(Big 10)
Wisconsin senior Kelsey Jenkins batted .800 over three games to earn the former Sabino standout Big Ten Softball Player of the Week honors.
Jenkins helped Wisconsin to its first-ever sweep and series win over Nebraska with a 1.300 slugging percentage, a .846 on-base percentage, 3-for-3 on stolen bases, no strikeouts, three walks, 13 total bases, eight RBI, one home run and two doubles.
Jenkins belted a home run against both Amber Fiser and Kaylan Jablonski. After her career weekend, Jenkins has the second-highest batting average in the Big Ten Conference for all games (.411) and first with her on-base percentage (.568), second in walks (40). Her five RBI against Nebraska on Saturday was not only a career high, but is the second highest RBI total in a single game by a Big Ten player this 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.
We recognized 144 athletes in 2017. We are up to 62 for 2018.
Kelsey Jenkins/Softball
Sabino/Wisconsin
Big 10 Player of the Week (4/30)
Spencer Packard/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Western
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/13)
ALL-ACCAC Second Team (4/30)
D-I All-Region (4/30)
Diego Cueva-Schraidt/Golf
Sabino/Pima
All-NJCAA Region I (4/29)
Bobby Padilla/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Pima
All-NJCAA Region I (4/29)
Maggie Morales/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Minnesota-Crookston
All-Academic Team (4/29)
Araceli Esquivel/Golf
Salpointe/Pima
1st Team All-Conference (4/24)
1st Team All-Region (4/24)
Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage/Softball
Salpointe/Grand Canyon
WAC Preseason Team (1/31)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/26)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (3/12)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/23)
Andie Larkins/Softball
Sahuaro/Seattle
WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year (1/31)
WAC Preseason Team (1/31)
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (4/2)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/16)
Kayla Green/Softball
Cienega/New Mexico State
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/12)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/19)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/2)
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (4/16)
Brooks Fail/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
Arizona Freshman Athlete of the Year Nominee (4/16)
Carlos Villareal/Cross Country
Rio Rico/Arizona
Arizona Sophomore Athlete of the Year Nominee (4/16)
Robyn Porter/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
Arizona Unsung Hero Award (4/16)
Jessica Williams/Golf
Amphitheater/Embry-Riddle
All-Cal Pac Team (4/10)
Cal Pac Golfer of the Year (4/10)
Nate Renfro/Basketball
Sahuaro/San Francisco
West Coast Conference All-Academic Team (2/21)
Chaz Mack/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Cochise
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (1/17)
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (2/28)
Second Team NJCAA All-American (4/11)
Keven Biggs/Basketball
Cienega/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Region I, Division II Championship MVP (3/9)
Second Team NJCAA All-American (4/10)
Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Perth Wildcats
All-NBL First Team (2/27)
NBL Most Valuable Player (2/27)
Perth Wildcats MVP (4/7)
Matthew Blandeburgo/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Marymount California
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week (4/2)
Max Christoff/Baseball
Sabino/Presentation
NAIA Baseball National Player of the Week (4/2)
Maria Vanezza-Caldera/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (4/2)
Jessica Gradillas/Softball
Nogales/Bryant
Bryant Athletes of the Week (3/27)
Megan Flores/Softball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/26)
Nick Ames/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/UNLV
Mountain West Player of the Week (2/19)
Rebel of the Game (2/18)
Rebel of the Week (2/20)
Rebel of the Game (3/25)
Isaiah Murphy/Basketball
Cienega/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/28)
NJCAA All-Tournament Team (3/25)
Max Smith/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/UNLV
Rebel of the Game (3/23)
Delaney Schnell/Diving
Tucson/Arizona
Pac-12 Diving Freshman/Newcomer of the Year (3/22)
NCAA 1-meter All-American (3/15)
Niki Gonzalez/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Grand Canyon
WAC Player of the Week
Shelby Kennedy/Softball
Cienega/Yale
Ivy League Softball Honor Roll (3/19)
Brian Peabody/Basketball
Sahuaro/Pima College (coach)
HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week (1/7)
NJCAA District I Coach of the Year (3/19)
Collin Dylla/Track
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Cameron Crandall/Track & Field
Canyon del Oro/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Anahiramar Lopez/Track & Field
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Tavion Ross/Track
Tucson/Central Arizona
NJCAA 2-time Indoor All-American (3/7)
Alexis Cortez/Basketball
Tucson High/Utah Valley
WAC Basketball Player of the Week (1/14)
WAC All-Newcomer Team (3/5)
NaKeva Mack/Basketball
Cienega/Colorado Northwestern
SWAC Honorable Mention (3/1)
Abram Carrasco/Basketball
Cholla/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
Second Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Christine Ortega/Basketball
Flowing Wells/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/17)
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Tori Brown/Softball
Cienega/Egis
RMAC Player of the Week (2/27)
Tylor Gil/Softball
Santa Cruz/Phoenix
ACCAC DII Player of the Week (2/26)
Brianna Griffiths/Softball
Tanque Verde/Yavapai
ACCAC DI Player of the Week (2/16)
Austin Nehls/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Central Connecticut State
CoSIDA NCAA Academic District I First Team (2/22)
Alexa Coons/Softball
Sahuaro/Grand Canyon
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (2/12)
Gavin Cohen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
UA Student-Athlete of the Month (2/5)
Ivan Estrella/Baseball
Tucson/Texas Rio Grande Valley
Fall Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (1/17)
Perfect Game Preseason All-WAC Team (2/2)
Reece Nilsen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Rocky Mountain College
Frontier Conference Men’s All-Conference 2nd Team (1/25)
Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year (1/25)
Kiana Verdugo/Track & Field
Sahuarita/Hamlin
MIAC SID Indoor Field Athlete of the Week (1/23)
Brianna Pitre/Basketball
Sabino/ Texas Rio Grande Valley
Fall Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (1/17)
Mari Ruiz/Softball
Cholla/West Texas A&M
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Jaclyn Wittke/Soccer
Sahuaro/Angelo State
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Kaycie Cormier/Cross Country
Douglas/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Melody McLaughlin/Basketball
Mountain View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Bailey Gin/Volleyball
Tucson/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Clarissa Moreno/Softball
Desert View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Brooklyn Misenhimer/Softball
Sahuaro/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Mariangela Garcia/Softball
Desert View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Roberto Cota/Cross Country
Pueblo/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Roberto Contreras/Cross Country
Rio Rico/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
DeAndre Williams/Football
Tucson/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Brandon Vesterdal/Football
Cienega/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Jacob Valdez/Football
Buena/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Michael Lopez/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Larry Lecount/Football
Cholla/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Mikey Silva/Basketball
Sunnyside/Shadow Mountain
SMCC Athlete of the Week (1/14)
Portions from news release.
FOLLOW @ANDYMORALES8 ON TWITTER!
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 AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com
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