Pima freshman Jaida Olson (Pusch Ridge) claimed the NJCAA Division I championship at the National Championships taking place in Hutchinson, Kansas in the Pole Vault as she finished with a mark of 3.46 meters (11-feet, 4.25-inches). She hit the vault on her first attempt.
Pima sophomore Reece Gardner (Marana) took second place and earned eight team points in the Pole Vault with a personal-best vault of 4.81 meters (15-feet, 9.25-inches). He hit the mark on his second attempt.
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. amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
Portions from news release.
78 athletes have been recognized for 2022 – we had 207 athletes recognized in 2021.
Jaida Olson/Track and Field
Pusch Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-American: Pole Vault (3/5)
NJCAA All-American: Pole Vault (5/19)
Reece Gardner/Track and Field
Marana/Pima
NJCAA All-American: Heptathlon (3/5)
Aztecs Student-Athlete of the Week (3/8)
NJCAA All-American: Pole Vault (5/19)
Carlie Scupin/Softball
Salpointe/Arizona
Arizona Sophomore of the Year (4/18)
NFCA D-I West Region Second Team (5/19)
Allie Skaggs/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
Pac-12 Player of the Week (4/25)
Extra Inning National Player of the Week (5/3)
Pac-12 Player of the Week Nominee (5/9)
Pac-12 Second Team (5/11)
NFCA D-I West Region First Team (5/19)
Sydney Gray/Softball
Sabino/Nebraska, Lincoln
NFCA D-I Midwest 3rd Team (5/19)
Jessie Niegocki/Softball
Mountain View/Rider
MAAC Pitcher of the Week (4/5)
All-MAAC First Team (5/11)
NFCA D-I NE Region First Team (5/19)
Ellessa Bonstrom/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Utah
Pac-12 First Team (5/11)
CoSIDA NCAA District 8 Academic (5/11)
NFCA D-I Pacific First Team (5/19)
Izzy Pacho/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
NFCA D-I West Region First Team (5/19)
Halle Morris/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Utah
Utah All A’S Reception (3/29)
NFCA D-I Pacific Third Team (5/19)
Yannira Acuña/Softball
Salpointe/ASU
Pac-12 Player of the Week (3/28)
USA Softball Top 25 Finalist (4/20)
Pac-12 First Team (5/11)
CoSIDA NCAA District 8 Academic (5/11)
NFCA D-I West Region First Team (5/19)
Ashley Bradford/Softball
Sahuaro/Colorado Mesa
RMAC Player of the Year (5/6)
RMAC First Team (5/6)
NFCA D-II South Central Second Team (5/11)
Cassie Castaneda/Softball
Sabino/North Dakota
Summit League All-Tournament Team (5/16)
Gabriel Soto/Baseball
Catalina Foothills/Mesabi Range College
MCAC North All-Division (5/13)
John Michael Gonzalez/Baseball
Empire/Rainy River
MCAC North All-Division (5/13)
Mateo Sierras/Baseball
Tucson/Rainy River
MCAC North All-Division (5/13)
Robby Campillo/Softball
Salpointe/Arizona Christian
CoSIDA NAIA District 4 Academic (5/11)
Katie Faulk/Softball
Marana/Utah
Utah All As Reception (3/29)
Pac-12 Defensive Team (5/11)
Mia Trejo/Softball\
Tucson/UNLV
Mountain West Second Team (5/8)
Lauren Wedman/Softball
Sahuaro/Colorado Mesa
RMAC Second Team (5/6)
Aleena Alexander/Softball
Salpointe/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac Spring All-Academic Team (5/4)
Vanessa Brink/Softball
Empire/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week (3/14)
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Year (5/4)
All-Cal Pac Softball Team (5/9)
Emily Darwin/Softball
Benson/Yavapai
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (3/21)
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (4/11)
All-ACCAC First Team (5/9)
ACCAC D-I All Region (5/9)
Brianna Hardy/Softball
Buena/Phoenix College
Most Decorated Athlete in NJCAA (3/31)
All-ACCAC First Team (5/9)
ACCAC D-II All-Region (5/9)
Faith Orton/Softball
Amphitheater/Pima
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (4/25)
Third Team All-ACCAC (5/9)
Kelli Samorano/Softball
Tucson/Pima
Third Team All-ACCAC (5/9)
Solymar Navarro/Softball
Sahuarita/Eastern Arizona
All-ACCAC Second Team (5/9)
ACCAC D-I All-Region (5/9)
Brianna Jackson/Softball
Sahuaro/Chandler-Gilbert
ACCAC D-II Player of the Year (5/9)
ACCAC D-II All-Region (5/9)
Kimberly McDaniels/Softball
Salpointe/Franciscan
PAC Freshman of the Week (3/28)
John Lemal MVP Award Finalist (4/21)
PAC Player of the Year (5/10)
All-PAC First Team (5/10)
All-PAC Sportsmanship Team (5/10)
Sierra Gaskill/Softball
Pueblo/Benedictine-Mesa
Cal Pac POW Nominee (2/28)
All-Cal Pac Softball Team (5/9)
Diana Miranda Montano/Softball
Salpointe/Embry-Riddle
All-Cal Pac Softball Team (5/9)
Danielle Jamieson/Softball
Sahuaro/Embry-Riddle
Cal-Pac Player of the Week (4/4)
All-Cal Pac Softball Team (5/9)
Emma Almodoba/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Embry-Riddle
All-Cal Pac Honorable Mention (5/9)
Nate Baez/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/ASU
Pac-12 Player of the Week (5/9)
Preston Clifford/Baseball
Sabino/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (5/3)
First Team All-Region I, Division I (5/3)
