She was a PacWest All-conference selection and a Verizon Academic All-district VII selection.

Originally from Bellingham, Washington this middle blocker led the PacWest in kill percentage this season and earned a school record in the process (1147 attempts, 550 kills, 139 errors for .358 percentage). But it was her grade percentage that would earn honors as the Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

Taguchi made the Dean’s List in his sophomore season with the Sea Warriors. In his junior season, he broke HPU’s runs-batted-in (RBI) record, dominating the “within a game” (7) and “within a season” (50) categories. He remained on the Dean’s list. In his final season with HPU Taguchi broke the school record for the most home runs in the school’s history. Hitting 17 homeruns, he overtook some of HPU greatest baseball players, including Benny Agbayani. He is still made the Dean’s List. That’s why he was named the 2002 HPU Student-Athlete of the Year.

Every year the athletic department honors an individual who has made being an athlete worth it, people who have given up weekends and evenings to throw on their “baby blues” and root the teams on. This year’s Emma Mauz Super Fan Award went HPU’s own Faculty Athletic Representative, Barbara Burke, in a unanimous selection.

Other athletes were rewarded for their excellence on the court and in the classroom. Nina Christiansen, this year’s PacWest Regional female Athlete of the Year and PacWest champion, was honored for her heroics on the cross country course. Christian Madsen, PacWest cross country Athlete of the Year, also took home an honor for his work throughout the season.
Other student-athletes include Larz Stewart, men’s basketball; Anthony Smith, cheerleading; Justina Anderson, dance; Fredrik Andreasson, men’s club soccer; Natasha Ornellas, women’s club soccer; Kimberlie Fukumoto, softball; Stefan Pampulov, men’s tennis; and Fleurette Miranti, women’s tennis.