Gallick, Jackson named 2022-23 3C2A Scholar-Athletes; Honor Roll and Scholar Teams announced

SACRAMENTO – Former Ventura College women’s basketball standout Kylie Gallick and All-State football player Dante Jackson of Butte College have been named the 2022-23 3C2A Scholar-Athletes, it was announced by Executive Director Jennifer Cardone on Wednesday.

The pair will be honored on March 27 during the annual 3C2A Convention at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. Their honors will be awarded during the Scholar-Athlete Luncheon, which will also recognize 19 other tremendous student-athletes who earned distinction on the Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. A total of 23 programs will also be recognized with Scholar Team Awards.

Tickets for the Scholar-Athlete Luncheon are available through the 3C2A Convention website here.

The 3C2A Scholar-Athlete Awards combine excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship.

“Kylie and Dante represent the best of the best among our tremendous student-athletes,” Cardone said. “For them to achieve at the impressive levels they have under the challenges of being a student-athlete speaks to their character and commitment. All of our honorees bring an immense amount of pride to the 3C2A, and we’re excited to celebrate with them in March.”

Gallick was a two-year leader for perennial power Ventura College, averaging 12.8 ppg over her career, including impressive double-double averages of 16.0 ppg. and 14.1 rpg. as a sophomore on her way to earning All-Western State Conference and All-State accolades.

Kylie Gallick (Ventura)

She scored at least 20 points six times during the 2022-23 season, highlighted by a career-high 32 points against Santa Barbara City late in the year, a game which also featured 21 rebounds. It was one of four games Gallick hauled in at least 20 boards with 23 against Skyline in the season-opener representing her highest total. She finished the year with 19 double-doubles.

Gallick accomplished all of this against the backdrop of an amazing academic career in which she maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while juggling early morning workouts, practices, two jobs and classes. She earned multiple Associate of Arts degrees because of her commitment to the classroom.

Her commitment to her academics was further recognized with her selection to the CCCWBCA Academic All-State team. Off the court, Gallick as a Student Career Center specialist at Ventura while single-handedly organizing the campus’s Career Festival. She also met with students to assist them in their job searches and visited classrooms on campus to encourage students to take advantage of the resources available at the career center.

“She is personable, driven and compassionate in pursuing her dreams,” said Ventura College head women’s basketball coach Ned Mircetic in his nomination letter. “Although her smile hides personal trauma she has endured, Kylie continues to excel at everything she attempts.”

She’s continued her educational and athletic career at Cal State Dominguez Hills and has goals of being an FBI profiler.

Jackson transferred to Butte College from Oregon State and developed into one of the nation’s top community college punters during his two-year career with the Roadrunners. He averaged 41.4 yards per punt, had a long of 73 yards as a sophomore and 70 yards as a freshman and put nearly half of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Jackson’s punts also featured good hang time with 14 resulting in fair-catches.

Dante Jackson (Butte)

He was just as effective with his place-kicking duties, connecting on 10 field goals, including eight as a sophomore. Jackson, who also handled kickoff chores for Butte, helped highlight his career with a 51-yard field goal in the 2021 season opener against College of the Sequoias. He was a first-team All-State and All-Northern California Football Conference selection.

In the classroom, Jackson maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, including posting the highest grade in his Managerial Accounting class, impressing his instructor, Elizabeth Dunn.

“Dante took his class in an online modality, which is especially difficult,” she said. “Dante excelled, earning not only an excellent grade but also the top grade in the class. The Managerial Accounting class has an ethics component involving weekly writings. Dante’s writings were consistently inspiring.”

Dunn noted Jackson’s employment as an accounting tutor for the college as providing her students with “caring concern and consistent support.” He later helped tutor his teammates on a volunteer basis, which they noted was crucial to their success.

He earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, was Academic All-State from the football coaches association and was a Butte College Athletics Scholar-Athlete, among his many accolades.

Jackson earned a scholarship to the University of Akron where he was the Zips’ starting punter this past season.