Over the next month, the 蜜柚直播 is profiling Southern 蜜柚直播 high school athletes whose seasons were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Each high school nominated a spring athlete who exemplifies greatness on and off the field, court or track.
Sonia Valles didn鈥檛 graduate from high school and for years has been counting down the days until she gets to watch her 17-year-old twins, Leo and Ivan Villa, take that monumental walk to receive their diplomas.
Like so many other things upended by coronavirus pandemonium, the where, when and how of Walden Grove High School鈥檚 graduation ceremony are relative unknowns. Valles is now hopeful that she鈥檒l get to see her boys receive their diplomas before they head off to college.
In addition to the last few months of high school and possibly a traditional graduation ceremony, Ivan and Leo Villa are missing out on the end of their standout high school baseball careers.
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This isn鈥檛 the way they expected to go out, these boys who Walden Grove鈥檚 athletic director said have played important roles on the team for the last four years. But they鈥檙e making the best of it.
鈥淭hese two young men are great young men, very respectful and hard- working in the classroom,鈥 said Walden Grove AD Barry Cromer.
Older brothers to a 10-year-old sister and 13-year-old brother, Leo and Ivan Villa help their mom 鈥 who works full-time 鈥 out with errands and school pickups for their younger siblings, Valles said.
鈥淭hey never complain,鈥 their mother said. 鈥淚f I ask them to do something they just do it. I鈥檓 so proud of being their mom.鈥
Leo and Ivan Villa got their start in coach-pitch baseball before moving into the Copper Hills Little League. During their time in Copper Hills, they made it all the way to regionals, playing against teams from Hawaii, Washington and Alaska.
鈥淚t was so much of a fun experience watching them grow until now,鈥 Valles said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so excited for once they start going to college and start playing ball.鈥
Valles was in the process of helping the boys create a recruiting video to send to prospective colleges when the coronavirus hit. The video has taken a back seat for the moment between Valles鈥 full-time job and managing home-school activities for her children.
鈥淭he older boys help out, of course,鈥 Valles said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 overwhelming, but we get it done.鈥
Ivan Villa said the hardest part is being away from his friends and teammates. The Villas鈥 coaches have been strong role models for years.
鈥淚 miss practicing and school a lot,鈥 Ivan Villa said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 doing all the work that they gave us and going to do the next steps.鈥
Ivan Villa is hoping to attend the University of 蜜柚直播 next year and major in civil engineering. He says he鈥檚 looking forward to when things get back to normal so he can 鈥渉ave a bunch of fun right before heading to college.鈥 He is throwing and working out with his brother every day to stay in playing shape 鈥 no surprise for a student whose favorite class was weights and conditioning.
鈥淚 usually go out and run or do body workouts, like push-ups or sit-ups and stuff,鈥 Ivan Villa said. 鈥淚 like to run a lot, which people think is weird. It just clears my mind and makes me more in shape.鈥
Leo Villa differs from his twin in that he prefers distance running 鈥 so much so that he competed for Walden Grove鈥檚 cross country team last year.
Like his brother, Leo Villa also played multiple positions for the Red Wolves, including catcher, shortstop and third base.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to hang out with my friends and go out on the fields and start practicing again,鈥 Leo Villa said. 鈥淚 just want to get back into it.鈥
Leo Villa hasn鈥檛 decided on a college yet, saying he prefers Oregon State for baseball and UA for academics. With Leo hoping to major in architectural engineering, academics could win out when it comes time to make the choice.
Both Leo and Ivan Villa鈥檚 favorite memories from high school include the rituals that have long been a part of high school athletics: Practices, games, pep rallies, spirit week and of course, playoffs. Walden Grove鈥檚 baseball team advanced to the postseason the last two years and was looking to a third before the season was cut short.
Still, the boys are staying positive and looking to the future, wherever they end up. But according to their mother, that鈥檚 nothing new.
鈥淭hey have never given up,鈥 Valles said of her boys. 鈥淲hatever life brings to them, they鈥檙e ready to go.鈥
Spring Stars: Some of Southern 蜜柚直播's best high school athletes, 2019-2020
Rachael Fox
Sahuarita High School senior Rachael Fox, posing for a photo, April 18, 2020, Sahuarita, Ariz. She maintained a winning record for all four years of high school. Before school and sports were cancelled in March, Fox was the Mustangs' top player with an undefeated record.
Dakota Crabtree
Academy of 蜜柚直播's Dakota Crabtree, posing for a photo, April 16, 2020, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., In four years at AOT, 18-year-old Crabtree has managed to break several school records, starting with the long jump. He set the school record one during the opening meet of his sophomore season, and has gone onto break it every year since.
