Manset and Del Prado are Selected to NWC Scholar-Athlete First Team

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University athletes Emmy Manset ('18) and Eric Del Prado ('18) have been named to the Northwest Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team for the 2017-18 athletic year. The award honors the top male and female athlete from each NWC college and university based on athletic success, academic accomplishments and community service.

Manset played on the women's soccer team as a froward during her four years at Willamette. Del Prado was a first baseman on the Bearcat baseball team for four years.

NWC Scholar-Athlete First Team

Emmy Manset (Sr. in 2017-18, F, Ventura, CA/Foothill Technology HS) from the women's soccer team is one of Willamette's NWC Scholar-Athlete First Team recipients. Earlier this year, she was selected as a co-winner of the Jean Williams Award as the senior female student-athlete who most excelled in all areas of her career at Willamette by exemplifying and demonstrating outstanding leadership, scholarship and athleticism.

As a senior on the soccer team, Manset led the Northwest Conference with 13 goals and ranked second with 28 total points. She was chosen First Team All-West Region, and was named First Team All-NWC for the second year in a row.

Manset started all 20 games during the season and was a team captain. She scored two goals four times and earned at least one goal in six of Willamette's final seven games. She registered four game-winning goals. In addition, she ranked first in the NWC with 83 total shots and 51 shots on goal. She was chosen NWC Women's Soccer Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week four times. She scored the tying goal and the winning goal in a 2-1 overtime victory against University of Texas-Dallas on Sept. 10. She scored the first goal in WU's 2-1 triumph over University of Puget Sound on Nov. 4.

As a junior in 2016, she led Willamette's offense with seven goals and 14 total points. She took 39 shots and had 18 shots on goal. During her junior and senior seasons, she produced a combined total of 20 goals. In Manset's career with the Bearcats, she played in 79 games, including 62 starts. She scored 23 career goals and earned two assists for 48 total points. She took 183 total shots and placed 100 of her shots on goal. She registered nine game-winning goals.

"Emmy is a competitor and will do everything in her power to help her team succeed. She also has a
huge heart and sincere compassion for not only her teammates, but also her opponents," Willamette Head Women's Soccer Coach Hillary Arthur said. "She's never been malicious in her play. She takes pride in succeeding with a high level of integrity and sportsmanship."

As a student at Willamette, Manset majored in Sociology and qualified as an NWC Scholar-Athlete each her final three years. She was a student intern at The Center for Hope and Safety, where she advocated and supported victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. She worked overnight hotline shifts to provide support and resources to survivors.

Eric Del Prado (Sr. in 2017-18, 1B, El Segundo, CA/Loyola HS) from the baseball team also is an NWC Scholar-Athlete First Team honoree for the Bearcats. This past spring, he was chosen to receive the J.H. Booth Award as the senior male student-athlete who most excelled in all areas of his career at Willamette by exemplifying and demonstrating outstanding leadership, scholarship and athleticism.

Earlier this year, Del Prado earned Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference recognition. He was chosen Second Team All-NWC in 2016.

During the 2018 season, he batted .298 and has played in 49 games, all starts at first base. He achieved 54 RBIs to rank 30th in the nation in NCAA Division III. His team-high seven sacrifice flies placed him 10th in Division III. He pounded out 13 doubles, one triple and five home runs. He was second on the team with 188 at bats. On defense, he registered a school record 415 putouts.

During his Willamette career, Del Prado provided the Bearcats with a school record 1,111 putouts. He earned a .302 career batting average, while playing in 142 games with 127 starts. He contributed 122 RBIs, 69 runs, 32 doubles and 13 home runs in his career. He ranks sixth all-time at WU in RBIs. He was a team captain in each of his last two seasons. He was chosen for the NWC Sportsmanship Team in 2016.

Del Prado helped the Bearcats win the NWC Tournament title this season and advance to the NCAA Division III Spokane Regional. The Bearcats lost to Texas Lutheran University in the regional championship game. WU finished the year with a 31-19 overall record and a 15-9 mark in the NWC. Del Prado contributed to the Bearcats reaching the NWC Tournament championship game in 2017.

"Eric was an outstanding player, teammate, and leader," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said. "His work ethic and leadership were big reasons for our team's success in 2018. "

At Willamette, Del Prado majored in Economics. He was the sports editor of the Willamette Collegian newspaper this past year. He volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and at nearby Bush Elementary School. He also volunteered at youth baseball camps in Atwater, California, and Willmar, Minnesota. He was a teacher's assistant at a school for homeless children in San Diego, California.