Former Ironwood Ridge pitcher Mandy Lorenson was named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Preseason Players to Watch. Lorenson is a junior at Fort Lewis. Lorenson led her team with 10 wins and 116 strikeouts last year.
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.
Portions from news release.
We’ve recognized 8 athletes so far this year. We recognized 195 athletes in 2019.
Mandy Lorenson/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Fort Lewis
RMAC Players to Watch (1/27)
Nick Gonzales/Baseball
Cienega/New Mexico State
Perfect Game Preseason All-American (1/7)
NCAA Baseball Player of the Year Contender (1/15)
D1Baseball Preseason First Team All-American (1/21)
Luis Aguilar/Football
Nogales/NAU
Athlon Sports FCS Postseason All-American (1/15)
Abram Carrasco/Basketball
Cholla/Westmont
GSAC Player of the Week (1/7)
GSAC Player of the Week (1/14)
Alex Robles/Baseball
Tucson/Naranjeros de Hermosillo
Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Rookie of the Year (1/8)
Brooks Fail/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week (1/8)
Tristan Peterson/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/New Mexico State
Perfect Preseason All-American (1/7)
Jamee Swan/Basketball
Marana/Colorado
Colorado All-Decade Team (1/2)
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017, a 2019 AZ Education News award winner and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling. 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. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com