Leo and Ivan Villa
Leo Villa, left, and twin brother Ivan, senior baseball players at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita. Ivan Villa is hoping to attend the University of 蜜柚直播 next year and major in civil engineering. Leo hopes to major in architectural engineering, academics could win out when it comes time to make the choice.
Isabel Cordova
Track and Field senior at Empire High school Isabel Cordova poses for a portrait at Empire High School, 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, in 蜜柚直播, Ariz., on April 21, 2020. Last year, she took second place in state for javelin (her favorite event) with a throwing distance of nearly 115 feet.
Refugio "Kito" Del Cid
Baseball senior at Desert View High school Refugio "Kito" Del Cid poses for a portrait at Jacobs Park, 3300 N. Fairview Ave., in 蜜柚直播, Ariz., on April 21, 2020. With the quarantine in effect, Del Cid's been pitching and hitting ground balls against the wall in his back yard in an effort to stay in playing shape and keep baseball alive in his life. He says his teammates and this season鈥 even in its shortened state鈥 were his favorite part of high school.
Cheyenne Hudson and Laneya Wright
Marana softball players Cheyenne Hudson (pitcher and shortstop) and Laneya Wright (centerfielder) stand for a portrait at Marana Heritage River Park, on April 24, 2020. Laneya Wright and Cheyenne Hudson started playing softball on the same club team a decade ago as little girls, growing up together on the fields.
Ethan Lee
Rincon/University High School junior tennis player Ethan Lee on April 26, 2020. A member of Rincon's tennis team for the past three years, Lee was state champion last year for men's singles, after taking the runner-up spot his freshman year. Always one for a challenge, Lee was considering pursuing a state championship in doubles tennis this spring, before the season was cut short.
Kaitlyn Rendon
Flowing Wells High School junior Kaitlyn Rendon at Jacobs Park in 蜜柚直播, Ariz., on April 26, 2020. Rendon plays on FWHS's soccer, track and field and cross country teams as well as on FWHS ROTC rifle team. She has a 3.9 unweighted GPA and is ranked 10th in her class. She's also president of her school's Interact Club, and a member of several others, including National Honor Society.
Preston Gibbons
Mountain View High School senior volleyball outside hitter Preston Gibbons on May 1, 2020. Gibbons is ranked seventh in his class at Mountain View and will be attending the University of 蜜柚直播 in the fall.
Alyssa Lopez
Canyon del Oro High School senior Alyssa Lopez, shown on April 29, 2020, was the school's No.1 tennis player. Several months ago, Lopez started working as a gymnastics coach for kids at Heart and Soul Gymnastics. While the gym is closed because of COVID-19, Lopez has been creating at-home workout videos for the kids.
Kristiana Watson
Amphitheater High School senior Kristiana Watson says the things she misses most about the season cancellation are losing a chance to play with her cousin and her final year of being coached by her mother on the Panthers鈥 softball team.
Jesse Avina
Sierra Vista Buena High School javelin thrower Jesse Avina is planning to join the Air Force after he earns his four-year degree. He鈥檒l start this fall by enrolling at Paradise Valley Community College. He will be on the Paradise Valley track and field team.
Amya Legarra
Canyon del Oro senior pitcher Amya Legarra was 8-0 with a 2.39 ERA and three complete games when the season was halted. She plans to move to Logan, Utah, this summer, and will soon be majoring in human movement science and playing softball for Utah State University.
Candice Pocase
Santa Rita High School junior track athlete Candice Pocase on April 24, 2020. "In my 20 years of coaching, Candice is one of the most hardworking, dedicated, coachable and fun athletes that I have had the honor to coach," said Luis Blanco, who is also Pocase's track coach. "The words 'no' and 'can't' are not in her athletic vocabulary.
Emily Flowers
Emily Flowers, a sophomore at Catalina Foothills High School, won a state championship last year and hopes to play at a Division I school someday. Before the coronavirus hit, Flowers was training six days a week at the Smith-Perry Tennis Academy and an academy run by UA tennis coaches. She鈥檚 trying to ensure that her game is impacted as little as possible by the change in routine.
Briana Garcilazo
Briana Garcilazo, a senior at Rio Rico High School. Softball is something of a family tradition, as both of her sisters also play. Garcilazo, a pitcher, first baseman and outfielder on Rio Rico鈥檚 team, will be continuing her career in college, signing on to play with Mesa Community College next year.
