For the first time since 2018, California Lutheran University had four student-athletes awarded Athlete of the Week in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, according to CLUSports.com.
John Frazier from Kingsmen baseball, Ashlyn Flinchum from Regals softball, Adam Cartozian from Kingsmen golf, and Sarah Bjornson from Regals track and field all received SCIAC athlete of the week.ย
Senior pitcher Frazier was chosen for his second SCIAC Athlete of the Week award this semester on March 11.
โIt feels like all the hard work paid off,โ Frazier said.
This is Frazierโs fourth season at Cal Lutheran on the baseball team, and said he has been playing baseball since he was five years old. He said he is thankful for the people around him who have supported him up to this point.
โI would give it [credit] to my coaches, my parents, especially my dad, he always pushes me to do betterโฆ but also my teammates too. We all compete out on the fieldโฆ but every time you play a team sport, you always want to see your friends succeed,โ Frazier said.
Despite some tough, recent series losses, Frazier said he and his team are pushing through their season and continuing to fight for their goals.
โThere is a lot of baseball still to be played, so I think we just need to focus on the long-term goal and truly gotta beat Chapman and beat everybody else,โ Frazier said.
Flinchum, softball pitcher and junior transfer from Ventura Community College received her first-ever SCIAC Athlete of the Week award.
Flinchum transferred to Cal Lutheran during the Fall semester of 2023. She said she knew a lot of the girls before joining the team at Cal Lutheran.
โThis is my favorite school yetโฆ I love the environment,โ Flinchum said.
At her previous college, Flinchum said she set and continues to hold several records.
โComing off of last year at Ventura College, I set the strike-out record for the school. So coming off of that, obviously, I just wanted to improve and make a name for myself here,โ Flinchum said.
Flinchum said she began playing softball when she was six years old and is excited to continue her career here at Cal Lutheran.
โIโm still just trying to really build upon and achieve more than what Iโve come off of because I came off of a high, so I want to bring that here,โ Flinchum said.
Flinchum said her goal in coming to Cal Lutheran was to find her own way to make her mark.
โComing in as a transfer at a new place, they [the team] really boosted me up and it was very homey from the moment I stepped on the field,โ Flinchum said.
She said she is excited to leave her personal mark on Cal Lutheran and is looking forward to the teamโs success this season.
โStats arenโt my everything though. I appreciate the stats and love looking at accomplishments, but Iโd rather overall see the team succeed,โ Flinchum said.
Cartozian, a junior from Modesto, CA, received Athlete of the Week for menโs golf for his first time ever as well as Flinchum.
โItโs been really good so far. Iโve been happy with it, Iโve been playing consistently and slowly getting better,โ Cartozian said.
Cartozian holds the record for Individual Lowest 54 Hole Score. He is also currently tied for the first-place record for Individual Lowest Round Score.
โI just think all of the hard work that Iโve been putting in has kind of come together. Whether thatโs in the gym, outside of the gym, practice, mindset. Golf is a lot of different things that all come together on the course,โ Cartozian said.
The SCIAC Championship for menโs golf is just over four weeks away, beginning April 28.
Cartozian said he has high hopes for himself and his team to win and move on to Nationals.
โYou know, the goal is definitely to make it to Nationals. Our team still has a good chance because this year is a little different. It all comes down to the SCIAC Championships, which is at the end of April. If we can win that, we get an automatic into the National Championship as a team. If we donโt win as a team, Iโm hoping my rankings get me in individually,โ Cartozian said.
Bjornson, senior pole vaulter, also received SCIAC Athlete of the Week. She said in an email interview that she is proud of her growth in the sport and has gained confidence as she goes through each year at Cal Lutheran. As a student-athlete, she also said she has become better at overcoming mental blocks.
Bjornson talked about the effect COVID-19 had on her career here, and other challenges she has faced.
โBecause of COVID, my freshman year competitions were very small and we had very few meets. I was pretty quiet and didnโt have a whole lot of confidence, but in the end, I won SCIAC champs in high jump despite forgetting my competition shoes and being new to the event,โ Bjornson said in an email interview. โLast spring, I was able to go from missing every height at practice to winning another SCIAC championship title.โ
Bjornson said that it is a huge honor to receive athlete of the week, and be recognized for all the hard work she has put into this season so far.
