The Sports Informant

The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section announced $34,000 in scholarships will be awarded to the 50 winners of the A. Dale Lacky Scholarships for outstanding athletic performance, community service and academic success during their four years of high school.

The award, honoring former Section and State CIF President, A. Dale Lacky, recognizes the top male and female student-athletes within the Section. The scholarship committee has selected five male and five female students as the recipients of a $1,000 scholarship. The other nominees will be awarded a $600 scholarship from the section.

All schools were allowed to play one extra volleyball game and an extra boys and girls basketball game with 50 percent of the gate going directly to the foundation for the scholarships. More than $25,000 was generated through the foundation games. The balance of money came through the annual golf tournament and other sponsors.

All of the winners will be recognized at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Breakfast Awards Ceremony, which will take place on April 20 at Elkhorn Country Club in Stockton. The program will start at 9:00 a.m. The Section will also be honoring three male and three female model coach winners at this breakfast as well. University of the Pacific softball coach Brian Kolze is the keynote speaker.

The five female $1,000 scholarship winners are:

KAITLYN BRAYTON (ESCALON) – Brayton is a star in two sports. She’s a three-time all-league performer for the volleyball team – and she was the co-MVP of the league this season. And she’s a superstar tennis player who hasn’t lost a match in her four years representing the Cougars on the court. She won Sac-Joaquin Section Division III girls singles titles the last three years, with this year currently in season. She’s the ASB treasurer, the homecoming commissioner, an AVID tutor and she participates in student government. She’s won school academic awards for her work in geometry, U.S. history and health. She is a member of Key Club, the school food drive, Coats for Kids and the Friends helping Friends club. She has a 4.02 GPA, which ranks her No. 3 in her class. She’s undecided on her college, but will major in kinesiology, biological science or sports medicine with a goal to go into the medicine field or become a nurse.

SAMANTHA ESPERANZA (ELK GROVE) – Esperanza played her share of sports at Elk Grove. She lettered all four years for the basketball and track and field teams. She also played two seasons of volleyball and spent one season with the cross country team. She made the all-DVC teams in track the last two years and in basketball this season. She’s her senior class vice president and the CSF vice president. She also works with the school site council, link crew and the student forum. Esperanza volunteers in her community as well, including helping out at the Sacramento Zoo, singing Christmas carols at nursing homes, helping out at the SASF sports facility and the Run to Feed the Hungry. She has a 4.47 GPA, ranking her No. 4 in her class. She’s undecided on her college, but will major in kinesiology to become a sports medicine doctor.

ELIZABETH GROVER (WHITNEY – Rocklin) – Grover is a four-year participant on both the water polo and soccer teams. She also swam her junior year. She made the all-league water polo team the last three years and has been all-league in soccer for her first three years. Last year, she was named the PVL Most Valuable Player for soccer. She is the editor-in-chief of the school’s yearbook, Details, which has won several national awards. She’s spent three years on the National Honor Society, including a junior year in which she served as president. She serves as a youth swim coach for the Rocklin Wave and is also a LINK leader for freshman orientation. She carries a 4.314 GPA, the top GPA for her school’s class. She’s undecided on her college, but she knows she will major in physiology, human biology or biological sciences and plans on becoming an orthodontist.

ASHLEY PITTMAN (SONORA) – Pittman competed in 11 sports during her time at Sonora. She played for the volleyball and softball teams for all four of her years, while she played for the basketball team three years. She had become a standout by her sophomore year, earning all-VOL honors in both volleyball and softball since then. She was the softball team MVP her sophomore and junior years; her senior year is ongoing. She’s a member of her school’s leadership class, holding the title of ASB Human Relations Officer. She’s also been a member of CSF for all four of her high school years. She’s one of the coaches for the Sonora Parks and Recreation volleyball camp, she’s run volleyball camps for her community elementary schools and she serves as a scorekeeper for the elementary school sporting events. She carries a 4.10 GPA, which ranks her No. 7 in her class. She’ll attend Dominican University in San Rafael, where she hopes to continue playing volleyball and softball. She’s planning on a biology major, where she’ll go into either physical therapy or sports medicine.

HAYLEY SCOTT (OAK RIDGE – El Dorado Hills) – Scott has competed for the Oak Ridge track and field team for four years. She’s run cross country for three seasons and played basketball for two. Her running awards are varied and numerous. In track, she’s won three Section divisional titles and two Section Masters titles. She’s advanced to the state track championships her sophomore and junior years (her senior season isn’t complete). She’s a three-time team MVP in cross country and, this year, she earned all-American honors in that sport. She has volunteered at several local distance races. She also spent two weeks in Mexico building houses through her church. She’s a member of the National Honors Society, the Safe School Ambassadors and she participated in the Point Break high school leadership retreat. Scott has a 4.13 GPA. She will run for UC Davis next year, and she will major in either biology or pre-medicine in her hopes to become a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner.

