Kayla Xavier won three national titles last year for Concordia.
Xavier Named Finalist for Oregon Sports Award
PORTLAND, Ore. - Concordia University’s Kayla Xavier has been named a 2011 finalist for the Oregon Sports Awards Ad Rutschman Small-College Athlete of the Year.
The winners will be revealed live on the Stanford Theatre stage at the Nike World Headquarters during the 60th annual Oregon Sports Awards on Feb. 12.
Xavier was a three-time NAIA individual national champion in track & field in her first season at Concordia last season. After winning the national indoor shot put title, Xavier came back to defend her shot put crown at the NAIA Outdoor national championships and added a title in the discus.
Her 20 points at the outdoor meet boosted Concordia to the 2011 outdoor team championship, the first national title in any sport for the institution. She scored in three different events at the Cascade Collegiate Conference championships, helping the team to its fifth straight team title, and was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Athlete of the Year. Xavier finished the year with a school-record 51-11 3/4 effort in the shot put, a distance ranked No. 1 on the NAIA performance list.
The Ad Rutschman Award is one of many awards that will be presented at the 2011 Oregon Sports Awards. The OSA annually honors the state’s top athletes, coaches and teams. A statewide media panel voted on the various awards. Emmy award-winning sportscaster Ahmad Rashad will be the master of ceremonies.
The 2011 Oregon Sports Awards are hosted by Nike and State partners JELD-WEN, the Portland Timbers and the Portland Trail Blazers; and by Champion partners Delta Air Lines, the Portland Winterhawks and SportsOne.
Tickets to the 2010 Oregon Sports Awards are available for $50 each. To purchase, contact Chelsea Corrado of SportsOne at ccorrado@sports1inc.com.
Learn more about the Oregon Sports Awards at oregonsportsawards.com.