Nick Estrella (Albany Dutchmen Photo)
Former Ironwood Ridge standout Nick Estrella earned a spot in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) All-Star Game to be played on July 18. Estrella plays for Azusa Pacific during the regular season and he joined up with the Albany Dutchmen in the summer.
Estrella was picked by the coaches of the summer league to represent the Eastern Division of the league as an infielder. Estrella was the AllSportsTucson.com Chris Moon Southern Arizona Player of the Year in 2016.
This list was updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who had gone on to achieve either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but college and professional awards. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know.
Nick Estrella/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge (2016)/Azusa Pacific
PacWest Freshman of the Week (2/14)
Albany Dutchmen PGCBL All-Star (7/14)
Kennedy Kurtz/Beach Volleyball
Ironwood Ridge (2014)/Sacramento State
Spring Academic All-Big West Team (6/29)
McKenzie Mott/Volleyball
Cienega (2014)/Utah State Eastern
NJCAA Academic All-American Third Team (7/12)
Daniel Tolano/Baseball
Cholla (2014)/Pima/Tennessee Wesleyan
Southern Collegiate Showcase All-Star (7/5)
Sammy Nettling/Softball
Canyon del Oro (2014)/Northwestern
Academic All-Big Ten (5/31)
Big 10 Distinguished Scholar (7/5)
Kelsey Jenkins/Softball
Sabino (2014)/Wisconsin
Fastpitch News Preseason Top 50 College Hitters (1/23)
Fastpitch News Preseason All-American (1/25)
DI Softball News Preseason Top 50 Watch List (1/31)
Big Ten All-Defensive Team (5/10)
NCAA D-I All-Region Team (5/21)
Academic All-Big Ten (5/31)
Big 10 Distinguished Scholar (7/5)
Alex Verdugo/Baseball
Sahuaro (2014)/Oklahoma City Dodgers
Mlbpipeline.com Prospect Watch (1/29)
Pacific Coast League All-Star (6/28)
Allison Curtis/Softball
Salpointe (2015)/Central Michigan
MAC Softball Player of the Week (3/13)
All-MAC First Team
Distinguished Scholar Athlete (6/26)
Madelyn Dowdle/Softball
Pusch Ridge (2015)/Grand Canyon
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Mally Gage/Track
Marana (2013/Grand Canyon)
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Sydney Madrid/Track
Marana (2014)/Grand Canyon
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Briana Myers/Track
Santa Rita (2014)/ Grand Canyon
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Emily Wilkinson/Track
Ironwood Ridge (2014)/Grand Canyon
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Loriann Olson/Softball
Ironwood Ridge (2016)/Grand Canyon
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Niki Gonzalez/Softball
Canyon del Oro (2014)/Grand Canyon
CoSIDA Academic All-District® Team (5/4)
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Ivan Estrella/Baseball
Tucson (2014)/UT Rio Grande Valley
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Zach Malis/Baseball
Desert Christian (2015)/Grand Canyon
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/8)
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Billy Comeaux/Golf
Sabino (2013)/Grand Canyon
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage/Softball
Salpointe (20160/Grand Canyon
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/27)
All-WAC Second Team (5/10)
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Lyndsay Leikem/Basketball
Flowing Wells (2013)/Missouri–Kansas City
Academic All-WAC (6/26)
Kiana Verdugo/Track
Sahuarita (2014)/Hamline
Indoor Track & Field MIAC All-Academic Team (6/21)
Outdoor Track & Field MIAC All-Academic Team (6/21)
Tristan Peterson/Baseball
Canyon del Oro (2016)/Kansas State
Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (1/25)
Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team (6/15)
Luis Gonzalez/Baseball
