Artistic Swimming | 4/5/2024 6:07:00 PM

DENTON, Texas (April 5, 2024) – For the first time in Texas Woman's history, two Pioneers were awarded the National Strength and Conditioning Assocation (NSCA) All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Award.

According to the NSCA, "the All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Award program recognizes those collegiate and high school athletes whose athletic accomplishments reflect their dedication to strength training and conditioning."

Anaya Kashikar, of TWU Artistic Swimming, and Malia Viernes, of TWU Volleyball, earned the prestigious honor.

Kashikar, who is in her junior season with the Pioneers, recently helped lead TWU to a historic finish at the 2024 USA Collegiate National Championships. The Pioneers placed third – their highest placement in program history. In the team routine, Kashikar and the Pioneers claimed seventh place. Kashikar's commitment to success in strength and conditioning helped propel her and the Pioneers to their achievements in the pool this season.

"Since I have had the opportunity to work with Anaya, she has shown that she embodies what it means to be an NSCA All-American," said Delaney Baxendale, TWU Sports Performance Coach. "She is a rock-solid leader for her team in the weight room, the pool and the classroom. Inside the weight room, she brings a work ethic and willingness to learn and improve that provides an awesome example for her teammates. She is always wanting to challenge herself and push her teammates to strive for better whether that be improving their form or increasing the weight lifted. Her attitude and leadership have been a game changer for the program."

In her first year with the Pioneers, junior Malia Viernes helped guide the Pioneers to a historical 2023 volleyball season. Viernes and the Pioneers returned to the Lone Star Conference tournament for the first time since 2019. They recorded their longest sweep streak since 2012 and had their best start to LSC play since 2015. Throughout the season, they were ranked in the top five in multiple LSC categories, and they returned to the NCAA South Central Regional Rankings for the first time since 2015. Viernes finished the season with 177 kills and 192 points on the season.

"Malia is an all-around beast," Baxendale said. "She is the kind of athlete who doesn't think, she just does. No matter what is programmed she just does it and does it with ease. She is one of our strongest athletes across all sports and has one of the best attitudes. Malia wants to do everything in her power to improve herself, and she has gone above and beyond to do that in the weight room. Her teammates and student-athletes from every other sport take notice of her capabilities in the weight room, and she serves as an excellent role model. Her positivity is also unmatched as she brings a contagious energy."

For an updated list of the All-American Athletes of the Year award, visit NSCA.com/All-American.

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About the National Strength & Conditioning Association
Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world.

The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence- based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.