Page 9 - Reedley Exponent 5-30-19 E-edition

B3 | Thursday, May 30, 2019
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Mulligan, Milton are RHS Athletes of Year
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
From left, Emma Mulligan and Ethan Milton posed with their awards after being named Female and Male Athletes of the Year at Reedley High School for 2018-19 on May 23.
attitude, and she was such a great teammate," Minami said. Her RHS soccer coach, Bladi- mir Pizano, called her one of the best athletes, leaders, persons, and character play- ers he's coached in his near 25-year career.
"I'm really proud to receive this award in honor of Reedley High School because I love it here," Mulligan said after the ceremony. "I had a lot of fun all four years... this year, playing three sports re- ally was a change. It was physi- cally and emotionally tough, but it was a good choice. I wish I played sooner."
Mulligan was the NYL Most Valuable Player in softball this spring, and was first-team all- league his first three seasons. She has been team offensive MVP three times, and will play softball collegiately for Northwest Naza- rene University in Idaho. In soc- cer, Mulligan was the league's Of- fensive Player of the Year three times and was first team all-NYL as a freshman. She also was team MVP three times.
Mulligan said a highlight for her was the improvement the 2018-19 RHS soccer team made
See REEDLEY HIGH on page B4
School honors senior girls class that won 22 league titles
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
Reedley High School honored one of its finest senior girls classes and one of its top female athletes in recent years, as well as a star male standout in the wa- ter, during the school's 2018-19 Athletic Awards program at the RHS Performing Arts Theatre on May 23.
Emma Mulligan, who earned multiple team and North Yosem- ite League MVP honors in soccer and softball during a four-year varsity career that included ten- nis success, headlined a stellar group of RHS girls with the Fe- male Athlete of the Year award. She was joined by Male Athlete of the Year winner Ethan Mil- ton, who starred for four years in swimming and three years in water polo.
Darren Minami, RHS athletic director, said he believes Mul- ligan completed the greatest high school career at the school since Tracy Ainger in the 1990s (Ainger went on to become a national volleyball Player of the Year at Fresno Pacific). Mull- ligan won nine varsity letters, four each in softball and soc- cer, and added a letter and team MVP as a senior in her first year playing tennis. She and her best friend, Jocilynn Pueblas, teamed to capture the North Yosemite League doubles title
"Emma did this with such incredible spirit, such a great
Jon Earnest / The Exponent
From left, Julie Scott and Justin Fonseca were named Reedley High School's Se- nior Class Scholar-Athlete winners at the May 23 award ceremony. Both Scott and Fonseca received $200 scholarships from the RHS athletic department.
Seventeen Reedley High School senior girls ath- letes were honored on stage at the RHS athletic awards ceremony on May 23 for their accom- plishments in helping the school win 16 out
of apossible22North Yosemite League cham- pionships in a two-year period from 2017-2019. Darren Minami, RHS athletic director, said 16 of the girls played
a varsity sport for all four years, and the group collected 106 NYL medals or first-team ac- colades in that span.
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
Jefferies, Wood earn top athletic honors
Immanuel High recognizes its
2019 Blue & White Excellence winners
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com.
Immanuel High School's Blue & White Excellence Award winners for 2018-19 is highlighted its Female and Male Athletes of the Year — volleyball standout Danielle Jef- feries and baseball standout Derek Wood.
Jefferies and Wood received their awards and the latest team of standout seniors was revealed at a special awards ceremony on May 23 in the IHS main gym. They were joined on the prestigious Blue & White Excel- lence team by tennis player Grace Goertzen, golfer Nikki McArron, soccer player/swim- mer Rebecca Deaver, soccer player Regan Ott, track and field sprinter Tamsen Taves and baseball pitcher JT Friesen.
Jefferies developed into a dominat- ing player in her four-year career with the Eagles, capped by earning Central Sequoia League Offensive Player of the Year honors while leading the squad to a second place fin- ish in the Central Section Division 4 playoffs last November. She recently received a full scholarship to play volleyball at Division 1
school Cal State Fullerton.
"I was very privileged to coach Danielle
for her senior year," said IHS coach Debbie Linman. "She is one of the best overall ath- letes I have coached in about 20 years. She rises to the challenge, always winning more reps and always asking how to be better."
Linman described how Jefferies power- ful hitting game — which peaked during a postseason run that carried the team into the section finals — would excite the bench coaches with her accuracy and direct hits.
The coach also praised Jefferies academic prowess that includes a 4.0 grade point av- erage.
"With all the traveling and hours on the court, she made sure her education took pri- ority," she said.
The Eagles had a run of success during Jefferies' career, winning section titles in her sophomore and junior years including a Southern California Regional title and run- ner-up state finish in 2016. Jefferies also has been named a CIF Scholar Athlete.
"She has made us very proud," said Josh Franco, athletic director, as he announced her award.
Franco, who also is the Eagles' baseball coach, praised star centerfielder Wood for his sharp improvement on the diamond dur- ing his prep career. That career was capped by a team-high .454 batting average in 2019 and first team all-CSL honors.
"He's got God-given ability, and put in a
See IMMANUEL on page B4
Jon Earnest / The Exponent
From left, Danielle Jefferies and Derek Wood showed off their plaques after they were honored as Im- manuel High School's Female and Male Athlete of the Year at the school's athletic awards ceremony on May 23. Wood attended the event after practice for the May 25 City-County All-Star baseball game.