MEDFORD – Four Southern Oregon University student-athletes have been named Southern Oregon Sports Commission Athlete of the Year finalists and will be recognized at the SOSC's first annual awards ceremony on Feb. 5.

Among the male finalists are SOU cross country and track runner Eric Avila, quarterback Austin Dodge and wrestler Brock Gutches. Pole-vaulter Stephanie Techler is a finalist for female athlete of the year. All four Raiders were 2014 NAIA champions in their respective sports.

The event will be held at the Santo Community Center, located in Medford at 701 N. Columbus Ave. The ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m., and tickets can be purchased for 30 dollars apiece by contacting SOU Director of Athletics Matt Sayre at sayrem@sou.edu.

The SOSC was formed in 2013 by the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County and Travel Medford. Made of volunteer community members who share a passion of sports ranging from traditional team sports to the outdoors, its goal is to enhance sports tourism by promoting events in the Rogue Valley.

Along with the presentation of awards for Male and Female Athletes of the Year, the event will recognize a Sports Advocate of the year and celebrate the Mail Tribune's top-10 sports stories of 2014.

Other male Athlete of the Year finalists are Ashland High alum Jeremy Guthrie, who started Game 7 of the World Series on the mound for the Kansas City Royals; and Dylan Wu, a two-time OSAA golf champion for St. Mary's High.

The other female finalists are Ashley Bolston, who led the South Medford girls basketball team to its third straight title game and now plays at Washington State; Marci Klimek, a four-time Pear Blossom Run champion and Olympic marathon trials qualifier; Halley Folsom, a North Medford track and soccer star; and Breanna Sapienza, a state-champion swimmer for Cascade Christian.