CLEVELAND - The National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) is proud to announce Savannah Wahl from Butte College and Daniel Figueroa from Indian Hills Community College as the 2023 NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients sponsored by Risk Strategies.
 
"The 2023 NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete Committee had the pleasure of reviewing several nominations who were all much more than just athletes," says Brian Henderson, Assistant Vice-President for Student Engagement and Inclusion and Athletic Director of Patrick & Henry Community College. "While once again it was an extremely tough challenge of choosing between many deserving candidates, the two student-athletes chosen had statistics that showed not just what they did in their sport, but also how they have positively impacted their communities. Savannah and Daniel are not just winners on the field, but more importantly, off of the field. We are honored to have them both represent us this year and as a model for future winners to come. Congratulations Savannah and Daniel!"
 
Wahl graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA and an AA-T in Kinesiology and AA in Social and Behavorial Sciences from Butte College. Her academic efforts landed her on the nine-person 2021-22 College Sports Communicators (CSC) College Division Academic All-America team as the only 3C2A female student-athlete to earn this honor last year. In addition to her success in the classroom, she led the Butte softball team on a historic run to the 3C2A Championships in 2022 with a state-best 43-3 overall record and a 35-game winning streak, while picking up nearly every individual award possible. Wahl was named a NFCA First Team Cal JC Division All-American, 3CFCA NorCal All-State Pitcher of the Year, Golden Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, 3C2A Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Butte College Female Athlete of the Year. Overall, in the circle, she posted a 1.19 ERA with 282 strikeouts in 293 innings pitched. She tallied 38 wins, 37 complete games, and 47 appearances in the circle. At the plate, Wahl batted .360 with 105 hits, including 17 doubles, and 72 RBI. In her 292 career at bats, she only struck out five times. Following her success at Butte, she earned a scholarship to Sacramento State, where her success continues as she earned Big Sky Conference Pitcher of the Week honors in April 2023.

Figueroa has served an instrumental role over the past two seasons for the Indian Hills Baseball team. With his play on the field, work in the classroom, leadership in the community, and mentorship on campus, Daniel has exemplified what it means to be a scholar-athlete. With a two-year cumulative GPA of 4.0, Daniel has earned numerous accolades and broken multiple program records throughout his career, including an NJCAA All-Region selection as the team's offensive catalyst and the school's all-time career stolen base leader. As a sophomore, Daniel was named to the prestigious Phi Theta Kappa All-Iowa Academic team and has been a three-time ICCAC All-Academic honoree. While Daniel's play on the field and success in the classroom has been a focal point, his tutelage of fellow international students has helped build the foundation of the Indian Hills Baseball culture.  

Both individuals will be recognized at the upcoming NATYCAA Convention, June 11-14 at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Florida. 

About NATYCAA: Now in its 35th year, NATYCAA is the professional organization of two-year college athletics administrators and membership open to all two-year institutions from throughout the country. NATYCAA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 58^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.