Leo Felix
Leo Felix, senior at Douglas High School, poses for a portrait at 15th Street Park, E. 15th st., in Douglas, Ariz., on May 5, 2020. Felix, outfielder for the Douglas High School Baseball team, is graduating in the top 10% of his class and plans to continue his baseball career in college. "I'm definitely going to try to play somewhere, and I'm going to continue my studies in college," said Felix, adding that he plans to major in business.
Abigail Russell
Salpointe Catholic鈥檚 Abigail Russell will next compete for the UA beach volleyball team. She also played the indoor version for the Lancers. When Russell was 10, she discovered volleyball and fell in love. Her brief flirtation with track, dancing and everything else was over.
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Emmanuel Corral, 18, is looking forward to running for Pima College in the fall.
Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage
Softball player Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage poses for a portrait at Salpointe Catholic High School on May 7, 2020. 蜜柚直播鈥檚 2019 All State Catcher and Defensive Player of the Year, Aguilar-Beaucage plans to continue her softball career at Grand Canyon University like her older sister.
Ryan Zuniga
Ryan Zuniga is hoping to follow his cousin鈥檚 footsteps and earn a college scholarship. Keith Zuniga played at Bethune-Cookman and was a 35th-round selection of the Miami Marlins, though he did not sign.
Shelby Thompson
Softball player Shelby Thompson of Ironwood Ridge High School on May 12, 2020.聽
"Shelby... took giant steps from a freshman year, when she pitched less than 10 innings, to her senior year when was expecting to pitch in her third straight State Championship game," said softball coach David Martinez. "Shelby聽worked extremely hard on improving her whole person, from her mental toughness to her physical strength. Shelby聽is our leader and has been incredible in that role."
Gabrianna Gonzalez
Gabrianna Gonzalez, 18, is a discus thrower on the track and field team at Cholla High School. She plans to attend the University of 蜜柚直播 in the Fall. May 14, 2020.聽
Gonzalez is one of Cholla's few three-sport female athletes. She also competed in volleyball and basketball.
Of the three sports, track is her favorite. So much so that she passed up on the opportunity to graduate early in order to make a run at state.
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Former Sabino High School standout Sydney Gray played at Nebraska as a true freshman before suffering a knee injury that required surgery. She has been rehabbing daily ever since.
Bryan Cruz
Bryan Cruz joined the Amphitheater High School volleyball team in 2018 after moving back to 蜜柚直播 from Cucurpe, Sonora.
鈥淔irst and foremost, he is a true student-athlete,鈥 said Amphi volleyball coach Mike Frederick, who believes Cruz is one of the best volleyball players in the region. 鈥淗e may be the most underappreciated player in the city. 鈥 But to us, he is everything. Not only is he our leader on the court but off the court as well.鈥
Angel Addleman
Senior basketball and track and field athlete Angel Addleman at Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega, in 蜜柚直播, Ariz. on May 19, 2020. Addleman will play basketball at Pima Community College.
With the track season halted early and Addleman's brief musical career behind her 鈥 she spent two years performing in the folk group Copper Wren with her sisters and some friends 鈥 Addleman found herself with some time to fill during the quarantine. But unlike some athletes who require specialty equipment or teammates to train, Addleman was able to wing it.
Blaise Biringer
Blaise Biringer, 18, on the softball field at Cienega High School on May 11, 2020. Biringer plans to attend the University of Mississippi on a softball scholarship.
Prior to the shutdown, Biringer was selected to play for the Mexican National team this summer in the inaugural Triple Crown International Challenge. She was also selected by Premier Gold Fastpitch to represent the Mountain Region as an All-American (on a roster that includes fellow Spring Stars Anjolle Aguilar-Beaucage, Sydney Gray, Amya Legarra, Carlie Scupin and Kristiana Watson.)
Cameron Fimbres
Cameron Fimbres, Pueblo High School senior volleyball player, at Silverbell Crossroads Park, on May 15, 2020. Fimbres will be going to McKendree University in southern Illinois.
"My favorite memory of high school would have to be volleyball," Fimbres said. "It's either my escape from stress and stuff or where I could show off to friends, but sophomore year was also very fun. I got to play with my brother before he graduated and it was probably my team's best year."
Gerardo Grijalva
Gerardo Grijalva, 17, plays pitcher and first base for the Sunnyside High School baseball team. He will be returning to Sunnyside in the Fall as a senior.
While Grijalva would love to play college in baseball after he graduates, preferably at University of 蜜柚直播 or UCLA, he's also focused on his future career as a robotic engineer.
"I heard that robotic engineering has a lot of math in it, and most people don鈥檛 like math, but that鈥檚 one of my best subjects in school," Grijalva said. "Right now, really don鈥檛 have an idea of where I might go, but I for sure know that I really want to play baseball in college at the next level."
