PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland senior Veronica Nicacio from the women's rowing team and freshman Sema Pankin of men's tennis are the U.S. Bank Student-Athletes of the Month for April.
 
Nicacio, who originally hails from Battle Ground, Wash., rows for Portland's varsity eight, which reached the grand finals at both the Covered Bridge Regatta (April 6) and the 2019 WIRA Championships (April 27-28). The Pilots claimed the silver medal at the CRB with a time of 7:01.160 on Dexter Lake. At the WIRA's, Portland posted a time of 6:51.944 in their heat, and they finished sixth overall with a time of 6:51.779.
 
During the month, Nicacio was also invited to participate at the 2019 Under 23 Men's and Women's National Team Selection Camps, which are scheduled to take place this summer in Charlottesville, Va. The camp will be used to select the U23 women's eight, four, quadruple sculls and four with coxswain that will compete at the 2019 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, scheduled for July 24-28 in Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla. The camp also will select a pair to race at USRowing's Under 23 World Championship Trials in early July.
 
Pankin was named the West Coast Conference Men's Tennis Freshman of the Year on April 24 after concluding an impressive first season on The Bluff. Pankin, a native of Omsk, Russia, anchored the top of the Pilots' lineup throughout the spring and was rewarded by becoming the first player in program history to earn the honor. He also picked up an All-WCC Second Team award in singles and partnered with fellow freshman Eleftherios Neos for honorable mention All-WCC doubles recognition.

Pankin went 2-2 at No. 1 singles in the month of April, including a three-set win against nationally-ranked Lukas Moenter of Loyola Marymount. He also partnered with Neos for a 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles against the No. 32-ranked LMU tandem of Nick Borchenko and Diego Nava. Those victories helped propel the Pilots to a 5-0 upset win against the Lions. Pankin finished the month a perfect 5-0 at No. 1 doubles.

University of Portland's U.S. Bank Student Athletes of the Month
- September: Benji Michel, Men's Soccer / Taryn Ries, Women's Soccer
- October: Nick Hauger, Men's Cross Country / Lauren LaRocco, Women's Cross Country
- November: Logan Orndorf, Men's Cross Country / Katie Barker, Volleyball
- December: JoJo Walker, Men's Basketball / Julie Spencer, Women's Basketball
- January: Logan Orndorf, Men's Track & Field / Darian Slaga, Women's Basketball
- February: Lauren LaRocco/Taryn Rawlings, Women's Track and Field / Connor Knutson, Baseball
- March: Chris Clements, Baseball / Lauren LaRocco/Taryn Rawlings, Women's Track and Field
- April: Veronica Nicacio, Women's Rowing / Sema Pankin, Men's Tennis