2016 Arizona Daily Star High School Spring Athletes of the Year
- Updated
These high school students were chosen as the Star's athletes of the year for the 2016 spring sports.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
What he did: Estrella shined on the mound and at the plate as he helped Ironwood Ridge pull within one win of reaching the Division II state championship game. The right-handed senior batted .488, hit 12 doubles, 11 home runs and drove in a team-high 53 runs for the Nighthawks. Estrella, the team’s ace, also posted an 8-3 record with a 2.88 ERA.
Top performance: With the season on the line, Estrella took a shutout into the eighth inning and struck out 12 batters as 10th-seeded I-Ridge knocked off No. 7 Sunnyside to reach the double-elimination stage of the Division II state tournament. Four days later, Estrella struck out eight in another complete game, this time against Mesa Westwood, to send I-Ridge on to the semifinals.
What’s next: Estrella is signed with Azusa Pacific University, where he will continue playing in the infield. The Cougars finished with a 30-20 record in 2016.
Runner-up: Tristan Peterson, Canyon del Oro. The senior catcher was one of the top sluggers in the state and helped the Dorados advance deep into the postseason. CDO was also one of Tucson’s top programs during the regular season, before earning the No. 6 seed in the Division II state tournament.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
What she did: Conway led the way as Catalina Foothills captured its first-ever softball state championship. The star sophomore posted a 23-6 record with a 1.06 ERA and struck out 302 batters. Conway also led the Falcons at the plate, with a .430 batting average and 49 hits, to go along with 30 RBIs, nine doubles, five triples and one home run.
Top performance: Conway pitched all 34 innings of the Division III state tournament for Foothills, capped off with a complete-game, 14-strikeout performance in an 8-0 win against Payson in the championship game. In five postseason games, Conway struck out 61 batters while surrendering 16 hits and just one earned run.
What’s next: Conway, who moved from Dallas before her freshman year, isn’t going anywhere. She’ll have a shot at leading Foothills to another state championship next spring, when the Falcons will be playing in Class 4A.
Runner-up: Nickole Robles, Pueblo. Like Conway, Robles caused headaches for opponents in the postseason. The senior pitched all 29 innings in the Division IV state tournament as the Warriors captured their first state title since 1990. Robles posted a 14-2 record with a 1.27 ERA and struck out 97 batters in 99 innings.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
What he did: Parikh plowed through the Division II singles state tournament to win his second championship in three seasons. The star senior finished out a stellar career with a perfect 22-0 season, in addition to helping Salpointe reach the semifinals of the team tournament.
Top performance: Parikh, who also won a singles state title as a sophomore, dropped just two games on his way to getting back to the state finals. That’s where Parikh took down Surprise Shadow Ridge’s Carlos Hassey, to avenge a semifinal loss from the year before. The top-seeded Parikh held on for a 7-5 win in the first set against Hassey, before rolling to a 6-1 win in the second to secure the title.
What’s next: Parikh is taking a gap year to play in some tournaments and better his game, before enrolling in school in the fall of 2017. In four seasons at Salpointe, Parikh won two singles titles and twice more finished third, losing to the eventual champion in the semifinals both instances.
Runner-up: Michael Lee, Catalina Foothills. The Arizona Wildcats signee teamed up with his brother to reach the championship round of the doubles state tournament and helped the Falcons capture their third straight team crown.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
What she did: Only a sophomore, Pesqueira put together a perfect season on her way to becoming Rincon/University’s first singles state champion since 1999. The postseason stage was nothing new to Pesqueira, who reached the doubles semifinals as a freshman in 2015. She also helped the Rangers earn the No. 5 seed in the team tournament and reach the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
Top performance: The second-seeded Pesqueira knocked off No. 1 Alexa Cooke of Scottsdale Notre Dame 6-2, 6-3 in the singles championship, after beating the No. 3 seed 6-4, 6-2 earlier in the day. The straight-set victories allowed Pesqueira to finish off the season without dropping a set.
What’s next: Pesqueira will have a slightly bigger challenge to defend her title next season, as Rincon moves up to Class 5A. But she’ll have two attempts to match or surpass Tricia Kempton as the program’s only two-time champion.
Runner-up: Abby Watson, Catalina Foothills. Watson repeated as the Division II doubles state champion while she helped the Falcons reach the team finals for the eighth straight season.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
What he did: The Mountain View senior captured two state championships and became Tucson’s first high jumper to clear 7 feet. Summerset, who is signed with the Arizona Wildcats, also secured his place in the history books when he jumped 7-2½ in his final home meet to set an Arizona high school state record. Summerset was the state’s lone high jumper to go over 7 feet this spring and he did it twice prior to his record-breaking performance on April 23.
Top performance: After three years of heartbreak, Summerset broke through at the state championship meet in Mesa to capture his first high jump championship, with a winning mark of 6-9. Minutes after that, he placed first in the Division II 400-meter run in 48.93 seconds to claim his second gold medal of the day.
What’s next: Summerset will be high jumping for the UA over the next four years and hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Coincidentally, now Summerset is teammates with Bryant O’Georgia, who broke the high jump state record in 2016 as a senior at Phoenix North Canyon.