Catalina Foothills (2014)/New Mexico
Mountain West Player of the Week (2/27)
John Olerud Player of the Year watch list (4/14)
ABCA/Rawlings Midwest All-Region Second Team (6/14)
Perfect Game/Rawlings third team All-American (6/14)
Matthew Duce/Baseball
Buena (2014)/Dallas Baptist
All-Missouri Valley Conference
MVC All-Tournament Team
Lanea Tuiasosopo/Rowing
Ironwood Ridge (2015)/UCLA
Pac-12 Rowing All-Academic First Team (6/19)
Justice Summerset/High Jump
Mountain View (2016)/Arizona
NCAA Indoor All-American (3/11)
NCAA Outdoor All-American (6/9)
NJCAA Academic All-Americans
COCHISE
NJCAA All-Academic First Team (4.00 GPA)
Chaz Mack (Basketball), sophomore (Catalina Foothills)
NJCAA All-Academic Second Team
Garrett Jackson (Basketball), sophomore (Buena)
PIMA
NJCAA All-Academic First Team (4.00 GPA)
Emily Bliven (Women’s Soccer), freshman (Sahuarita)
Sonia Garcia (Women’s Soccer), sophomore (Sabino)
Mari Ruiz (Softball), sophomore (Cholla)
NJCAA All-Academic Second Team
Reazsha Benjamin (Women’s Basketball), freshman (Sahuaro)
Melissa Cotsonas (Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field), sophomore (Mountain View)
Moana Hala’ufia (Women’s Basketball), sophomore (Marana)
Erin Peterson (Women’s Basketball), sophomore (Catalina Foothills)
Maury Urcadez (Women’s Soccer), sophomore (Tucson)
NJCAA All-Academic Third Team
Isabella Burrola (Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field), freshman (Nogales HS)
Emmanuel Doe (Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field), freshman (Mountain View)
Mandy Lorenson (Softball), freshman (Ironwood Ridge)
Jacob Meeker-Hackett (Football), freshman (Cienega)
Dalton Reisig (Men’s Tennis), sophomore (Catalina Foothills)
Ernesto Romero (Baseball), sophomore (Salpointe Catholic)
SCOTTSDALE
NJCAA All-Academic Third Team
Amber Romero (Softball), freshman (Sahuaro)
YAVAPAI
NJCAA All-Academic First Team (4.00 GPA)
Hannah Semon (Volleyball), freshman (Ironwood Ridge)
NJCAA All-Academic Third Team
Baylie Stephens (Volleyball), freshman (Ironwood Ridge)
Margarita Corona/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/21)
ACCAC First Team D-I (5/1)
NFCA All-West Region 2nd Team (NJCAA Division I).
Alex Robles/Baseball
Tucson (2013)/Austin Peay
Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week (3/10)
John Olerud Player of the Year watch list (4/14)
Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week (5/22)
First-Team All-OVC (5/23)
OVC Championship All-Tournament team (5/27)
Corinne Belkoff/Gymnastics
Catalina Foothills (2015)/ASU
CoSIDA Academic All-District® Team (5/11)
Brendan Rumel/Basketball
Rincon/UHS (2016)/Portland State
Big Sky Winter All-Academic Team (4/27)
Melanie Zibrat/Track
Ironwood Ridge (2013)/NAU
Big Sky Winter All-Academic Team (4/27)
Maddie Pothoff/Tennis
Arizona Connections Academy (2015)/Alabama
ITA All-American (5/23)
Colton Gage/Golf
Cienega (2014)/Pima
NJCAA Region I, Division I All-Region (5/19)
Shelby Kennedy/Softball
Cienega (2015)/Yale
Ivy League Honor Roll (3/20)
Ivy League Honor Roll (4/24)
Second Team All-Ivy (5/18)
Desiree Hong/Golf
Sahuaro (2015)/Pima
ACCAC Conference Player of the Year (4/20)
All-ACCAC First Team
First Team All-Region
NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention (5/18)
Kayla Green/Softball
Cienega (2015)/New Mexico State
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/1)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/1)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (5/8)
All-WAC Second Team (5/10)
Andie Larkins/Softball
Sahuaro (2015)/Seattle
All-WAC Second Team (5/10)
Erin Peterson/Basketball
Catalina Foothills (2011)/Pima
Lawrence R. Toledo Leadership Award (5/8)
Maggie Morales/Softball
Canyon del Oro (2015)/Minnesota-Crookston
UMC All-Academic Team (4/23)
