11 athletes from Southern Arizona earned college recognitions this week including former Cienega softball standout Taylor Lambert (All-Big Ten Freshman Team), former Sabino softball standout Kelsey Jenkins (JWOS Big Ten Player of the Year, Wisconsin Student on the Month, All-Big Ten First Team), former Cienega softball standout Kayla Green (WAC First Team), former Sahuaro softball standout Andie Larkins (WAC First Team), former Salpointe standout Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage (WAC Second Team), former CDO softball standout Niki Gonzales (WAC Second Team), former CDO softball standout Bailey Thompson (WAC Second Team), former Pusch Ridge softball standout Maddie Dowdle (WAC Hitter of the Week nominee), former Ironwood Ridge softball standout Robyn Porter (Arizona Student-Athlete of the Month), former Desert View soccer standout Gabe Mendoza (Lawrence R. Toledo Leadership Award) and former Sahuaro sprinter Tyra Yanez (Lawrence R. Toledo Leadership Award).
This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to achieve either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but collegiate and professional recognitions. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know.
We recognized 144 athletes in 2017. We are up to 70 for 2018.
Taylor Lambert/Softball
Cienega/Indiana
All-Big Ten Freshman Team (5/9)
Kelsey Jenkins/Softball
Sabino/Wisconsin
Big 10 Player of the Week (4/30)
JWOS Big Ten Player of the Year (5/9)
JWOS All-Big Ten Team (5/9)
Wisconsin Student of the Month (5/9)
All-Big Ten First Team – Unanimous (5/9)
Kayla Green/Softball
Cienega/New Mexico State
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/12)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/19)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/2)
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (4/16)
WAC First Team (5/8)
Andie Larkins/Softball
Sahuaro/Seattle
WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year (1/31)
WAC Preseason Team (1/31)
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (4/2)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/16)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (5/7)
WAC First Team (5/8)
Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage/Softball
Salpointe/Grand Canyon
WAC Preseason Team (1/31)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/26)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (3/12)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/23)
WAC Pitcher of the Week Nominee (5/7)
WAC Second Team (5/8)
Niki Gonzalez/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Grand Canyon
WAC Player of the Week
WAC Second Team (5/8)
Bailey Thompson/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Seattle
WAC Second Team (5/8)
Madelyn Dowdle/Softball
Pusch Ridge/Grand Canyon
WAC Hitter of the Week Nominee (5/7)
Robyn Porter/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
Arizona Unsung Hero Award (4/16)
Arizona Student-Athlete of the Month (5/6)
Gabe Mendoza/Soccer
Desert View/Pima
Lawrence R. Toledo Leadership Award (5/8)
Tyra Yanez/Track
Sahuaro/Pima
Lawrence R. Toledo Leadership Award (5/8)
Tyler Blohm/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Ft. Lewis
RMAC All-Academic First Team (5/3)
Daniel Tolano/Baseball
Cholla/Tennessee Wesleyan
TSWA Pitcher of the Week (4/11)
All-AAC First Team (5/2)
Carlos Villareal/Cross Country
Rio Rico/Arizona
Arizona Sophomore Athlete of the Year Nominee (4/16)
Pac-12 Track Athlete of the Week (5/1)
Mia Trejo/Softball
Tucson/UNLV
Rebel of the Game (2/10)
Rebel of the Game (3/10)
Rebel of the Game (4/14)
Rebel of the Game (5/4)
Brianna Griffiths/Softball
Tanque Verde/Yavapai
ACCAC DI Player of the Week (2/16)
ACCAC First Team (5/1)
Division I All-Region (5/1)
Tylor Gil/Softball
Santa Cruz/Phoenix
ACCAC DII Player of the Week (2/26)
ACCAC First Team (5/1)
Division II All-Region (5/1)
Czarina Lorta/Softball
Nogales/Eastern Arizona
ACCAC Second Team (5/1)
Madison Wiley/Softball
Sahuaro/Paradise Valley
Division II All-Region (5/1)
Spencer Packard/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Western
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/13)
ALL-ACCAC Second Team (4/30)
D-I All-Region (4/30)
Diego Cueva-Schraidt/Golf
Sabino/Pima
All-NJCAA Region I (4/29)
Bobby Padilla/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Pima
All-NJCAA Region I (4/29)
Maggie Morales/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Minnesota-Crookston
All-Academic Team (4/29)
Araceli Esquivel/Golf
Salpointe/Pima
1st Team All-Conference (4/24)
1st Team All-Region (4/24)
Brooks Fail/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
Arizona Freshman Athlete of the Year Nominee (4/16)
Jessica Williams/Golf
Amphitheater/Embry-Riddle
All-Cal Pac Team (4/10)
Cal Pac Golfer of the Year (4/10)
Nate Renfro/Basketball
Sahuaro/San Francisco
West Coast Conference All-Academic Team (2/21)
Chaz Mack/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Cochise
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (1/17)
