STOCKTON, Calif. – Pacific athletics is proud to announce two of its athletes as finalists for the 2023 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup.
The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented to six distinguished athletes from any sport – male/female high school, male/female intercollegiate, and male/female professional – who best display character, teamwork, and citizenship, the attributes' Athletes for a Better World' deems central to transforming individuals, sport, and society. The award establishes the recipients as athletes of excellence both on and off the field, role models both as performers and persons, the most important and distinctive honor athletes can achieve.
Pacific's Clara Vulpisi is a finalist for the female intercollegiate award. Vulpisi is a senior student-athlete at Pacific studying political science with a 3.79 cumulative GPA. She is the starting goalie for the women's water polo team and was named to the GCC All-Conference First-Team and received GCC All-Academic honors in 2022.
Vulpisi is serving her second term as President of the Pacific Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (PSAAC) and serves as a student-athlete representative for the West Coast Conference. She serves as an NCAA DI SAAC representative and is a member of multiple other organizations on and off campus.
"I'm so proud of Clara. It's an amazing accomplishment to be a finalist for such a prestigious award," said Pacific's Head Water Polo Coach, James Graham. "She's truly a special part of the pacific water polo team and the athletic department. I'm so glad she can be recognized for all she does for our program and the Pacific athletic community."
"Clara's accomplishments in the pool speak volumes, but it is her accomplishments and what she dedicates herself to outside of the pool that showcases her dedication to making the world a better place," said Graham. "Humility aside, Clara is very deserving of this honor."
Pacific's Avery Whipple is a finalist for the male intercollegiate award. Whipple is a senior student-athlete studying biological sciences with a 3.98 cumulative GPA. He is a Pacific Powell Scholar, the most prestigious academic scholarship award by the University. Whipple is a starting midfielder for the men's soccer team and was named to the 2022 WCC All-Academic Team.
Whipple is an executive board member of PSAAC and participated in the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in the summer of 2022. He participates in multiple other research projects on campus and is a part of many other organizations on and off campus, including tutoring and volunteering at animal shelters.
"We are so proud of Avery. He encapsulates everything Athletes for a Better World stands for," said Adam Reeves, head coach of Pacific's men's soccer team. "Although Avery has developed into a weekly starter for us, this by no means defines who Avery is wholistically. It is clear to all that he is an outstanding individual with the highest integrity and for whom he cares for others in his surroundings."
"Although being a student-athlete at a prestigious Division I University in itself is amazing, being a Powell Scholar, biology major, and an undergraduate research assistant on top of it encompasses how driven Avery is," said Reeves. "In my 18 years of collegiate coaching experience, I have interacted with many bright individuals, and Avery has risen to the top of this prestigious list. I am certain there is no individual more deserving to be awarded the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup."
The one male and one female Citizenship Cup recipients will be announced during the first week of January 2023.