Romeo Ballesteros/Baseball
Salpointe/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (5/3)
Treyjen Meza/Baseball
Sahuarita/Cochise
First Team All-ACCAC (5/3)
First Team All-Region I, Division I (5/3)
Gold Glove (5/3)
Kiko Romero/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Central Arizona
First Team All-ACCAC (5/3)
First Team All-Region I, Division I (5/3)
Gold Glove (5/3)
Madison Courney/Gymnastics
Mountain View/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Halli Mayberry/Gymnastics
Canyon del Oro/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
MacKinzie Kane/Gymnastics
Emily Gray/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Ayden Schilb/Indoor Track
Cienega/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Trevor Volpe/Indoor Track
Salpointe/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Grace Driskill/Indoor Track
Rincon/UHS/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Grace Hala’ufia/Indoor Track and Field
Mountain View/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Wyatt Matson/Swim
Canyon del Oro/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Tyler Rokop/Wrestling
Ironwood Ridge/ASU
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Sam Beskind/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Stanford
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Taylor Alicea-Jorgensen/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Utah
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Brooks Fail/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
Arizona Outstanding Career (4/18)
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Delaney Schnell/Diving
Tucson/Arizona
Pac-12 Diver of the Meet (2/26)
Pac-12 Diver of the Year (4/4)
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Turner Washington/Track and Field
Canyon del Oro/ASU
West Region Athlete of the Year (3/17)
Bowerman Watch List (3/24)
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (4/28)
Morgan Gappmayer/Volleyball
Ironwood Ridge/NAU
Academic All-Big Sky Conference (4/21)
Isabella Almazan/Soccer
Salpointe Northern Colorado
Academic All-Big Sky Conference (4/21)
Colin Dreis/Football
Salpointe/Montana
Academic All-Big Sky Conference (4/21)
Harrison Beemiller/Football
Ironwood Ridge/NAU
Academic All-Big Sky Conference (4/21)
Heath Beemiller/Football
Ironwood Ridge/NAU
Academic All-Big Sky Conference (4/21)
Stanley Berryhill III/Football
Mountain View/Arizona
Arizona Outstanding Career Nominee (4/18)
Abby Russell/Beach Volleyball
Salpointe/Arizona
Arizona Sophomore of the Year Nominee (4/18)
Alex Parkhurst/Beach Volleyball
Salpointe/Arizona
Arizona Junior of the Year Nominee (4/18)
Elise Muñoz/Softball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (4/11)
Morgan Nash/Beach Volleyball
Sahuaro/Vanguard
All-GSAC Team
Mitchell Effing/Track and Field
Flowing Wells/NAU
Big Sky Freshman of the Year (3/4)
Grant Nations/Swim
Sabino/Utah
Utah All As Reception (3/29)
Kelsey Siemons/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Colorado Mesa
RMAC Player of the Week (1/31)
RMAC All-Academic Team (1/31)
CoSIDA Academic All-District (2/17)
RMAC 2nd Team All-Conference (3/2)
RMAC Summit Award Winner (3/4)
Jazzy Hughes/Basketball
Mountain View/CSU Pueblo
RMAC Academic Honor Roll (1/31)
RMAC 2nd Team All-Conference (3/2)
Summer Fox/Basketball
Pueblo/Black Hills State
RMAC Academic Honor Roll (1/31)
Conner Verdugo/Basketball
Walden Grove/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac All-Academic (3/4)
Chase Verdugo/Basketball
Walden Grove/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac All-Academic (3/4)
Ana Rodriguez/Softball
Tucson/Central Arizona
ACCAC D-I Pitcher and POW (3/7)
Joel Gardner/Track and Field
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-American: 5,000 (3/5)
Lucy Chavez/Track and Field
Bisbee/Pima
NJCAA All-American: WT (3/5)
Tianna Carter/Basketball
Canyon del Oro/NC Central
MEAC Player of the Week (2/8)
Angel Addleman/Basketball
Palo Verde/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/5)
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/26)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/26)
Nikya Orange/Basketball
Tanque Verde/Pima
Third Team All-ACCAC (2/26)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/26)
Luisayde Chavez/Basketball
Rio Rico/Pima
Third Team All-ACCAC (2/26)
Second Team All-Region I, Division II (2/26)
Daniel Moody/Basketball
Walden Grove/Pima
All-ACCAC Honorable Mention (2/24)
Second Team All-Region I, Division II (2/24)
Mikayla Santa Cruz/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Creighton
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week (2/14)
UTEP Invitational All-Tournament (2/14)
Max Hernandez/Volleyball
Tucson/Cornerstone
Golden Eagle Athlete of the Week (2/7)
Kevin Jimenez/Baseball
Nogales/New Mexico State
PG Preseason WAC Team (2/4)
Jack Langan/Baseball
Sabino/Cornell
NCAA D-III SAAC Member (1/27)