PORTLAND, Ore – Portland Pilots right-handed pitcher Brett Gillis and cross country/track & field runner Laura Pellicoro have been named the Fr. Chester Prusynski Student-Athletes of the Year for the 2021-22 School Year. The award recognizes the top University of Portland student-athletes based on athletic and academic credentials.
The Fr. Chester Prusynski Student-Athlete of the Year award is the most prestigious University honor for student-athletes and is presented annually to one female and one male who have excelled both in athletics and in the classroom. The name of the award was changed in the summer of 2010 in honor of Rev. Chester Prusynski, C.S.C., who served the University community and was a fixture at Pilot athletic events for nearly 50 years.
Gillis had a prolific year on the mound for Pilot Baseball. The pitcher from Everett, Wash. became the first Pilot pitcher to be named the WCC Pitcher of the Year and was a first team All-WCC selection. He was a second team All-American for Collegiate Baseball News and ABCA/Rawlings and made the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-Region West First Team. Gillis, along with Pilot reliever Peter Allegro, became the first Pilot since 1992 to earn All-Region honors. Gillis was taken in the ninth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros, joining fellow Pilot Chad Stevens, who was taken in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Gillis earned the accolades after posting a 2.24 ERA and a 9-2 record. His ERA was first in the WCC and 14th in the nation, including second nationally among pitchers with 70 innings or more pitched. He was also first in the conference in hits allowed per nine innings (6.51), second in wins, third in strikeouts (115), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.27) and fifth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.59). Nationally, he was 21st in strikeouts, 23rd in wins, 27th in strikeouts per nine and 29th in hits allowed per nine.
Pellicoro was one of the top runners for the Pilots in both cross country and track and field. In her freshman cross country season, Pellicoro was named the WCC Freshman of the Year and made the All-WCC Second Team after finishing 11th at the WCC Championships. Pellicoro closed the season strong as well, finishing 16th at the NCAA West Regional to take All-West Region honors. She also earned an individual win at the PSU Rust Buster.
Pellicoro qualified for nationals in both the indoor and outdoor seasons, becoming just the second UP woman ever to do so in the same season (Tansey Lystad, 2015). She set a new school record in the indoor mile (4:34.45) to qualify for nationals and placed seventh in the preliminary race. She also recorded the third best 800-meter run (2:07.48), No. 7 400-meter (58.74) and No. 9 3,000-meter run (9:24.54) during the indoor season. Pellicoro qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 800-meter run by recording a school record 2:03.17 at the NCAA Prelims before taking seventh in her semifinal race at nationals. She also was a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that established school records during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
