Jimenez, Smiley are SBCC Scholar-Athletes of the Year

Sarah Jimenez and Kyle Smiley have been selected as SBCC's female and male Scholar-Athletes of the Year for the 2015-16 season. They were honored at the 23rd annual SBCC Golf Classic on MondaSarah Jimenezt La Cumbre Country Club.

Sarah Jimenez

Sarah was a key player on the women's soccer team, playing in 40 of 42 games during her two-year career. She's a very good student who has taken on an extremely challenging major and course load.

Jimenez is a sophomore midfielder from Newbury Park High. The Vaqueros went 13-2-7 in the WSC North during her two seasons, winning a conference title in 2014 with their first-ever unbeaten record (9-0-3).

She's a Biology major with a 3.49 GPA. She took biology and calculus last fall while playing on the soccer team.

"I love playing soccer and I've made a lot of great friends," said Jimenez. "Soccer has taught me to be committed and disciplined and that helps in the classroom. I figured out my major here and what I want to do as a profession. SBCC has really prepared me for the next step at a four-year school."

Jimenez wants to go into medicine and possibly become a pediatric nurse or a doctor. She's applied to numerous four-year schools but isn't sure where she'll be in the fall. "I hope to keep playing soccer and I plan to walk-on wherever I end up."

Kyle Smiley

Kyle is a 6-3 sophomore setter from Torrance High who's played two years on the men's volleyball team. He played in 14 matches in 2014 and is the starting setter and co-captain this year. He's third in the WSC, averaging 8.64 assists per set with a high of 45 on March 2 vs. Long Beach.

Smiley is majoring in Engineering with hopes of becoming a structural or aerospace engineer. He's completed 94 units with a grade-point average of 3.43.

"I love volleyball and the team aspect," he said. "You have to be disciplined to play sports and to do well in your studies. You have to force yourself to do the work to achieve your goals, whatever they are."

Smiley said he's "learned a ton" in his three years at SBCC and has high praise for his teachers, particularly Dr. Michael Young and Don Ion in the physics department.

He's received offers to play volleyball from four-year colleges and universities but says academics are more important. "I can always play club volleyball if I have to," he stated.

Former Vaquero men's volleyball coach Matt Jones calls Smiley a humble leader.

"He works hard and is always trying to get better," said Jones. "He does a good job of being level-headed on the court. He keeps our offense moving in the right direction and doesn't often get flustered, which is a great quality for a setter.

"As a person off the court, he is a very respectful and responsible young man with a great sense of humor."