Runner-up: Tavian Ross, Tucson High. Ross repeated as the Division I 400 champion in 48.28, placed third in the 200 in 22.07 and was a member of the Badgers’ 400 relay team, which posted the second-fastest qualifying time in 41.64.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
What she did: Schadler continued to add to her already large collection of gold medals and again posted some of the best marks in the state. The junior distance runner had a hand in winning four titles at the state meet as Rio Rico finished as the Division III runner-up for the first time in program history. Schadler also finished the season with the state’s best times in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
Top performance: Schadler repeated as the 1,600 champion in 4 minutes 49.03 seconds in the first day of action at the state meet and won three more titles the next day. First, she anchored the 3,200 relay team to a win in 9:53.34 and then she won the open 3,200 in 10:16.72 — the third-fastest time in state history. Schadler capped off the night by running a speedy final leg in the 1,600 relay to another win in 4:02.19.
What’s next: Schadler heads into her senior year with high expectations, both in cross country and track. She’s the three-time defending cross country champion and the three-time defending 1,600 champion on the track.
Runner-up: Brielle Sterns, Sahuaro. The junior won the Division II 100 hurdles for the third straight season in 14.58 and placed second in the long jump with a mark of 18-4¾. Sterns, who was also fourth in the 300 hurdles, is committed to New Mexico State and will be one of Southern Arizona’s premier athletes next year.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
What he did: Mott helped pull Cienega within one win of reaching its first state championship appearance. The 6-foot-2-inch do-it-all setter tallied 821 assists, 135 kills, 92 digs, 77 blocks and 37 aces to pace the Bobcats to a 16-0 regular season and a section championship. Mott, the son of coach Heather Mott, distributed the ball evenly to allow four different players to register at least 174 kills.
Top performance: With the Division II, Section I championship still up for grabs, Mott dished out a season-high 45 assists to lead Cienega to a 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 25-17) win at Rincon/University on April 28. Mott also tallied six digs, five kills and five blocks in the four-set victory to keep the Bobcats unbeaten in regular-season play.
What’s next: Mott will be back at Cienega for his senior year next season, along with his top target Skyler Cavanaugh, a junior outside hitter who led the Bobcats with 219 kills.
Runner-up: Griffin Whithed, Mountain View. The 6-foot-2-inch senior outside hitter totaled a team-high 230 kills as the Mountain Lions more than tripled their win total from a year ago and earned the No. 6 seed in the Division II state tournament.
More like this...
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
What he did: Estrella shined on the mound and at the plate as he helped Ironwood Ridge pull within one win of reaching the Division II state championship game. The right-handed senior batted .488, hit 12 doubles, 11 home runs and drove in a team-high 53 runs for the Nighthawks. Estrella, the team’s ace, also posted an 8-3 record with a 2.88 ERA.
Top performance: With the season on the line, Estrella took a shutout into the eighth inning and struck out 12 batters as 10th-seeded I-Ridge knocked off No. 7 Sunnyside to reach the double-elimination stage of the Division II state tournament. Four days later, Estrella struck out eight in another complete game, this time against Mesa Westwood, to send I-Ridge on to the semifinals.
What’s next: Estrella is signed with Azusa Pacific University, where he will continue playing in the infield. The Cougars finished with a 30-20 record in 2016.
Runner-up: Tristan Peterson, Canyon del Oro. The senior catcher was one of the top sluggers in the state and helped the Dorados advance deep into the postseason. CDO was also one of Tucson’s top programs during the regular season, before earning the No. 6 seed in the Division II state tournament.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
What she did: Conway led the way as Catalina Foothills captured its first-ever softball state championship. The star sophomore posted a 23-6 record with a 1.06 ERA and struck out 302 batters. Conway also led the Falcons at the plate, with a .430 batting average and 49 hits, to go along with 30 RBIs, nine doubles, five triples and one home run.
Top performance: Conway pitched all 34 innings of the Division III state tournament for Foothills, capped off with a complete-game, 14-strikeout performance in an 8-0 win against Payson in the championship game. In five postseason games, Conway struck out 61 batters while surrendering 16 hits and just one earned run.
What’s next: Conway, who moved from Dallas before her freshman year, isn’t going anywhere. She’ll have a shot at leading Foothills to another state championship next spring, when the Falcons will be playing in Class 4A.
Runner-up: Nickole Robles, Pueblo. Like Conway, Robles caused headaches for opponents in the postseason. The senior pitched all 29 innings in the Division IV state tournament as the Warriors captured their first state title since 1990. Robles posted a 14-2 record with a 1.27 ERA and struck out 97 batters in 99 innings.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
What he did: Parikh plowed through the Division II singles state tournament to win his second championship in three seasons. The star senior finished out a stellar career with a perfect 22-0 season, in addition to helping Salpointe reach the semifinals of the team tournament.
Top performance: Parikh, who also won a singles state title as a sophomore, dropped just two games on his way to getting back to the state finals. That’s where Parikh took down Surprise Shadow Ridge’s Carlos Hassey, to avenge a semifinal loss from the year before. The top-seeded Parikh held on for a 7-5 win in the first set against Hassey, before rolling to a 6-1 win in the second to secure the title.