CoSIDA Academic All-District® Team (5/4)
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Spring All-Academic Team (5/16)
Austin Nehls/Basketball
Catalina Foothills (2014)/Central Connecticut State
CoSIDA Academic All-District® Team (2/9)
Courtney Brown/Softball
Flowing Wells (2015)/Pima
ACCAC First Team D-I (5/1)
ACCAC D-I All-Region (5/1)
Mandy Lorenson/Softball
Ironwood Ridge (2016)/Pima
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (3/21)
NJCAA Division I Pitcher of the Week (3/22)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (4/18)
NJCAA Division I Pitcher of the Week (4/19)
ACCAC D-I Second Team (5/1)
ACCAC D-I All-Region (5/1)
Gabriela Trejo/Softball
Desert View (2015)/Pima
ACCAC D-I Second Team (5/1)
ACCAC D-I All-Region (5/1)
Leighann Ballesteros/Softball
Tucson (2015)/Mesa
ACCAC D-II All-Region (5/1)
Arryanna Bracamonte/Softball
Flowing Wells (2015)/Phoenix
ACCAC D-II All-Region (5/1)
Emerald Grijalva/Softball
Nogales (2015)/Mesa
ACCAC D-II All-Region (5/1)
Oscar Larranaga/Baseball
Sunnyside (2013)/Pima
Second team All-ACCAC (4/30)
Second team All-Region I, Division II (4/30)
Ernesto Romero/Baseball
Salpointe (2015)/Pima
Second team All-ACCAC (4/30)
Second team All-Region I, Division II (4/30)
Samantha Hacker/Golf
Sahuaro (2015)/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (4/20)
First Team All-Region
Abby Miller/Golf
Ironwood Ridge (2016)/Pima
Second Team All-Region (4/20)
Deion James/Basketball
Empire (2015)/Pima
ACCAC Co-Player of the Year (3/2)
ACCAC 1st Team (3/2)
First Team All-Region I, D-II (3/2)
Region-I, D-II championship MVP (3/9)
NJCAA Player of the Week (3/15)
NJCAA All-American First Team (4/13)
NJCAA D-II Player of the Year (4/20)
Sydni Stallworth/Basketball
Palo Verde (2015)/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/17)
National Player of the Week (1/20)
ACCAC 1st Team (3/1)
First Team All-Region I, D-II (3/1)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Year (3/1)
NJCAA All-American First Team (4/14)
Monique Castillo/Softball
Canyon del Oro (2015)/Phoenix
ACCAC D2 Player of the Week (4/11)
Jaime Garcia/Baseball
Sabino (2016)/Rainy River
MCAC Northern Division Pitcher of the Week (4/11)
Sarah Macdonald/Track
Pusch Ridge (2013)/Seattle Pacific
NCAA Indoor All-American (3/10)
Kellye Springstead/Softball
Tanque Verde (2015)/California Baptist
PacWest Pitcher of the Week (3/27)
Matt Brase/Basketball
Catalina Foothills (2001)/Rio Grande Valley Vipers
NBA Development League Coach of the Month (3/2)
Emilio Acedo/Basketball
Salpointe (2011)/Pima
ACCAC 2nd Team (3/2)
First Team All-Region I, D-II (3/2)
Denesia Smith/Basketball
Buena (2014)/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/21)
ACCAC 2nd Team (3/1)
First Team All-Region I, D-II (3/1)
Brooklyn Beardshear/Softball
Sahuaro (2013)/Dixie State
PacWest Pitcher of the Week (2/20)
PacWest Pitcher of the Week (2/27)
Franky Teran/Basketball
Pueblo (2011)/ Antelope Valley
Cal Pac Player of the Week (1/30)
Andrew Mike/Football
Sabino (2014)/Florida
2016 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll (2/8)
Dylan Greenberg/Football
Salpointe (2013)/Kentucky
2016 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll (2/8)
Madeline Bolin/Swimming
Ironwood Ridge (2014)/West Virginia
2017 Academic All-Big 12 First Team (2/21)
Trey Stine/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge (2013)/Pima/New Mexico State
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/8)
Marc Matthews/Basketball
Buena (2012)/Montana State
GNAC Player of the Week (1/2)
D-II National Player of the Week (1/3)
Portions from news release.
FOLLOW @ANDYMORALES8 ON TWITTER!
Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014 and he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com
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