Chris Heimann and DeAndre Minor named Champions of Character

MERCED, Calif. – Women's basketball senior guard Chris Heimann and men's basketball senior forward DeAndre Minor were named Champions of Character by California Pacific Conference officials Thursday night at the Basketball Championship Banquet in Merced, site of this year's conference playoffs.

This is the first time each CSUM student-athlete received the Champion of Character award.

Known nationwide as a 5-star conference of character, Heimann and Minor earned a spot on the league's list of honorees by showcasing the NAIA's five pillars of its Champion of Character program — integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant-leadership — throughout the winter season. 

Cal Pac officials selected one male and female student-athlete from each of its institutions to receive this honor. 

Cal Maritime Athletics is known and respected nationwide for its commitment to providing the ideal well-rounded student-athlete experience and winning the right way: It received the NAIA's most prestigious institutional award when the organization announced its Five-Star Champions of Character recipients last summer. In addition to earning Gold Status, the award's highest level of distinction, the Keelhaulers' received this honor due to another perfect score for the fourth year in a row.

By earning every possible point on the NAIA's Champions of Character scorecard, CSUM is one of only four institutions in the nation to record a perfect result in each of the last four academic years.