What’s next: Parikh is taking a gap year to play in some tournaments and better his game, before enrolling in school in the fall of 2017. In four seasons at Salpointe, Parikh won two singles titles and twice more finished third, losing to the eventual champion in the semifinals both instances.
Runner-up: Michael Lee, Catalina Foothills. The Arizona Wildcats signee teamed up with his brother to reach the championship round of the doubles state tournament and helped the Falcons capture their third straight team crown.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
What she did: Only a sophomore, Pesqueira put together a perfect season on her way to becoming Rincon/University’s first singles state champion since 1999. The postseason stage was nothing new to Pesqueira, who reached the doubles semifinals as a freshman in 2015. She also helped the Rangers earn the No. 5 seed in the team tournament and reach the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
Top performance: The second-seeded Pesqueira knocked off No. 1 Alexa Cooke of Scottsdale Notre Dame 6-2, 6-3 in the singles championship, after beating the No. 3 seed 6-4, 6-2 earlier in the day. The straight-set victories allowed Pesqueira to finish off the season without dropping a set.
What’s next: Pesqueira will have a slightly bigger challenge to defend her title next season, as Rincon moves up to Class 5A. But she’ll have two attempts to match or surpass Tricia Kempton as the program’s only two-time champion.
Runner-up: Abby Watson, Catalina Foothills. Watson repeated as the Division II doubles state champion while she helped the Falcons reach the team finals for the eighth straight season.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
What he did: The Mountain View senior captured two state championships and became Tucson’s first high jumper to clear 7 feet. Summerset, who is signed with the Arizona Wildcats, also secured his place in the history books when he jumped 7-2½ in his final home meet to set an Arizona high school state record. Summerset was the state’s lone high jumper to go over 7 feet this spring and he did it twice prior to his record-breaking performance on April 23.
Top performance: After three years of heartbreak, Summerset broke through at the state championship meet in Mesa to capture his first high jump championship, with a winning mark of 6-9. Minutes after that, he placed first in the Division II 400-meter run in 48.93 seconds to claim his second gold medal of the day.
What’s next: Summerset will be high jumping for the UA over the next four years and hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Coincidentally, now Summerset is teammates with Bryant O’Georgia, who broke the high jump state record in 2016 as a senior at Phoenix North Canyon.
Runner-up: Tavian Ross, Tucson High. Ross repeated as the Division I 400 champion in 48.28, placed third in the 200 in 22.07 and was a member of the Badgers’ 400 relay team, which posted the second-fastest qualifying time in 41.64.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
What she did: Schadler continued to add to her already large collection of gold medals and again posted some of the best marks in the state. The junior distance runner had a hand in winning four titles at the state meet as Rio Rico finished as the Division III runner-up for the first time in program history. Schadler also finished the season with the state’s best times in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
Top performance: Schadler repeated as the 1,600 champion in 4 minutes 49.03 seconds in the first day of action at the state meet and won three more titles the next day. First, she anchored the 3,200 relay team to a win in 9:53.34 and then she won the open 3,200 in 10:16.72 — the third-fastest time in state history. Schadler capped off the night by running a speedy final leg in the 1,600 relay to another win in 4:02.19.
What’s next: Schadler heads into her senior year with high expectations, both in cross country and track. She’s the three-time defending cross country champion and the three-time defending 1,600 champion on the track.
Runner-up: Brielle Sterns, Sahuaro. The junior won the Division II 100 hurdles for the third straight season in 14.58 and placed second in the long jump with a mark of 18-4¾. Sterns, who was also fourth in the 300 hurdles, is committed to New Mexico State and will be one of Southern Arizona’s premier athletes next year.
- Daniel Gaona Arizona Daily Star
What he did: Mott helped pull Cienega within one win of reaching its first state championship appearance. The 6-foot-2-inch do-it-all setter tallied 821 assists, 135 kills, 92 digs, 77 blocks and 37 aces to pace the Bobcats to a 16-0 regular season and a section championship. Mott, the son of coach Heather Mott, distributed the ball evenly to allow four different players to register at least 174 kills.
Top performance: With the Division II, Section I championship still up for grabs, Mott dished out a season-high 45 assists to lead Cienega to a 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 25-17) win at Rincon/University on April 28. Mott also tallied six digs, five kills and five blocks in the four-set victory to keep the Bobcats unbeaten in regular-season play.
What’s next: Mott will be back at Cienega for his senior year next season, along with his top target Skyler Cavanaugh, a junior outside hitter who led the Bobcats with 219 kills.
Runner-up: Griffin Whithed, Mountain View. The 6-foot-2-inch senior outside hitter totaled a team-high 230 kills as the Mountain Lions more than tripled their win total from a year ago and earned the No. 6 seed in the Division II state tournament.
More like this...
Most Popular
-
Cyclist rescued after being knocked into rushing water at Sabino Canyon
-
New Arizona laws add HOA restrictions
-
Slain U of A student's boyfriend had history of violence, court records say
-
U of A acceptance rate rises to 90% as applications plunge -
John Mellencamp concert stopped abruptly as storm hits Phoenix
