May 26, 2005
BERKELEY -
Cara Chlebicki, a senior on the California women's water polo team, and Channing Frye, a senior on the Arizona men's basketball team, have been named the recipients of the second annual Pac-10 Sportsmanship Award.
Chlebicki, from Huntington Beach, Calif., and Frye, from Phoenix, Ariz., were selected for the award by the members of the Pac-10 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Both have been nominated for the NCAA Sportsmanship Award.
Chlebicki, the team leader in assists and the second-leading scorer on the Cal women's water polo team as a junior in 2004, was voted by her teammates to be one of the team's captains prior to the 2005 season. When the vote occurred, Chlebicki was in the midst of a long recovery from a major concussion suffered in practice in March of 2004. After 11 months of recovery, Chlebicki was able to return to the water in February for a game against UC Davis, inspiring those who thought she might not be able to play again.
Unfortunately, Chlebicki suffered another concussion in practice two days later, forcing the senior to give up her playing career. Cognizant of her duties as team captain, Chlebicki never complained and continued to attend team practice, contributing on the deck the way she did in the water with her leadership, communication and vision of the game. A two-time All-Academic honoree, the integrative biology major continues to be a mentor to Cal's younger players, helping them with academic assignments, as well as reviewing game plans.
Frye is a two-time All-Pac-10 honoree and the second-leading shot blocker in Arizona and Pac-10 history (258). He was chosen by the men's basketball team to be on the athletic department's STARR poster (Student-athletes Taking Active Responsible Roles) - distributed campus and community-wide - promoting responsible behavior and decision-making. He has also dedicated countless hours to the university's C.A.T.S. Program (Commitment to an Athlete's Total Success) outreach efforts.
