Oregon State's Walker named Pac-12 Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year

SAN FRANCISCO – OREGON STATE’s Joel Walker has been named the Pac-12 Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2020 season, which was contested during the spring of 2021. The award is presented in each of the 24 sports sponsored by the Pac-12 and was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline.

A business administration major with a 3.57 GPA, Walker has nine career goals and eight career assists for the Beavers, who will be making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance when they play Virginia Tech on Sunday, May 2 at 1 p.m. PT in Greensboro, N.C.

Along with OSU women’s soccer student-athlete Maddy Ellsworth, Walker co-founded Dam Change, a platform designed to bring awareness regarding the issues of systemic racism in today's society. Oregon State’s SAAC President has also been an active member of the Beavers’ Dam Worth It mental health awareness initiative.

Walker was an All-Pac-12 first team selection as a junior in 2019 after finishing tied for fifth in the Conference with 16 points on six goals and four assists. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Walker has also been a Pac-12 All-Academic first teamer (2018) and a member of the Conference’s Academic Honor Roll (2019).  

In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility), on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletics accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award.

A Scholar-Athlete of the Year is named in each of the Pac-12’s 24 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2008-09 academic year.

ALSO NOMINATED: Charlie Wehan, STANFORD; Ryan Crowley, WASHINGTON.