Congratulations to Aiden Irish

Catholic Sentinel wrote:University of Portland cross country runner Aiden Irish was named the male postgraduate scholarship winner in the an annual West Coast Conference honor.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25, demonstrate significant athletic contributions to his or her sport for a minimum of two years, and have a record of participation in campus or community activities. He or she also must submit a personal statement of intention to attend graduate or professional school for which this scholarship would be awarded.

Irish, from Duvall, Wash., becomes the seventh Pilot student-athlete to receive the scholarship since the program began nine years ago.

Irish will be attending California State Polytechnic University in Pomona to obtain a master of science in regenerative studies. He graduated from UP with a 3.95 GPA, the highest cumulative GPA for any varsity athlete in the College of Arts and Sciences, with a major in political science and environmental ethics and policy. He also graduated with Maxima Cum Laude honors.

UP Sports wrote:University of Portland cross country/track standout Lars Erik Malde, who graduated last month with a degree in Engineering Management, was earlier this spring awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Malde was one of 87 NCAA men's student-athletes to be awarded a $7,500 scholarship this academic year.

Malde plans to pursue graduate studies at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. His focus will be in the coordinated European Wind Energy Master's program.

Malde helped the Pilot men's cross country team to a 12th-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships last November. The team finished 13th or better at nationals in all four of Malde's seasons on The Bluff. A native of Hafrsfjord, Norway, Malde is a three-time NCAA All-West Region honoree (2010-12). He also earned three West Coast Conference All-Academic awards.

Portland has had a total of 12 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award winners and Malde is the fifth men's cross country runner to be honored.

To qualify, student-athletes must excel academically and athletically, be in their final year of eligibility and plan to pursue graduate study. Student-athletes must also maintain at least a 3.2 grade-point average and be nominated by their institution's faculty athletics representative.

Created in 1964, NCAA postgraduate scholarships promote and encourage education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes.

University of Portland NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships
2013 – Lars Erik Malde, Cross Country/Track & Field
2011 – Jessica Tsao, Women's Soccer
2010 – Tommy Betterbed, Cross Country/Track & Field
2009 – David Kinsella, Cross Country/Track & Field
2007 – Matthew Sheeks, Cross Country/Track & Field
2007 – Kari Evans, Women's Soccer
2004 – Imani Dorsey, Women's Soccer
2001 – Cheryl Loveless, Women's Soccer
2000 – Bryan Bothwell, Cross Country/Track & Field
1996 – Nicole Karr, Cross Country/Track & Field
1996 – Laura Sale, Women's Basketball
1992 – Martha Sheldon, Women's Basketball