Former Cougars Lauren Hannah and Doyle Kane Named to CCCAA Scholar Athlete Honor Roll

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director   

Former College of the Canyons student-athletes Lauren Hannah (women's tennis) and Doyle Kane (baseball) have been named to the 2021-22 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.

Hannah and Kane join a select list of 17 student-athletes across the state to earn recognition as a member of the Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. 

Canyons was one of four schools, joining Butte, Cuesta and Long Beach City College in that category. Hannah and Kane also represented two of the four selections from the Western State Conference (WSC).

Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll award winners are selected for excelling both academically and athletically. Honorees must have participated in two seasons of sport, maintained at least a 3.5 GPA and displayed strong characteristics of citizenship, while representing the positive outcome of dedication, hard work and service. 

"It's always a great thing to be dually recognized for achievement in the classroom and in your sport, but to be honored among the very best in the state is a fantastic accolade," said Albert Loaiza, athletic counselor at the college. 

"What makes Lauren and Doyle's accomplishments so special is that both finished their educational requirements during the pandemic layoff and were ready to transfer to four-year schools," added Loaiza. "Instead, they made the commitment to finish their Cougar athletic careers in spring 2022 and are now back on the path they originally envisioned."

In the classroom, Lauren Hannah posted a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in journalism and taking part in the college's Canyons News broadcast production team. She graduated from the college with valedictorian honors in spring 2022 and has since transferred to California State University, Northridge to continue her journalism studies.

On the court, Hannah enjoyed a spectacular sophomore campaign and was a key member of the squad that brought home the women's tennis program's first Western State Conference (WSC) championship and later moved on to play in the first postseason match in team history.

She finished the 2022 regular season with an 11-4 record in singles play and was named an All-WSC First-Team selection, one of only three players in the program's young history to earn that honor. In doubles action, Hannah's teams (mostly paired with teammate Jennifer Russell) played to an 11-5 overall record.

During the Cougars' home playoff match vs. No. 5 College of the Desert on April 5, Hannah's straight sets victory (6-0, 6-0) from the No. 6 position represented the Cougars' only non-forfeit win of the match. That result was Hannah's 10th straight singles win in team competition, a streak that dated back to Feb. 12.

"Lauren exemplifies what a scholar-athlete is all about. She wasn't the best player on our team, but her heart was the biggest." said COC women's tennis head coach Patty LaBat. "Athletics is less about who is the most talented, and more about who perseveres and develops who they are as a person through competition."

Kane posted a 3.71 GPA as a kinesiology major and was a member of the college's 2022 graduating class.

He was also a key contributor for a Canyons ball club that played to an even 22-22 record to bounce back from the COVID-19 layoff and advance to the postseason for the first time since the 2018 season.

Kane finished the year with impressive numbers, as the first baseman led the team in hits (59) and doubles (15), while ranking second on the club with his .341 batting average.  

In his 39 games played Kane also scored 44 runs and tallied 36 RBIs while striking out just 11 times. Those numbers, combined with his .395 on-base percentage and .474 slugging percentage, helped Kane earn All-Western State Conference (WSC) First-Team honors.

Kane is currently attending UC San Diego and playing for the Tritons baseball program.

"Doyle's accomplishments as a Cougar student-athlete and representation of our baseball program have been outstanding," said Canyons baseball head coach Chris Cota. "He serves as a shining example of what hard work and discipline on the field and in the classroom will do for you."

A full list of 2021-22 CCCAA Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selections is included at the CCCAA website.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.