CORVALLIS, Ore. – Three student-athletes and one coach represent the Cascade Collegiate Conference as 2020 Oregon Sports Award finalists. Sport Oregon and NBC Sports Northwest have partnered to celebrate local athletes and coaches through the 2020 Oregon Sports Awards, which return for exclusive announcement on NBC Sports Northwest in lieu of a live event.
The 2020 Oregon Sports Awards winner announcements and interviews begin Monday, May 18, and continue daily through Friday, May 29 on NBC Sports Northwest.
Warner Pacific University’s Amelia Pullen and Southern Oregon University’s Taylor Ristvedt are both finalists for the Ad Rutschman Small College Female Athlete of the Year award.
Pullen, a freshman from Washougal, Wash., won the individual title at the CCC Cross Country Championships in 17 minutes, 35.7 seconds and was named the CCC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year. She also earned the West Region Athlete of the Year honor and went on to take 10
th – the highest CCC finish – at the NAIA National Championship Meet for All-American honors.
Ristvedt, a senior from Portland, Ore., grabbed the CCC Volleyball Player of the Year honor for the second year in a row after a dominating season. She helped lead the Raiders to win back-to-back CCC regular-season and tournament championships. SOU advanced to the NAIA National Championship Round of 16 and Ristvedt earned NAIA All-American first team honors after leading the CCC at 3.7 kills per set and ranking 10th nationally with a .348 attacking average.
Oregon Tech’s Mitchell Fink was named a finalist for the Ad Rutschman Small College Male Athlete of the Year award after winning the honor last year.
Fink, a senior from Clackamas, Ore., led the Owls to the NAIA DII National Championship game in 2019 and had the Owls poised for a deep run again this year until the Championship event was cancelled due to COVID-19. He finished the year with 19.5 points per game and was named the CCC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year – becoming the first to win it three years in a row.
Fink is a three-time All-American after earning first team recognition this year. He is OIT’s all-time leading scorer with 2,178 career points and all-time assists leader with 886 career assists.
SOU’s head women’s volleyball coach Josh Rohlfing was named a finalist for the Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year award. In his 13th season leading SOU, Rohlfing was named the CCC Coach of the Year for the fifth time and the NAIA West Region Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. He's orchestrated back-to-back CCC regular-season and tournament championship campaigns, and the Raiders finished 9th in the NAIA Top 25 poll in 2019 a season after coming in at No. 8 – marking the two highest postseason rankings in team history.
The Raiders finished 2019 with a 31-5 record and an 18-2 CCC mark, earning CCC Coach of the Year honors with his second-straight regular-season championship. In total, Rohlfing's teams have gone 293-99, giving him the fifth-highest career win percentage (.747) among active NAIA coaches.
Now in its 68th year of existence, the annual event has partnered with NBC Sports Northwest once again to announce all awards live exclusively on NBC Sports Northwest and Rip City Radio 620AM. Award-winners will be revealed on The Brian Noe Show every weekday between 9 a.m. and Noon PT beginning Monday, May 18, and will also be featured on NBCSportsNorthwest.com and social media. Follow @ORSportsAwards and @NBCSNorthwest on Twitter and Instagram for daily updates, audience engagement opportunities, and Awards content.