into a new program for your final year is a difficult task, stepping into an unfamiliar environment where relationships are already built, systems are already in place, and expectations are high. But if there's one thing my journey as a student-athlete has taught me, it's how to adapt quickly, stay grounded, and trust the work you've put in. Walking into a new program for one year made me reflect on what I was bringing with me, not just as a player, but as a person. The discipline I built over the last four years of college, the resilience from past challenges, and the ability to adapt are transferable skills that mattered just as much as anything I did on the court.
"Because at some point, the game ends for all of us! And when it does, what stays isn't just the wins or the stats, it's who you became through it," he added. "The habits, the mindset, the way you learned to handle pressure, failure, and growth. We all come from different backgrounds, different paths, different timelines, but we all chose to keep going. To keep improving. To keep showing up."
Director of Athletics Ryan Swartwood then announced the Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Typically, two student-athletes (one male, one female) are honored for achieving a 4.0 grade point average in Spring and Fall 2025. For only the sixth time in Varsity N history, multiple student-athletes shared both the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
The list of female winners to achieve academic excellence included Ainsley Patrick (beach volleyball), Katie Kolar (women's volleyball), Sakura Divecchio (track & field), Marin Byars (water polo), and Anna Negulic (women's track & field/cross country). On the men's side, Tui Edwin (track & field), Logan Miller (baseball), and Ryan Chu (men's soccer) were honored for their academic excellence.
"We are incredibly proud to gather as a community and celebrate the academic success of our student-athletes," Swartwood commented. "This event speaks to our traditions, and for 44 years has bonded Matadors past and present as we honor the achievements of our student-athletes." Â
Dr. Paul Lazarony, CSUN's Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies, then presented the Rising Matador Awards for 2025. The award honors new freshmen and transfers who earned a 4.00 grade point average in the Fall of 2025.
The list of recipients included Ashley Strickland (water polo), Raul Verges (men's track & field/cross country), Daysha Halbert (beach volleyball), Kalli Sanchez (beach volleyball), Alex Valente (women's soccer), Cade Berry (baseball), Charles Rogers (baseball), Madison Okano (softball), Serena Grace (women's track & field), Hannah Bridge (women's track & field), Jana Canadell (women's basketball), Rita Nazario (women's basketball), Brayden Conyers (men's soccer), Devin Davila (men's soccer), Dave-Ryan Tankou (men's soccer), Sophie Cook (women's golf), and Lily McGowan (women's golf).Â
The second student-athlete speaker of the evening was Sakura Divecchio, who delivered a heartfelt speech on the challenges of balancing training, school work, and an internship.
"What sets us apart as student-athletes is that we are relentless, even in the face of challenges," she said. "Everything we do is charged with the energy of striving for absolute excellence, on and off the field. The work ethic you've developed in your sport, competing at the highest level of collegiate athletics while simultaneously crushing it in the classroom, counts for something. Employers know that it takes an incredible amount of discipline to do what you all have done. You develop your grit, consistency, and work ethic, and are rewarded with heightened resilience, trust in your own ability, and unwavering bonds with your teammates."
Next, Director of the Matador Achievement Center, Grace Castaneda announced the induction of the newest members into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society. In 2025, CSUN Athletics and the Matador Achievement Center collaborated to become members of the organization whose mission is to recognize student-athletes who embody the highest standards of academic achievement, athletic excellence, leadership, and service.
2026 inductees included Jalen Barbee (men's basketball), Joseph Barrio (men's basketball), Ian Boras (men's soccer), Treasure Brown (women's track & field/cross country), Layne Buck (men's track & field), Santiago Cerda (men's track & field), Ryan Chu (men's soccer), Haley Coggins (beach volleyball), Benjamin Cohen (men's volleyball), Jade Cuevas (water polo), Madison DiGiorgio (women's volleyball), Owen Douphner (men's volleyball), Taylor Dunlap (women's volleyball), Tui Edwin (men's track & field), Savannah Ganter (women's track & field), Angela Ho (women's tennis), Jocelyn Hoggard (women's track & field), Emily Hutchinson (women's track & field), Ami Jacobson (women's track & field/cross country), Katie Kolar (women's volleyball), Liam Judkins (men's golf), Jay Lousion-Roe (men's track & field), Jordan Lucas (men's volleyball), Logan Miller (baseball), Anna Laura Negulic (women's track & field), Ellie Shirley (women's golf), Amaris Smith (women's volleyball), Jayden Smith (men's track & field), Simone Smith (women's track & field), Elijah Stenberg (men's track & field/cross country), Nicole Tanoue (women's golf), Robert Thibiant (men's basketball), Yuo Torii (men's golf), and Yart Van Lieshout (men's soccer).
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Since the inaugural event in 1982, over 1,200 student-athletes have been inducted into Varsity N.
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