SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Isabelle Bakken of volleyball and Sankalp Shastri of men's cross country have been named the Cal State San Marcos Student-Athletes of the Month for November 2024.
Bakken led the Cougars with a team-best 15 total blocks, 13 block assists and a .379 hitting percentage in November. The senior helped CSUSM sweep then-No. 24 Cal State LA on Senior Day with eight kills, a .412 hitting percentage and five blocks. Bakken then helped CSUSM make program history with the Cougars' first-ever win at Cal State San Bernardino while registering eight kills, a .316 hitting percentage and three blocks. Bakken went on to be named an All-CCAA honorable mention.
In the Cougars' lone event for the month, Shastri earned All-West Region honors with a 24th-place finish at the NCAA Division II West Regional in Billings, Montana. The junior completed the 10K race with a personal-best time of 31.21.4. Shastri finished the season with All-CCAA honors and was the CCAA Runner of the Week in September.
This is Bakken's first CSUSM Student-Athlete of the Month honor and is the second consecutive honor for Shastri after earning it for the first time in October.
Latest Men's Cross Country
- Jimenez Leads Cougars to Third-Place Finish at Cougar ChallengeLed by Alan Jimenez's fifth-place finish, the Cal State San Marcos men's cross country team placed third out of eight teams at its home meet, the Cougar Challenge, on Saturday morning at Mangrum Track & Field. The Cougars tallied 61 points, finishing just two points behind second-place Pomona-Pitzer and 41 points behind team champion Cal Poly Pomona.
- CSUSM Sees 103 Student-Athletes Earn D2 ADA Academic Achievement AwardCal State San Marcos Athletics had 103 student-athletes earn the Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Award for the 2024-25 academic year.
- CSUSM Leads Conference with 126 CCAA All-Academic HonoreesThe Cal State San Marcos Department of Athletics saw a conference-leading 126 student-athletes earn CCAA All-Academic honors from the league office on Wednesday.
- Melanese Named CCAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the YearCal State San Marcos' Nick Melanese capped off his outstanding career by being voted the 2024-25 CCAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
- CSUSM Places 44 on 2024 CCAA Fall Academic Honor RollCal State San Marcos Athletics placed 44 student-athletes on the 2024 CCAA Fall Academic Honor Roll.
- 10 Cougars Selected to CSC Academic All-District ListKalathan Laiwa-McKay, Renton McGregor, Nick Melanese, Chas O'Bear and Will Prouty of the Cal State San Marcos men's track & field team and Rasha Badrani, Kailey Frye, Emily Mendoza, Lauren Meredith and Rachelle Zilavec of the Cal State San Marcos women's track & field team were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team on Tuesday.
