DAVIS, Calif. -- Tiger Garcia, a senior defensive back and fifth-year managerial economics student at UC Davis, was named among 25 recipients of a 2019 Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete Award, the league office announced Monday afternoon. Garcia is the lone representative from the Aggies, who only compete in the Big Sky as an associate member for football.

To qualify for the award, student-athletes must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.2, be a member of the graduating class and/or have completed their last year of athletic eligibility, have completed at least two years of intercollegiate competition, and be a letterwinner in their current sport. Each honoree is selected by his or her respective institution, based upon athletic and academic performances during the previous academic year.

Garcia, a native of Moraga, California, and an alumnus of Campolindo High School, has appeared in 29 games during the past three seasons. He notched career highs of 22 total tackles as a junior in 2018, while posting his first collegiate interception in the season opener against San Jose State. Garcia, who holds a 3.91 GPA in managerial econ, is a two-time Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 winner plus a 2017 Academic All-American.

2019 BIG SKY CONFERENCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS

Sam Ogee (football), Cal Poly
Roldan Alcobendas (football), Eastern Washington
Violet Kapri-Morrow (women's basketball), Eastern Washington
Sam McNulty (men's golf), Hartford
Mikayla Ferenz (women's basketball), Idaho
Ed Hall (football), Idaho
Trevor Jensen (track & field), Idaho State
Grace Kenyon (women's basketball), Idaho State
Bobby Moorehead (men's basketball), Montana
Taryn Miller (soccer), Montana
Alex Lewis (track & field), Montana State
Elisabeth Krieger (track & field), Montana State
Hanneke Lodewijks (women's tennis), Northern Arizona
Kyle Havriliak (cross country/track & field), Northern Arizona
Li Chen (men's golf), Northern Colorado
Mariel Gutierrez (women's soccer), Northern Colorado
Donte Robinson (track & field), Portland State
Courtney West (basketball), Portland State
Savanna Corr (softball), Sacramento State
Mikus Losbergs (men's tennis), Sacramento State
Skyler Porcaro (track & field), Southern Utah
Angie Nickerson (track & field), Southern Utah
Tiger Garcia (football), UC Davis
Brady May (football), Weber State
Tawnie Moore (track & field), Weber State
 

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.

MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE: Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit this site for more information.