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June 1, 2000
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Seniors Tarrah Beyster and Joe Gerber have been named the Oregon State University female and male athletes of the year it was announced at the second annual Bennys Awards Ceremony Thursday at the LaSells Stewart Center. The Bennys ceremony honors student-athletes, coaches, administrative staff, and friends for their achievements and contributions to OSU athletics.
Beyster is a repeat recipient. The San Diego native earned first team All-American honors on the softball field this season, and was named to All-American teams all four years of her career. She batted a team-best .424 this season and broke the school record for runs batted in with 44. She leaves OSU with 24 school records, including career marks for victories, strikeouts, home runs, and RBI.
Gerber sparked the baseball team to a 28-27 record. The first baseman batted .352 this season with nine home runs and a school record 67 runs batted in. Gerber was a first team All-Pacific-10 Conference selection this season, and was a three-time conference honoree for his career. The Portland native leaves OSU with four school records, including career home runs, and RBI.
Seniors Beth Thomason (soccer) and Aaron Wells (football) were named the Female and Male Scholar Athletes of the Year. Thomason, a Portland native, boasts a 3.69 cumulative GPA in general science. Wells, of Pomona, Cal., has a 3.15 GPA in liberal studies.
Freshmen Naya Higashijima (swimming) and Dennis Weathersby (football) were awarded Bennys for the top newcomers. Higashijima, of San Mateo, Cal., set 12 school records this season. Weathersby, a native of Duarte, Cal., earned Freshman All-American honors from several publications and was a second team All-Pac-10 selection overall.
Head coaches Tanya Chaplin (gymnastics) and Dennis Erickson (football) were selected the school's top female and male coaches. Chaplin guided the gymnastics team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996. Erickson led the football team to its first winning campaign since 1970, and its first bowl game since 1965.
Long-time booster Bert Babb was given the Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing an individual for his or her contributions to OSU athletics. Babb has been involved in numerous fund-raising activities for OSU during his lifetime.
Junior Paul Barron (wrestling) was the recipient of the Glenn Klein Community Service Award, given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the community. Barron, a native of Myrtle Point, has been involved with Special Olympics, and speaks at local schools among many other charitable activities.
The team of the year Bennys were given to the gymnastics and football teams. The football team's victory over California, clinching the program's first winning season in nearly three decades, was selected the Game of the Year. Cory Luth, a student known as "Pom Pom Man," was the recipient of the Spirit Award.
Student-athletes Lara Degenhardt (gymnastics), Tanya Ricioli (gymnastics), Annette Taylor (gymnastics), Katrina Severin (gymnastics), Aaron Koch (football), Ken Simonton (football), Weathersby, and Beyster also received Bennys for earning All-America status in their respective sports.
| Female Athlete of the Year: | Tarrah Beyster (softball) |
| Male Athlete of the Year: | Aaron Wells (football) |
| Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: | Beth Thomason (soccer) |
| Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: | Aaron Wells (football) |
| Glenn Klein Community Service: | Paul Barron (wrestling) |
| Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement: | Bert Babb (booster) |
| Spirit Award: | Cory Luth |
| Female Coach of the Year: | Tanya Chaplin (gymnastics) |
| Male Coach of the Year: | Dennis Erickson (football) |
| Female Newcomer of the Year: | Naya Higashijima (swimming) |
| Male Newcomer of the Year: | Dennis Weathersby (football) |
| Game of the Year, | Football victory over California |
| Female Team of the Year: | Gymnastics |
| Male Team of the Year: | Football |
| All-America Recognition, | Lara Degenhardt (gymnastics) |
| Tanya Ricioli (gymnastics) | |
| Annette Taylor (gymnastics) | |
| Katrina Severin (gymnastics) | |
| Aaron Koch (football) | |
| Ken Simonton (football) | |
| Dennis Weathersby (football) | |
| Tarrah Beyster (gymnastics) |
