Former Benson multi-sport standout Emily Darwin ended her collegiate career pitching for California Baptist and it was a remarkable journey. She helped lead the Lancers to a regular season WAC championship and a WAC tournament championship, falling to UCLA in a wild 12-11 loss in the Los Angeles Regional.
She was named Second-Team All-WAC, was named Pitcher of the Week during the regular season and she earned Academic All-District honors.
Darwin hit 55 home runs in high school, scored 1,617 points in basketball and she collected 778 kills volleyball at Benson. She helped lead Benson to state softball championship in 2018 before moving over to help Yavapai earn a regional title in her freshman season and then she helped pitch Grand Canyon to three WAC championships, record the first perfect game in GCU history.
She earned multiple accolades at Yavapai and GCU and she was granted a fifth year of athletics and she chose to play volleyball for Colorado Christian in the fall of 2025 before returning to softball with Cal Baptist this past spring.
Former Catalina Foothills keeper Grace Hughes and former Salpointe standout Emma Cazares earned Player of the Match honors with FC Tucson Women.
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 recognition. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know. amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
Portions from news release.
Emma Cazares/Soccer
Salpointe/FC Tucson Women
Player of the Match (6/1)
Grace Hughes/Soccer
Catalina Foothills/ FC Tucson Women
Player of the Match (6/0)
Emily Darwin/Softball
Benson/Cal Baptist
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/23)
Second-Team All-WAC (5/5)
Academic All-District (5/26)
Amelia Kidd/Soccer
Tanque Verde/FC Tucson Women
Player of the Match (5/27)
Leah Salas/Softball
Sahuarita/Embery-Riddle
NAIA Scholar-Athlete (5/5)
GSAC All-Conference (5/6)
GSAC Scholar-Athlete (5/26)
Kealey Myhre/Softball
Sahuarita/Embry-Riddle
GSAC All-Conference (5/6)
GSAC Scholar-Athlete (5/26)
Lester Medford Jr./Basketball
Amphitheater/BC Slovan Bratislava
MVP of the Game (5/17)
MVP of the Game (5/19)
Julia Holt/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Howard
MEAC Preseason First Team (2/1)
MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year (1/29)
MEAC Pitcher of the Week (2/10)
Howard Soul of the Team Award (4/16)
MEAC All-Academic Team (5/5)
MEAC All-Tournament Team (5/11)
Alyssa Robles/Beach Volleyball
Salpointe/ACU
NAIA Scholar-Athlete (5/5)
Adalien Santa Maria/Track & Field
Sahuarita/ACU
NAIA Scholar-Athlete (5/5)
Miles Bottai/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
Big 12 Winter All-Academic Team (4/30)
Daniel Miranda/Wrestling
Mountain View/ASU
Big 12 Winter All-Academic Team (4/30)
Mateo Pimienta/Cross Country
Rincon/UHS/Arizona
Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team (1/29)
Michael Urbanski/Cross Country
Salpointe/Arizona
Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team (1/29)
Eleanor Korten Kamp/Cross Country
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team (1/29)
Kayden Luke/Football
Canyon del Oro/Arizona
Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team (1/29)
Wyatt Preble/Cross Country
Salpointe/Arizona State
Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team (1/29)
Beatrice Honebrink/Cross Country
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona State
Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team (1/29)
Coben Bourguet/Football
Salpointe/Arizona State
Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team (1/29)
Dayanara Campos/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Georgetown
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (4/13)
All-BIG EAST (5/6)
Madison Myers-Rebidas/Flag Football
Marana/Saint Francis
All-NAIA East Flag Football First Team (5/3)
Adrian Griffin/Flag Football
Marana/Siena
All-NAIA East Flag Football Second Team (5/3)
D’Andre Pickett/Soccer
Tucson/Cal
All-ACC Academic Team (1/29)
Golden Bear Highest GPA (5/4)
Alyssa Brown/Basketball
Sahuaro/TK Hannover Luchse
German DBBL First Team (5/4)
German DBBL All-Import Team (5/4)
German DBBL All Defensive Team (5/4)
Jorgina Gant/Softball
Tucson/Jackson State
SWAC Pitcher of the Week (4/23)
SWAC Second Team (5/4)
Tarrell Reid/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Yavapai
D-I Silver Slugger of the Year (5/4)
All-ACCAC/Region First Team (5/4)
Austin Cushman/Baseball
Buena/Cochise
All-ACCAC/Region Second Team (5/4)
Gold Glove (5/4)
Rebekah Quiroz/Softball
Flowing Wells/Pima
D-II Coach of the Year (5/5)
Belen Camacho/Softball
Pueblo/Pima
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (2/23)
NJCAA D-II National Pitcher of the Week (2/25)
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (3/18)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (4/29)
D-II Pitcher of the Year (5/5)
All-ACCAC First Team (5/5)
Amerika Lopez Bedoy/Softball
Sunnyside/Pima
All-ACCAC First Team (5/5)
