Derrick Calvillo (Canyon del Oro), a catcher at Hibbing Community College, hit for a .500 average in the opening week of the season, earning MCAC Northern Division Player of the Week honors and National D-III NJCAA Player of the Week honors.
Shelby Kennedy (Cienega) has enjoyed an outstanding career as a member of the Yale softball team. In 142 games, she has amassed 118 hits and stolen 54 bases. Kennedy also has excelled in the classroom and in the community. As a result, she has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2019 Women’s College World Series.
On the field, Kennedy is a two-time All-Ivy selection. Last spring, she led the Ivy League with 24 stolen bases. She also led the league as a sophomore, swiping 17 bases on her way to earning second team All-Ivy recognition.
On campus, Kennedy is a leader. She is a member of Yale’s foremost sexual assault prevention program that works to promote a healthy and inclusive campus climate. In her role, she helps educate all of Yale’s first years and sophomores through workshops. She creates and executes workshops for Yale’s varsity teams to fulfill NCAA mandated sexual violence prevention education. In addition, she has assisted with events on campus, including Take Back The Night. She also is part of the Yale Student Athlete College Council, serving as the treasurer and secretary in 2017-18.
Kennedy has been very generous with her time in the community. At Yale she has served as a Team Impact representative. Team Impact’s mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team and Kennedy helped integrate chronically ill children into the softball team. She also has worked as a counselor and sport director at Camp Kesem, a camp for children whose parents have been affected by cancer. In addition to their work with the children, counselors fully fund raise the camp. In addition, she has volunteered at two food kitchens in New Haven.
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 164 athletes in 2018. We have 39 athletes recognized this year so far.
Derrick Calvillo/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Hibbing
MCAC Player of the Week (3/11)
NJCAA D-III National Player of the Week (3/14)
Shelby Kennedy/Softball
Cienega/Yale
Senior CLASS Award Nominee (3/15)
Kellye Springstead/Softball
Tanque Verde/Cal Baptist
WAC Pitcher of the Week (3/11)
Rafael Padilla/Baseball
Nogales/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/11)
Derrick Calvillo/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Hibbing
MCAC Player of the Week (3/11)
Nic Conway/Softball
Catalina Foothills/Yale
Ivy League Honor Roll (3/11)
Carlos Villarreal/Track
Rio Rico/Arizona
NCAA Indoor First Team All-American (3/9)
Allie Schadler/Track
Rio Rico/Washington
NCAA Indoor First Team All-American (3/9)
Nick Gonzales/Baseball
Cienega/NM State
WAC Hitter of the Week (2/18)
WAC Hitter of the Week (2/25)
NCBWA National Player of the Month (3/7)
NaKeva Mack/Basketball
Cienega/Colorado Northwestern
All-Region 18 (2/28)
Abram Carrasco/Basketball
Cholla/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/15)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/6)
First Team All-ACCAC (2/27)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/27)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (3/1)
Austin France/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Nicholls State
Player of the Week (2/26)
Chloe Gavino/Tennis
Catalina Foothills/NM State
WAC Tennis Player of the Week (2/26)
Robert Wilson/Basketball
Salpointe/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/27)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/27)
Brian Romero/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (2/26)
Kamryn Gastelum/Softball
Pueblo/Gateway
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (1/29)
Brianna Hardy/Softball
Buena/Phoenix College
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (2/4)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (2/20)
Bailey Thompson/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Seattle
WAC Hitter of the Week (2/18)
Brianna Aguilar/Softball
Salpointe/Grand Canyon
WAC Preseason Team (1/30)
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (2/18)
Kellye Springstead/Softball
Tanque Verde/California Baptist
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (2/11)
Lexy Coons/Softball
Sahuaro/Grand Canyon
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (2/11)
Max Smith/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/UNLV
MWC Preseason All-Conference Team (2/12)
Hannah Whetzel/Track
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
UA Student Athletes of the Month (2/4)
Austin Bryan/Baseball
Sahuarita/Pima
ACCAC D- I Pitcher of the Week (2/4)
Kayla Green/Softball
Cienega/NM State
WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year (1/30)
WAC Preseason Team (1/30)
Andie Larkins/Softball
Sahuaro/Seattle
WAC Preseason Team (1/30)
Delaney Schnell/Diving
Tucson/Arizona
Pac-12 Women’s Diver of the Week (1/30)
Brooks Fail/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
Pac-12 Men’s Swimmer of the Week Nominee (1/30)
Isabella Almazan/Soccer
Salpointe/Northern Colorado
Big Sky All-Academic (1/24)
Allison Raniere/Soccer
Sahuaro/Eastern Washington
Big Sky All-Academic (1/24)
Mykaela Hammer/Volleyball
Ironwood Ridge/Montana
Big Sky All-Academic (1/24)
Victoria Cooper/Soccer
Ironwood Ridge/NAU
Big Sky All-Academic (1/24)
Chase Laurita/Football
Ironwood Ridge/NAU
Big Sky All-Academic (1/24)
Jake Casteel/Football
Salpointe/NAU
Big Sky All-Academic (1/24)
Max Michalczik/Football
Catalina Foothills/ NAU
Big Sky All-Academic (1/24)
Maggie Morales/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Minnesota Crookston
NSIC All-Academic with Distinction Award (1/18)
Josh Herzog/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/MSOE
Raider of the Week (1/14)
Alexis Cortez/Basketball
Tucson High/Utah Valley
WAC Player of the Week (1/7)
Levi Wallace/Football
Tucson High/Buffalo Bills
PFF Top Graded Rookie Cornerback (1/2)
Portions from news release.
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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