TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University Athletic Department welcomed 58 student-athletes into the Chi Alpha Sigma honors society on Friday in a ceremony at the PLU Baseball Field. 
 
The Lutes' 58 new inductees represent student-athletes from 15 varsity sport programs. Chi Alpha Sigma recognizes college student-athletes who receive a varsity letter in their sport, achieve junior academic standing or higher after their fifth full time semester, and earn a 3.4 or higher cumulative grade point average. 
 
"The Gamma Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma was founded in 2015 here at PLU and since then 402 Lutes have been inducted into the Student-athlete honor society. That includes the 57 new inductees this year," said Athletic Director Mike Snyder.
 
"As I have stated many times before, the E in LUTES stands for EXCELLENCE and that covers everything we do from on the field to in the classroom. So today we are celebrating academic excellence and what it means to be a LUTE."
 
Chi Alpha Sigma is the first and only nonprofit organization that was established to recognize collegiate student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition. Founded in 1996 by then DePauw University head football coach, Nick Mourouzis, Chi Alpha Sigma continues to provide outstanding student-athletes with an opportunity to become connected within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for a lifetime. PLU joined Chi Alpha Sigma in 2015.
 
Last spring, 48 Lutes were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma. 
 
PLU is one of just three institutions in the State of Washington to have membership with Chi Alpha Sigma along with Division I Gonzaga University and Division II Saint Martin's University. The Lutes are also one of just two NCAA Division III institutions on the West Coast to have a chapter of the honors society.  

Chi Alpha Sigma Inductees:
Baseball (3): Ashton Barton, Jonathan Cohen, Charlie Olson
Football (6): Zachary Budnek, Noah Palitz, Nico Skinner, Aiden Yost, Kellen Meade, Nathan Suhrbier
Men's Basketball (2): Liam Johnston, Drew Kraft
Women's Basketball (3): Ashley Akamine, Stacie Spahr, Taylor Schmidtke
Men's Cross Country (5): Kirill Perfiliev, Collin Beyer, Ryan Stracke, Owen Ladinig, Andrew Sandoval
Women's Cross Country (3): Annika Deazley, Zoey Holt, Anna Iverson
Women's Golf (1): Emily Fisher
Softball (2): Mattie Cheever, Rachel Treves
Men's Soccer (6): Christian Pineda, Ayden Lawes, Vasil Mladenov, Jordan Ross, Elijah Singleton, Alex White
Women's Soccer (7): Haley Bolen, Julia Causbie, Hannah Cecil, Kayden Hulquist, Samantha Nelson, Corissa Olson, Kaylee Zicha
Men's Swimming (3): Luke Farag, Devin Stanley, Dylan Dang
Women's Swimming (3): Makenzie Chan-Orcutt, Sidney Chan-Orcutt, Jessica Ordaz, Sarah Yew
Men's Track & Field (7): Collin Beyer, Aidan Donnelly, Grady Lemma, Alec Serrao, Ryan Stracke, Owen Ladinig, Andrew Sandoval
Women's Track & Field (7): Annika Deazley, Zoey Holt, Anna Iverson, Kristine Nguyen, Madelyn Requa, Eva Wirth, Allie Youngs
Volleyball (6): Sydney Aoki, Noe Feliciano, Halle Hetzler, Makenna Jackson, Tori Schmidtke, Callie Simmonds