Jiselle Nunez/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (4/29)
All-ACCAC First Team (5/5)
Izabel Rodriguez/Softball
Sahuarita/Pima
All-ACCAC First Team (5/5)
Adriana Machado/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (4/15)
All-ACCAC Second Team (5/5)
Soleil Ponce/Softball
Sunnyside/Pima
All-ACCAC Second Team (5/5)
Julissa Lopez/Softball
Tucson/Pima
All-ACCAC Second Team (5/5)
Clarissa Figueroa/Softball
Mountain View/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/10)
All-ACCAC Third Team (5/5)
Alma Teilon/Softball
Desert View/Scottsdale
All-ACCAC Third Team (5/5)
Kayla Hendrix/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
All-ACCAC Third Team (5/5)
Isabel Mendoza/Softball
Cienega/Pima
All-ACCAC Third Team (5/5)
Joey Bernier/Golf
Salpointe/Chandler-Gilbert
All-Region Second Team (5/5)
Destanee Nez/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Eastern Arizona
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (2/23)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (4/15)
All-Region First Team Battery (5/5)
Alexis Guzman/Softball
Salpointe/Eastern Arizona
All-Region First Team Battery (5/5)
Kiana Garcilazo/Softball
Rio Rico/Central Arizona
All-Region Outfield (5/5)
Brianna Wunderle/Softball
Marana/Central Arizona
All-Region Infield Second Team (5/5)
Mya Hernandez/Softball
Sahuaro/Central Arizona
All-Region Infield Second Team (5/5)
Izaiah Moraga/Baseball
Salpointe/South Mountain
ACCAC All-Region First Team (4/29)
ACCAC All-Conference (4/29)
Cooper Kruk/Baseball
Catalina Foothills/Pima
ACCAC All-Region First Team (4/29)
ACCAC All-Conference (4/29)
ACCAC Golden Glove (4/29)
Mike Jones/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
ACCAC All-Region First Team (4/29)
ACCAC All-Conference (4/29)
Ernie Alvarez/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/South Mountain
ACCAC All-Region Second Team (4/29)
ACCAC All-Conference Second Team (4/29)
Damien Lorta/Baseball
Desert View/Pima
ACCAC All-Region Second Team (4/29)
ACCAC All-Conference Second Team (4/29)
Grant Young/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/South Mountain
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (4/29)
Cody Raetzman/Football
Salpointe/Minot State
NFF Hampshire Honor Society (4/9)
Isaiah Hill/Basketball
Pueblo/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/22)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/5)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Year (3/2)
ACCAC D-II Freshman of the Year (3/2)
Region First Team (3/2)
Best Small Man Award (320)
First Team NJCAA Division II All-American (4/8)
Audrey Jimenez/Wrestling
Sunnyside/Lehigh
Super Region 2 Champion (2/21)
USA Wrestler to Watch (3/5)
NCAA All-American (3/6)
NCAA National Champion (3/7)
NCAA Outstanding (3/7)
NCAA Most Dominant (3/7)
NCAA Scholar All-American (3/13)
NCAA Region 2 Wrestler of the Year (3/20)
NCAA Women’s Wrestler of the Year (3/24)
USA Wrestling Anthony-Maroulis Trophy (4/3)
Lillian Gradillas-Flores/Wrestling
Mountain View/Southern Oregon
NAIA National Duo star performer (1/14)
Cascade Collegiate Conference Champion (3/1)
NAIA Scholar All-American (3/13)
NAIA National Champion (3/14)
NAIA All-American (3/14)
Sergio Vega/Wrestling
Sunnyside/Oklahoma State
Big 12 Champion (3/7)
NCAA All-American (3/20)
NCAA National Champion (3/21)
Anthony Echemendia/Wrestling
Sunnyside/Iowa State
NCAA All-American (3/21)
Michael Masunas/Football
Sabino/Texas
Texas Football Student of the Week (3/13)
Owen Kramkowski/Baseball
Walden Grove/Arizona
Big 12 Preseason Team (2/5)
Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (3/9)
Danny Knapp/Track and Field
Rio Rico/Pima
NJCAA All-American (3/8)
Tayvien Biancuzzo/Track and Field
Mica Mountain/Pima
NJCAA All-American (3/8)
Noah Macias/Track and Field
Mica Mountain/Pima
NJCAA All-American (3/8)
Elizabeth Ugwu/Track and Field
Sahuaro/Pima
NJCAA All-American (3/8)
Brian Peabody/Basketball
Sahuaro/Pima Coach
ACCAC D-II Coach of the Year (3/2)
Dylan Arvayo/Track and Field
Mountain View/Colorado Springs
RMAC Indoor Heptathlon Champion (2/28)
Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Adelaide 36ers
NBL MVP (2/23)
NBL26 Three Pointer Award (2/23)
Adelaide MVP (2/27)
Members’ Choice Award (2/27)
Bria Medina/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox
Midwest Conference Player of the Year (2/26)
Midwest Conference First Team (2/26)
Kylee Callahan/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox
Midwest Conference 2nd Team (2/26)
Nayeli Nidez Acuna/Basketball
Sunnyside/Knox
Midwest Conference 2nd Team (2/26)
Analise Montiel/Softball
Cholla/Eastern Arizona
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (2/23)
Carter Dooling/Swimming
Ironwood Ridge/GCU
Big West Swimmer of the Week (1/20)
Noah Macias/Track
Mica Mountain/Pima
ACCAC Athlete of the Week (2/12)
Laila Ruiz/Softball
San Manuel/Maryville
GLVC Player of the Week (2/1)
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