Cal State Monterey Bay sophomore Paige Siegel has been named the 2021 CCAA Women’s Track & Field Championship Scholar for her prowess in the classroom.
 
Hailing from Murrieta and majoring in marine science, Siegel has kept a perfect grade-point average at Cal State Monterey Bay while competing for the Otters’ track & field and cross country teams.

In her first year on the track in 2020, Siegel took to the track at two meets, competing in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meters. The previous fall she raced for the cross country team at five meets.

“I am so proud of Paige. She exemplifies what the phrase ‘hard work pays off’ really means,” remarked Cal State Monterey Bay head track & field and cross country coach Greg Rhines. “She is intense and well focused in her academics and in her sports. Paige works as hard as any student-athlete I've coached. 

“This work ethic shows in any and all training sessions she does...100%, head in it, body in it, launch! She will excel in any field she so chooses to pursue after college. She will complement wherever she ends up!”

Siegel is the third Cal State Monterey Bay student-athlete to earn the distinction of Championship Scholar in 2020-21, joining Brooke Roy (women’s cross country) and Cooper Steiner (men’s golf). All told, she is the 10th Otter dotting the awards list in the four years of award recognitions.
 
The CCAA Championship Scholar Award program recognizes the academic and athletic achievement of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also excelling in the classroom.

The Championship Scholar Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the final CCAA championship site in each conference-sponsored sport. For the 2020-21 academic year, all participating student-athletes in each sport will receive consideration for the award.

This year’s slate of nominations for this prestigious academic distinction in the sport of women’s track and field included Trinity-Paris Foster (Sonoma State), Jodi Go (Cal State East Bay), Makayla Jones (Cal State San Marcos), Payton McCartney (Cal State San Bernardino), Rose Melville (Humboldt State), Nora Pizzella (Chico State), Rebecca Ruiz (Cal State LA), Analicia Uribe (San Francisco State), Alicia Woo (Stanislaus State), and Marina Zeferino (Cal State Dominguez Hills).