Former Empire standout pitcher Vanessa Candito was named RMAC Tournament MVP playing for Regis, the winners of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Softball Tournament. Former Canyon del Oro standout Miia Campos was named to the RMAC Tournament Team.
The Rangers will compete at the NCAA D-II South Central Regional starting on May 9. Other local athletes on the Regis roster includes Rachel Barriga (Ironwood Ridge), Isabella Porter (CDO) and Lima Magana (CDO).
Barriga is a College Sports Evaluation Midseason Freshman All-American selection.
IT'S OVER – THE REGIS RANGERS WALK IT OFF TO WIN THE 2024 RMAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT!!!!
WOW! UNREAL! pic.twitter.com/ysTgKCz6v3
— RMAC Sports (@RMAC_SPORTS) May 4, 2024
This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to win 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.
56 athletes have been recognized for 2024 – we had 307 athletes recognized in 2023.
Vanessa Candito/Softball
Empire/Regis
RMAC Tournament MVP (5/4)
Miia Campos/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Regis
RMAC First Team (5/1)
RMAC Tournament Team (5/4)
Rachel Barriga/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Regis
CSE Midseason Freshman All-American (4/4)
Iliana Mendoza/Softball
Tucson/Colorado mesa
RMAC First Team (5/1)
Amiee Shanks/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Ft. Lewis
RMAC Golden Glove (5/1)
Gianna Pancost/Softball
Sabino/Colorado-Colorado Springs
RMAC Player of the Week (4/9)
RMAC Honorable Mention (5/1)
Allie Skaggs/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-18 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Ruby Award (4/29)
Jordan Moragan/Football
Marana/Arizon
Sapphire Award (4/29)
Rumur Rouille/Volleyball
Ironwood Ridge/Long Island
NEC Scholar Athlete (2/7)
NEC Academic Honor Roll (2/7)
LIU Scholar-Athlete of the Year (4/30)
Emma Almodoba/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac Player of the Week (3/4)
Cal Pac Player of the Year (4/30)
Cal Pac First Team (4/30)
Cal Pac All-Defense (4/30)
Diana Miranda Montano/Softball
Salpointe/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac First Team (4/30)
Cal Pac All-Defense SS (4/30)
Cal Pac All-Academic Team (4/30)
Leah Salas/Softball
Sahuarita/Embry-Riddle
Cal PAC Player of the Week nominee (3/18)
NAIA Player of the Week (3/26)
Cal Pac First Team (4/30)
Vanessa Brink/Softball
Empire/Embry-Riddle
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (3/11)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (3/18)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week Nominee (3/18)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week Nominee (4/29)
Cal Pac First Team (4/30)
Cal Pac All-Academic Team (4/30)
Abril Nerey/Softball
Rio Rico/Park-Gilbert
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week nominee (3/18)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (3/25)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (4/1)
Cal Pac Honorable Mention (4/30)
Maddie Judge/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac Defense Team (4/30)
Diego Alvarez/Baseball
Sahuarita/Pima
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (4/18)
2nd Team All-ACCAC (5/1)
2nd Team Region I, D-I (5/1)
Caleb Herd/Baseball
Cienega/Pima
2nd Team All-ACCAC (5/1)
Elijah Reeves/Baseball
Marana/Pima
2nd Team All-ACCAC (5/1)
Nick Arias/Baseball
Tucson/Pima
2nd Team All-ACCAC (5/1)
2nd Team Region I, D-I (5/1)
Alec Larson/Baseball
Catalina Foothills/Benedictine Mesa
Cal Pac Player of the Week nominee (3/4)
Cal Pac Player of the Week nominee (4/1)
Cal Pac 1st Team All-Conference (4/30)
Cal Pac All-Academic Team (4/30)
Cole Altherr/Baseball
Catalina Foothills/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week nominee (4/1)
Cal Pac Honorable mention (4/30)
Diego Bejarano/Baseball
Tucson/Park-Gilbert
Cal Pac Player of the Week Nominee (4/29)
Cal Pac Honorable mention (4/30)
Cal Pac All-Defense (4/30)
Evan Nelson/Basketball
Salpointe/Harvard
Harvard Humanitarian Award (4/20)
James Velasquez/Baseball
Walden Grove/Hastings
Mid-America Pitcher of the Week (4/23)
Gabriel Escalera/Golf
Walden Grove/Hastings
Mid-America Men’s Golfer of the Week (4/24)
Sam Beskind/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Colorado School of Mines
RMAC Player of the Week (1/15)
RMAC First Team (3/6)
RMAC Academic First Team (3/13)
RMAC Academic Player of the Year (3/13)
Academic All-District (4/18)
Ian Mejia/Baseball
