Irvine Valley's scholar athletes of the year are sophomore women's basketball player Emily Freeman and sophomore men's soccer player Lennar Granzow.
The scholar-athletes of the year are the longest standing awards presented to IVC student-athletes.
Originally established as a community partnership with the Exchange Club of Irvine, honorees epitomize the highest level of achievement in competition, the classroom and within our community, and embody personal excellence through their skills, commitment and work ethic.
Both student-athletes were two-year starters for the Lasers in their respective sports.
And both shined on and off the court for Irvine Valley.
Granzow recently committed to NCAA Division I UNC Asheville to further his academic and athletic career.
Granzow had a fabulous two years at Irvine Valley.
He was named the defensive player of the year in the Orange Empire Conference this past season, as well as first team all-conference.
Granzow was then selected to the all-state team, all-West Region and picked as a second team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches Association.
Granzow helped lead Irvine Valley to a 12-4-6 record overall and a 7-1-6 mark in conference in the fall of 2023. The Lasers made the 3C2A playoffs.
IVC fell in double overtime at Mt. SAC, 1-0, to end its season.
Granzow started all 19 games for the Lasers this season and finished with five goals and one assist for 11 points. He also helped IVC to a 1.51 goals against average on the year.
Granzow, from Germany, was also a first-team all-conference and all-state player in the 2022 season as IVC had a record of 11-7-5 record overall and made the playoffs.
He is headed to a UNC Asheville squad that competes in the Big South Conference and had a record of 10-5-3 overall and went 4-2-1 in conference.
The team made the championship game of the Big South Conference Tournament before losing in penalty kicks to the top team in the conference, High Point.
Freeman was part of an IVC women's basketball squad that finshed with a record of 21-8 overall and was 12-2 for second place in the OEC.
The Lasers were ranked in the top 10 in Southern California all season.
Irvine Valley also made the So. Cal. Regional Playoffs, receiving a bye in the first round before losing to Ventura, 69-62.
Freeman made second-team all-conference.
Freeman, a guard from San Juan Hills High, averaged 9.1 points per game and led the team with 69 made three-pointers.
She is weighing offers to four-year schools.
