Seven California Lutheran University athletes were honored recently by the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with Athlete of the Week awards on Feb. 17. The most recent accolades come as the spring sports season gets underway and winter season heads into the postseason.
Karina McMillan (womenโs basketball; defense), Leo Bristow (baseball; pitcher of the week), Hudson Geier (womenโs water polo; offense), Devon Lewis (menโs basketball; offense), Carmen Bufkin (womenโs tennis), Bella Bravo (lacrosse; defense), and Ethan Sherwood (menโs tennis) were all recognized in their respective sports.
Cal Lutheran Director of Athletics Howard Davis said accolades like this are proof that the athletics department and school as a whole are headed in the right direction.
โItโs unbelievable. I mean itโs just a testament to our coaches recruiting and how they develop student-athletes, but just the breadth of the different sports and the excellence in all those different areas was really staggering,โ Davis said.
For some, like Bravo, this is the first time theyโve received the award. Others, like Lewis, have won the award many times. This honor marks the fifth time Lewis has received SCIAC Athlete of the Week throughout his record-breaking 2024-2025 season, which has most recently earned him SCIAC Athlete of the Year.
โHis season is unbelievable. Iโve been rallying for Division III player of the year, or at a minimum, first-team All-American,โ Davis said.
Senior Carmen Bufkin of Regals tennis said being looked up to by her first-year teammates is another important motivator to perform well, especially when individual awards become less special.
โIt brings representation to the athletes and also the program,โ Bufkin said.
Leo Bristow, graduate student and pitcher for Kingsmen baseball, said that at the end of the day, it is the team that pushes everyone forward.
โIโm more concerned about our team goals. Like, the only real stat I care about is wins,โ Bristow said. โI donโt really put too much stock into, like, those individual awards, at least for myself.โ
Davis said while academic performance is the top priority among student-athletes, athletic success standards are greatly valued at Cal Lutheran as well.
โWe want excellence in the classroom and on the field, court, whatever, pool,โ Davis said. โWe do that here, as signified by four national championships in the last several years.โ
Regals lacrosse goalkeeper Bella Bravo said there is a great desire to be a part of something bigger than oneself.
โItโs not just me, itโs my teammates, as well, helping cheer me on and keeping me motivated, giving me encouragement and feedback. I donโt see it as something for just me, I see it as something for the team,โ Bravo said.
Doing hard things and being well-balanced, especially in prioritizing education, is something all the athletes said is important. Bufkin said balancing school and athletics is โdifficult but doable.โ
โI think itโs very, very challenging. All student-athletes know, like, it just requires such discipline and balance, but at the same time, itโs so rewarding,โ Bufkin said.
Davis said the culture of athletics at Cal Lutheran is built to prioritize academics but pursue athletic excellence as well.
โIโm just in awe of their athletic and academic excellence,โ Davis said. โTheyโre just such well-rounded people and it really gives me great hope for our country.โ
Bristow said early mornings and late nights are commonplace for those who pursue greatness in their sport.
โItโs definitely tough. You got early morning weights, class in the morning, you got a little bit of time to eat in between, and then you got practiceโ youโre out on the field for three, three and a half hours,โ Bristow said.
Bravo said getting to go to practice every day drives her.
โItโs difficult, but itโs rewarding,โ Bravo said. โThe idea that youโre working for something bigger than yourself, which is the team. Weโre all just there to uplift each other.โ
Davis said having seven Athlete of the Week awards in one week isnโt just special for the athletics department but for showing who Cal Lutheran students truly are.
โYou always hear on the news how our country is going to hell in a handbasket, and the future is so dark, and I would just say anybody who says that needs to spend a day with some of our student-athletes and you donโt walk away with that feeling,โ Davis said.