Sahuarita/Mississippi Braves
Pitcher of the Week (4/23)
Cassie Castaneda/Softball
Sabino/North Dakota
Summit League Peak Performer of the Week (4/22)
Julia Holt/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Howard
Most Improved (4/23)
Jazmyne Waddell/Softball
San Manuel/Pima
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (2/28)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (3/21)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (4/10)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (4/17)
Talia Martin/Softball
Mountain View/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (4/17)
Dillan Baker/Basketball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/2)
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/9)
All-ACCAC DII First Team (3/6)
All-Region DII First Team (3/6)
NJCAA 3rd Team All-American (4/10)
AZ JUCO All-Star (4/13)
Majok Deng/Basketball
Salpointe/Colorado School of Mines
RMAC Player of the Week (1/29)
RMAC Player of the Week (2/26)
RMAC First Team (3/6)
RMAC All-Tournament Team (3/9)
D2CCA South Central 2nd Team (3/21)
NABC South Central 2nd Team (3/25)
Johnnie Blockburger/Track
Tucson/USC
Pac-12 Track Athletes of the Week (4/8)
Trayvion White-Austin/Track
Tucson/Arizona
Pac-12 Track Athletes of the Week (3/26)
Carlie Scupin/Softball
Tucson/Arizona
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-37 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Top Cat of the Week (4/8)
Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee (4/8)
Andrew Cook/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Colorado State Pueblo
NFF Hampshire Honor Society (4/10)
Hailie Mann/Softball
Mountain View/Ft. Lewis
RMAC Pitcher of the Week (4/9)
Levi Padilla/Baseball
Salpointe/Regis
RMAC Player of the Week Nominee (4/9)
Mariah Lopez/Softball
Cienega/Utah
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-23 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Nominee (4/8)
Ainsley Malis/Volleyball
Tanque Verde/West Texas A&M
NCAA Graduate Scholarship (4/8)
Neysia Howard/Track
Tucson/GCU
WAC High Point Award (2/20)
WAC Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year (3/5)
GCU Thunder Award (4/1)
Isaiah Roebuck/Baseball
Marana/Jamestown
Iron Jimmie of the Month (3/29)
Abraham Valenzuela/Track and Field
Palo Verde/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (3/29)
Nathaniel Curtiss/Track and Field
Rincon/UHS/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (3/29)
Alyssa Brown/Basketball
Sahuaro/UNLV
Mountain West Player of the Week (1/8)
Mountain West Tourney MVP (3/13)
Outstanding Rebel of the Week (3/22)
Camilla Zepeda/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/21)
Emily Darwin/Softball
Benson/Grand Canyon
WAC Pitcher of the Week (3/11)
Sydney Gray/Softball
Sabino/Nebraska
Big Ten Player of the Week (2/19)
Big Ten Player of the Week (2/21)
Big Ten Player of the Week (3/11)
Lual Lual/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Mesa
All-ACCAC DII Second Team (3/6)
All-Region DII Second Team (3/6)
Gabriella Lopez/Basketball
Bisbee/Pima
DII Defensive Player of the Year (3/6)
All-ACCAC DII Second Team (3/6)
All-Region DII Second Team (3/6)
Dominique Acosta/Basketball
Nogales/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/2)
All-ACCAC DII First Team (3/6)
All-Region DII Second Team (3/6)
Mason White/Baseball
Salpointe/Arizona
Bobby Bragan Award Watch List (2/16)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/8)
Frisco Classic All-Tournament Team (3/6)
Bria Medina/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox
Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year (2/27)
Midwest Conference First Team (2/27)
Kylee Callahan/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox
Midwest Player of the Week (1/3)
Midwest Conference First Team (2/27)
Aaliyah Ortiz/Basketball
Palo Verde/Culver-Stockton
All-Heart of America Team (3/1)
Dylan Dreis/Football
Salpointe/Arizona
Arizona Bow Intern of the Year (2/29)
Isaiah Miller/Wrestling
Sahuarita/Jamestown
GPAC Freshman of the Year
GPAC First Team (2/21)
Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Perth
NBL Most Valuable Player (2/19)
Spencer Packard/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Arkansas Travelers
MLB Prospect (2/7)
Devyn Netz/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-94 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Aquarina Thomas/Volleyball
Tucson/Des Moines Area CC
Fall Academic All-Region (1/16)