Two current Portland State student-athletes were selected as finalists for an Oregon Sports Award this week.
Freshman softball pitcher Anna Bertrand and freshman football player Nevin Lewis have both been named finalists for the 2009 Johnny Carpenter Prep Athlete of the Year.
The winner of the award will be announced at the Oregon Sports Awards on Jan. 31.
Bertrand joined the Vikings squad after a remarkable career at McMinnville High School, where she was named as both a Gatorade Player of the Year and Oregon class 6A Pitcher of the Year.
“She’s the kind of kid that works hard both on and off the field, she’s never satisfied with where she’s at,” said Tobin Echo-Hawk, head coach of Portland State softball. “I definitely see her making an immediate impact.”
Bertrand is a three-time All-State First-Team selection and four-time Pacific Conference Pitcher of the Year, who in her senior year went 22-3 and threw four no-hitters. Not to be limited to defense, Bertrand went .462 at the plate, with five home runs and 30 RBIs. In the classroom, she earned a 4.0 GPA and was a National Merit Scholar finalist.
Bertrand pitched during the Vikings preseason schedule, leading Portland State to a 1–0 victory at Oregon.
Lewis came to Portland State from Culver High School, where he was a multisport athlete and was twice named 2A Offensive Player of the Year in football. On the basketball court, he was a four-year starter, earning All-League honors three times. As a track and field athlete, Lewis won state championships last spring in three sprints and the long jump.
This fall, as a true freshman at Portland State, Lewis started three football games as a wide receiver and on special teams. He played in eight games and caught five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
The state’s top athletes, coaches and teams of the previous year, as chosen by a statewide media panel, are recognized at the Oregon Sports Awards. Emmy Award-winning Ahmad Rashad will host the event, and various sports celebrities will present the awards at the Nike World Campus in Beaverton.