Three West Hills College Lemoore students honored for athletics and academics

Kalvin Conley from Hanford and Gabriel Viana were two of 11 players chosen for the Scholar Athletic All-American team. Conley is a local student from Hanford and is enrolled at WHCL as a President’s Scholar. Sylas Moura was selected as part of the National Junior College All-American 2nd team.

 “Being honored there among elite players and coaches who all relate to your amount of work put in on and off the field within the past season was very fulfilling,” said Conley. “And it was a privilege to be honored in the same room as former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who was recognized as an NSCAA Honorary All-American.”

Viana, a sophomore at WHCL from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was also named the 2014 Men’s Junior College National Scholar Player of the Year. This recognition is a first for the men’s soccer team.

“Everything was amazing,” said Viana. “It’s hard to find words to describe the moment and how I felt. It was the best moment of my life, but what I liked the most was the awards. It was huge, incredible and unforgettable.”

 With more than 30,000 members, the NSCAA annual convention attracts more than 10,000 attendees for its five-day event every year, including more than 4,000 coaches. Members gather for the five-day event to network and attend live field demonstrations and lectures.

The group was accompanied by Head Coach Allen Fortune, Assistant Coach Edgardo Contreras, Women’s Soccer Head Coach Derek Lopez and WHCL President Don Warkentin.

“We had a great time, and it was a very proud moment to see these guys cross the stage in front of a huge crowd of more than 1,000 and see them get the hard earned recognition,” said Allen Fortune, head coach and athletic director at WHCL. “They really put West Hills College Lemoore on the national stage in a big way.”