The 22nd Annual Torch of Excellence Banquet honoring the scholar athletes from Fresno City College, Reedley College and Clovis Community College was held April 30 at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Hall. The event was sponsored by the Kiwanis Clubs of Fresno and Madera Counties and Educational Employees Credit Union.

Fresno City College athletics showed that they also dominant in the classroom as much as they do on the field with the number of Torch awards recipients this year. Two-hundred student-athletes across all sports received awards at the ceremony, including 101 Torchlighter awards awarded to athletes with one semester of 3.5 grade point average or higher and 99 Scholar Athletes who achieved a 3.0 to 3.9 grade point average.

The night’s emcee was University of California Los Angeles athletic department mainstay and Reedley College Athletics Hall of Famer Ed Kezirian, who presented each college a $1,000 check on behalf of the sponsors of the event. Representing FCC in the presentation of scholar athlete awards was Interim Athletic Director Cam Olsen.

Danielle Pacheco of the FCC women’s soccer team was the recipient of the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and Tyler Wood of the FCC football team was recipient of the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Danielle Pacheco was voted as the National Player of the Year this past season for Division III women’s soccer. Tyler Wood was named to the All-California Community College Football Coaches Association’s 2017 Academic All-State football team with a GPA of 3.64.