June 1, 2009

The Northwest Conference has named its first annual Scholar-Athletes First Team. This recognizes student-athletes that have excelled in the classroom, in athletic competition, and in the community. Each Northwest Conference faculty athletics representative named one male and one female winner from its school based on the institution’s own criteria. Seniors Tamma Carleton and Tyson Papenfuss were both honored as Lewis & Clark's female and male scholar-athletes of the year, as well as NWC honorees.

Tamma is the Lewis & Clark record holder in the track & field and cross country 5k and is a three-time NCAA Cross Country National Championship competitor. She is a three-time Cross Country All-West region selection and four-time Cross Country First Team All-Conference. Carleton culminated her athletic career by winning the 2009 Track and Field conference championship in the 10k.

Beyond her athletic prowess ,Tamma is the second Lewis & Clark student-athlete in the last seven year (the other a cross country student-athlete as well) to receive the well-regarded and highly competitive NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and the only winner from the NWC this year. She is a three-time Academic All-American and is a member of the Lewis & Clarks’ most prestigious academic honor group,the Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Society of Fellows. She is also the recipient of the 2008-09 Judy McMullen Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award at Lewis & Clark. Carletons’ service on campus has come as an economic department research assistant, mathematic tutor and Lewis & Clark Open House Student Panelist. She graduates with a degree in economic and a 3.948 GPA.

Tyson averaged 13.9 point per game in his senior season as part of the Lewis & Clark men’s basketball team and was the Northwest Conference leader in field goal percentage and led his team in field goal percentage, field goals made, points and steal during the 2008-09 season. Tyson was also an All-Conference honorable mention in 2008-09.

Papenfuss was named to the 2009 ESPN/CoSIDA District 8 Academic All-America First-Team and graduates with a degree in economics and a 3.75 GPA. He was also the recipient of the 2008-09 Dell Smith Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award at Lewis & Clark. Tyson has done service projects for the Mary-Stuart Roger Scholarship program and has organized youth and adult softball and basketball league for his church.