Video Interview with Mariah Nogueira by collegesoccer360.com: Part I | Part II

Nov. 30, 2012

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Stanford senior Mariah Nogueira was named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming the fourth consecutive Cardinal to receive the honor for women's soccer -- and the fifth in six years.

Nogueira, a captain and midfielder, will be competing Friday night in the NCAA College Cup semifinals against North Carolina, with the match slated for an 8 p.m. kickoff (ESPNU, ESPN3.com) at University of San Diego's Torero Stadium.

Nogueira, a psychology major from Orange County, carries a cumulative grade-point average of 3.63. On the field, she has earned Pac-12 first-team honors while leading the Cardinal to its fourth consecutive conference title and fourth consecutive College Cup appearance.

She continues a strong tradition at Stanford, following Rachel Buehler (2007), Ali Riley (2009), Christen Press (2010), and Teresa Noyola (2011) in receiving this award. Besides being outstanding students, all have been a national player of the year or played in a World Cup. Or, in the case of last year's winner, Noyola, have done both.

Nogueira, a third-team NSCAA All-American in 2009, is second on the team in goals, with a collegiate career high of seven. She also was named to the five-player first team for the Senior CLASS Award, honoring excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in community service.

Nogueira is among six Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete award winners for fall sports. The others are: Nick Happe, Arizona State men's cross country (4.09, finance); Jordan Hasay, Oregon women's cross country (3.98, business administration); John Bonano, Arizona football (3.93, physiology); Ryan Hollingshead, UCLA men's soccer (3.48, psychology); and Katherine Fischer of Los Altos, Oregon women's volleyball (4.01, accounting).

In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in the voting for the award.

A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12's 22 sponsored sports: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, football, men's golf, women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's rowing, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's track & field, women's track & field, women's volleyball, and wrestling.