Hauser, McIntyre named 2024 Athletes of the Year
COSTA MESA -- Orange Coast College's 2024 Male and Female Athletes of the Year were selected, with the honors going to men's volleyball player, Cole Hauser and women's basketball player, Bridgette McIntyre, as voted on my the Pirate head coaches.
Hauser -- a 6'2 sophomore outside hitter out of San Diego's Madison High School -- helped guide the Pirates to back-to-back state championships in 2023 and 2024 and a two-year record of 38-3. This past season, Hauser led the Pirates with 159 kills to go along with 68 digs, 31 total blocks and 16 aces, helping Coast to it's first-ever undefeated season (20-0) and the school's 100th overall state championship.
"Winning this year meant a lot for the whole team this year because we all put so much hard work into the preseason and season to get to where we wanted to," Hauser said. "Finishing my time at OCC like this gives me such happiness to know that we will always be in the history books here at Coast.
"I think having such a successful career at Coast, along with my teammates, gives us the chance to chase the feeling we got this year in all of our other ambitions in the future. I'd also like to say the coaches this year really helped to keep us focused on our jobs as players and all of us truly enjoyed what each coach brought to to the program for us this season. Everything combining together just made it so special for me to finish on a good note at OCC."
Hauser, who will attend BYU to continue his academic and athletic careers, was the 2024 Orange Empire Conference Co-Most Valuable Player (shared with Pirate teammate Myles Henderson) -- and was an All-State Tournament selection after pounding 20 kills in back-to-back three-set sweeps over Long Beach City College in the state semifinals (25-20, 25-16, 25-22) and San Diego Mesa in the finals (25-22, 25-13, 25-23).
"Cole is a winner," OCC men's volleyball head coach Travis Turner said. "He is extremely competitive in everything he does. Cole has had a huge impact on me and this program. He will go down as one of the better players I have ever coached."
For McIntyre, the younger sister of last year's Female Athlete of the year, Meghan McIntyre, had some big shoes to fill and she not only filled them, she created her own legacy at OCC, helping Coast to its second straight women's basketball championship. The 5'6 sophomore guard out of St. Anthony High School finished her one year at OCC as the school's single-season record holder in made 3-pointers with 120 and finished her sophomore season averaging 18.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, helping the Pirates to a 30-3 record and an undefeated run through the always-tough Orange Empire Conference (14-0) for the first time since 2006-07.
"Bridgette is so extremely deserving of this award," OCC women's basketball head coach Sammy Doucette said. "She has done so much for this program and this team. Like her sister, who also won this award, Bridgette is the epitome of 'Team First.' Her main priority was always about not letting the team down and she did whatever she could on and off the court to make sure that didn't happen. All of the individual awards and accomplishments were just a bi-product of that. She was a great leader for us this year (along with Ashari Cassell) and by now I know that you can't win a state championship without a player-led team. I'm so happy for Bridgette. I hope she knows how amazing she is and how significant she has been to this program."
McIntyre's strong, all-around play earned her Orange Empire Conference MVP honors as well as MVP honors at the 3C2A Women's Basketball State Championship, averaging 17 points per game and guiding the Pirates to the first back-to-back state championship run in women's basketball since Mt. San Antonio went back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. Her 120 made 3's last season not only shattered the previous women's mark of 98, it also topped the men's single-season mark of 111, set by former Pirate, Jason Garey back in 2002-03.
Bridgette will be joining her sister, Meghan, up at the Southern Oregon University in the fall.
"I am so incredibly grateful that I have won this award, but I couldn't have done it without my teammates and coaches as well as the support from OCC," McIntyre said. "Winning this award after the year we had means truly everything to me. Therefore, being in this position today is an incredible honor and I couldn't have done it without everyone, so thank you! It feels so special that my sister and I both came to OCC and had a different season but were able to share a unique experience of winning a state championship with our team as well as achieving the honor of being OCC's Athlete of the Year. We have both been able to have bonds beyond the court with amazing people that we will cherish forever. Additionally, we are both so thankful to have been able to play for Coach Sammy as well as our assistant coaches. Now I am blessed to be able to have the opportunity to play the sport I love with my sister Meghan at Southern Oregon University. I will forever be thankful for the OCC community and everyone that has been alongside me."
