Patrick Woepse Wins Pac-12 Leadership Award
December 08, 2016 | Men's Water Polo
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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- The Pac-12 named Colorado graduate Clare Wise and UCLA senior Patrick Woepse as this year's recipients of the Pac-12 Leadership Award, Commissioner Larry Scott announced today. The pair was selected via a vote by the Pac-12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and will each receive a $3,000 postgraduate scholarship.
The Pac-12 Leadership Award honors student-athletes who distinguish themselves as standout leaders on their campuses, in their athletic departments, on their teams, and at the Conference level in the areas of student-athlete welfare and student-athlete voice. As members of the Pac-12 Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT), Wise and Woepse demonstrated a steadfast commitment to helping fellow student-athletes and giving back to their communities.
"Clare and Patrick are incredible examples of the tremendous leadership we see in our Pac-12 student-athletes," said Commissioner Scott. "Beyond their national championships and high-achievement in the classroom, both have driven real reform on behalf of student-athletes and engaged on important issues nationally for their peers."
A native of Tustin, Calif., Woepse is a four-time letter winner in water polo for the Bruins and is a two-time national champion. He served on the Bruin Athletic Council for five years, including as its president during the 2015-16 school year. Woepse will graduate later this month and currently holds a 3.41 cumulative GPA in Geography / Environmental Studies. Like Wise, Woepse was a member of the inaugural Pac-12 SALT group that was so pivotal in making the student-athlete voice heard at the highest level.
Co-captain of his water polo team, Woepse's leadership has extended beyond the pool. He was named a recipient of the Bruin Leadership Award in May 2016 and serves his community through programs like Team Prime Time, Dribble for the Cure, and UCLA's student-athlete mentorship program. Woepse was also twice named to UCLA's All-Academic Team – which honors student-athletes from each team who boast a team-high GPA – and to the Mount Pacific Sports Federation's All-Academic team. After graduation this month, Woepse plans to go to business school.
The Pac-12 Leadership Award is voted on by members of the Pac-12 SAAC and is a $3,000 postgraduate scholarship designed to recognize leadership and service on student-athlete advisory committees at Pac-12 member institutions. Applicants were required to be in their final year of intercollegiate athletics eligibility during the 2015-16 academic year and/or on track to graduate in the 2016-17 academic year when nominated.
