Clipper Basketball Player Jaynee Tanner Selected as NATYCAA District 9 Student-Scholar of the Year

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) congratulates Clipper Women's Basketball student-athlete Jaynee Tanner in her selection as the National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) District 9 Female Student-Scholar of the Year.

"I am super grateful for the opportunity to even be recognized for this award. I work hard on and off the court, but I owe it all to my teammates and coaches for pushing me every day," said sophomore Forward/Center Jaynee Tanner. "SPSCC has been the most amazing place and experience that I've ever had. The growth that I've had from freshman year to now has been exponential, not just as an athlete but as a student and person."

Student-athletes earning this award must have a minimum 3.6 GPA, one complete season of varsity competition at the nominating institution, and demonstrated leadership skills.

Tanner was an instrumental part of the lady Clippers' basketball squad from the jump. In her freshman year, she ended third in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) in field goal percentage (54.3%) and third in the league with 12.2 rebounds per game. Tanner was a big part of the ladies making the NWAC Basketball Championships and winning their first tournament win in 17 years. The league took notice and Tanner won 2025 NWAC West Region First Team and All-Defensive Team recognition and was named the West Region Co-Freshman of the Year.

Year two yielded greater results for the Spanish Fork, Utah native as Tanner finished her sophomore year third in the NWAC in points per game (19.8) and second again in rebounds per game (16.8). Her big impact for the Clippers earned her the 2026 NWAC Most Valuable Player award for the West Region as well as First Team and All-Defensive Team honors for the second year in a row. As a sophomore captain, Tanner also led the Clippers to a second-straight NWAC Basketball Championship qualification in 2026.

Along with being a presence on the court for the Clippers, Tanner worked equally as hard on her academics and community engagement. She was named to the President's List (4.0 GPA) in the fall quarter of 2025 and the Vice President's List (3.5 to 3.9 GPA) in the winter and spring quarters of 2026. Tanner also serves as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center Peer Mentor and was named Co-President of the SPSCC Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2025.

"We have some amazing leaders at this program and players like Jaynee have always held a standard and left their own legacy," said Women's Basketball Head Coach Darah Vining. "She's a one of a kind player that is able to do everything on and off the court, and she leads with her heart and with a purpose. People just naturally follow her and they hold her to the same expectation that she sets."

Tanner becomes the first-ever Clipper athlete to receive this award and now joins 17 other student-athletes from around the nation for a chance to win the national NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, sponsored by Relation Insurance Solutions. If selected, Tanner would be the first student-athlete from the NWAC to win the award.

About National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA)

Now in its 38th year, NATYCAA is the professional organization of two-year college athletics administrators and membership open to all two-year institutions from throughout the country. NATYCAA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 61st year. For more information on NACDA and the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.