COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Junior Amanda Hamilton and senior Arik Smith were recently named 2015 All-American Athletes of the Year as announced by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and EAS Sports Nutrition.

Student-athletes at both the collegiate and high school levels are recognized for athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength training and conditioning, as determined by the strength and conditioning coach at the given institution. Honorees are also selected based on academic and personal accomplishments as well as overall integrity as student-athletes.

This year, Hamilton's hard work paid off as she set a new personal best on her way to breaking her own CLU Triple Jump record with a leap of 12.36m. The Simi Valley, Calif. native also won her second Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title in the Triple Jump and earned All-SCIAC honors in the 4x400 Relay. Additionally, Hamilton persevered through injuries to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the third consecutive season.

"Amanda is a tremendous athlete," said Cal Lutheran's director of strength and conditioning Dr. Pat Holmberg. "Her competitive drive, work ethic, and ability to quickly master often complex training modalities is rare. She has all of the prerequisite physical and intangible qualities to be one of the top athletes in the country."

Also honored was Smith, who excelled on the court for CLU and led the Kingsmen to their first SCIAC title since the 2007-08 season. The Bakersfield, Calif. native hauled in a handful of accolades including a Second Team All-West Region selection, First Team All-SCIAC honors for the second straight season and he was one of just 18 players in the country selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Reese's Division III College All-Star Game. After emerging as one of the premier guards in the West Region during his debut season for CLU, Smith returned for his senior campaign improved in all areas. He led the Violet and Gold in nearly every statistical category after averaging 18.9 points, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game while also setting a new career-high with 35 points.

"I have not coached an athlete of Arik's caliber at the Division III level," Holmberg said. "He came to Cal Lutheran with exceptional talent and physical prowess, however, over the last two years he has worked tirelessly to improve not only as a player, but more importantly as a teammate and leader."

The NSCA added, "This award recognizes Hamilton and Smith's athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength and conditioning. Their determination to improve in athletics while maintaining academic prominence is a great model for all student-athletes at California Lutheran University."

The NSCA All-American Athlete of the Year program has been in existence for 37 years and is made possible by a grant from Power Systems, Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn. Fitness product leader.

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