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (2/28)
Second Team NJCAA All-American (4/11)
Keven Biggs/Basketball
Cienega/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Region I, Division II Championship MVP (3/9)
Second Team NJCAA All-American (4/10)
Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Perth Wildcats
All-NBL First Team (2/27)
NBL Most Valuable Player (2/27)
Perth Wildcats MVP (4/7)
Matthew Blandeburgo/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Marymount California
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week (4/2)
Max Christoff/Baseball
Sabino/Presentation
NAIA Baseball National Player of the Week (4/2)
Maria Vanezza-Caldera/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (4/2)
Jessica Gradillas/Softball
Nogales/Bryant
Bryant Athletes of the Week (3/27)
Megan Flores/Softball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/26)
Nick Ames/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/UNLV
Mountain West Player of the Week (2/19)
Rebel of the Game (2/18)
Rebel of the Week (2/20)
Rebel of the Game (3/25)
Isaiah Murphy/Basketball
Cienega/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/28)
NJCAA All-Tournament Team (3/25)
Max Smith/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/UNLV
Rebel of the Game (3/23)
Delaney Schnell/Diving
Tucson/Arizona
Pac-12 Diving Freshman/Newcomer of the Year (3/22)
NCAA 1-meter All-American (3/15)
Shelby Kennedy/Softball
Cienega/Yale
Ivy League Softball Honor Roll (3/19)
Brian Peabody/Basketball
Sahuaro/Pima College (coach)
HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week (1/7)
NJCAA District I Coach of the Year (3/19)
Collin Dylla/Track
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Cameron Crandall/Track & Field
Canyon del Oro/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Anahiramar Lopez/Track & Field
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Tavion Ross/Track
Tucson/Central Arizona
NJCAA 2-time Indoor All-American (3/7)
Alexis Cortez/Basketball
Tucson High/Utah Valley
WAC Basketball Player of the Week (1/14)
WAC All-Newcomer Team (3/5)
NaKeva Mack/Basketball
Cienega/Colorado Northwestern
SWAC Honorable Mention (3/1)
Abram Carrasco/Basketball
Cholla/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
Second Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Christine Ortega/Basketball
Flowing Wells/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/17)
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Tori Brown/Softball
Cienega/Egis
RMAC Player of the Week (2/27)
Austin Nehls/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Central Connecticut State
CoSIDA NCAA Academic District I First Team (2/22)
Alexa Coons/Softball
Sahuaro/Grand Canyon
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (2/12)
Gavin Cohen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
UA Student-Athlete of the Month (2/5)
Ivan Estrella/Baseball
Tucson/Texas Rio Grande Valley
Fall Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (1/17)
Perfect Game Preseason All-WAC Team (2/2)
Reece Nilsen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Rocky Mountain College
Frontier Conference Men’s All-Conference 2nd Team (1/25)
Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year (1/25)
Kiana Verdugo/Track & Field
Sahuarita/Hamlin
MIAC SID Indoor Field Athlete of the Week (1/23)
Brianna Pitre/Basketball
Sabino/ Texas Rio Grande Valley
Fall Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (1/17)
Mari Ruiz/Softball
Cholla/West Texas A&M
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Jaclyn Wittke/Soccer
Sahuaro/Angelo State
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Kaycie Cormier/Cross Country
Douglas/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Melody McLaughlin/Basketball
Mountain View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Bailey Gin/Volleyball
Tucson/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Clarissa Moreno/Softball
Desert View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Brooklyn Misenhimer/Softball
Sahuaro/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Mariangela Garcia/Softball
Desert View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Roberto Cota/Cross Country
Pueblo/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Roberto Contreras/Cross Country
Rio Rico/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
DeAndre Williams/Football
Tucson/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Brandon Vesterdal/Football
Cienega/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Jacob Valdez/Football
Buena/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Michael Lopez/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Larry Lecount/Football
Cholla/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Mikey Silva/Basketball
Sunnyside/Shadow Mountain
SMCC Athlete of the Week (1/14)
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 is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com
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