The five male $1,000 scholarship winners are:

JOHN BOWERS (SIERRA – Manteca) – Bowers has competed for the varsity track and field and cross country teams in all four of his years with the Timberwolves. He’s seen his track and field and cross country teams both win league titles. He was the cross country Most Valuable Runner the last two years and he was the track and field team’s Most Valuable Track Athlete his junior year. His senior track and field season is ongoing. He’s won the Sierra High Scholar Athlete award the last three years. John volunteers as a Sunday school teacher at his church. He also volunteers in his community by helping organize cross country fun runs and youth track and field meets. He’s earned the Lobo Gold award (4.0 GPA plus outstanding citizenship) for five semesters. He carries a 3.955 GPA. While he’s been accepted to UC Davis, he remains undecided as to which college he will attend. He plans on majoring in computer or electrical engineering, with hopes of joining the engineering field.

JACKSON CUMMINGS (ROCKLIN) – Cummings has played for his school’s football and basketball teams for all four of his years with the Thunder. He’s won four Coach’s Awards and has been a part of two Sac-Joaquin Section championship basketball teams and one Section championship football team. As a junior, his basketball team was the state runner-up. As a senior, the Thunder football team was the state runner-up. He was the SFL MVP in football his senior year. He reads to elementary school classes, coaches community basketball and football and he helps lead community sports camps and clinics. He’s been on the Dean’s List for four years and has won the American Citizenship Award, President’s Academic Excellence Award and the Distinguished Community Service Award. Cummings has a 4.08 GPA and will attend Stanford University, where he hopes to continue to play football as a preferred walk-on. He’s still considering his major, but he hopes to be a teacher, coach or a sports psychologist.

DANIEL HARNISH (EL CAMINO – Sacramento) – Harnish is a four-year baseball player and three-year water polo player for the Eagles. He was a two-year all-league water polo selection and shared team MVP honors his junior season. Last year, he was an all-league baseball player who tied for the league lead with pitching wins. He’s the El Camino CSF/National Honor Society President. He’s won school academic awards for his accomplishments in mathematics, physics, Spanish and U.S. History. Daniel’s a state finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. He’s spent the last four years working with the Sierra Service Project, a volunteer organization that builds homes on Native American reservations. He was a volunteer researcher for Breathe California, a lung health agency. He’s the president and co-founder of Baseball for All, a free baseball clinic at Raley Field. He carries a 4.585 GPA, which ranks him No. 1 in his class of 397. He’s undecided on his college, but he hopes to major in engineering or biology with career plans of one of those disciplines, or possibly law.

JOSHUA KLEM (PLACER – Auburn) – Klem is a true rarity in today’s era of athletes who specialize in sports. He’s played football, basketball and baseball for all four of his years at Placer High. He’s been a standout in all three of his sports. He was the team MVP for the basketball team his junior year, he was the football team MVP his senior year. And he helped lead the baseball team to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III title last year. He volunteers for the American Cancer Society, American Legion Past 84 and the Knights of Columbus. He also works for various school fundraisers as well as collecting donations for Loaves and Fishes and the Mustard Seed School. He was a Boys State delegate as well. He carries a 4.107 GPA and is still waiting to hear from his top college choices: Stanford, UC Berkeley, Duke and Cornell. He plans on majoring in biology, pre-medicine or pre-law with the goal of working in either the medicine or law fields.

ROBBIE LEMONS (SACRAMENTO COUNTRY DAY) – Lemons has been a basketball standout for all four of his years at Sacramento Country Day. He’s led the SMAL in scoring for the last three years. His junior year, he was fifth in the state in scoring and, this year, he led the country in scoring at 37.1 points a game according to Maxpreps.com. He is a volunteer with local youth basketball, math tutoring and he’s a volunteer theater technician. He also volunteers at a local medical office. He was the Sacramento Country Day student of the year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He was a member of the Thespian Society in 2008. Robbie carries a 4.41 GPA and is ranked No. 1 in his class. He will attend Stanford University where he will major in pre-medicine with the hopes of eventually working in the medical field. He also hopes to continue his basketball career as a recruited walk-on.

The 20 female $600 winners are:

CHARDAY ADAMS (GRANT – Sacramento)
JAMIE JOHNSON (SACRAMENTO COUNTRY DAY)
JESSICA JOHNSON (VICTORY CHRISTIAN – Carmichael)
AMANDA JONES (RIO LINDA)
ALEXIS KONSTANTINOPOULOS (ARMIJO – Fairfield)
BREANNA LEWIS (SHELDON – Sacramento)
NADINE MENDOZA (LINCOLN – Stockton)
VERONICA MORENO (LE GRAND)
SARAH MUCHA (DOWNEY – Modesto)
KATHARINE MUTH (TRINITY PREP – Napa)
KAREN RAMMING (WOODLAND)
HOLLY RANKIN (TOKAY – Lodi)
ALEXIS SHEN (RIO AMERICANO – Sacramento)
BETH VACCAREZZA (CALAVERAS – San Andreas)
STEPHANIE YOUNG (PITMAN – Turlock)

The 20 male $600 winners are:

ROBERT ALBERTAZZI (PONDEROSA – Shingle Springs)
WILLIAM “VAS” GIAHOS (JOHANSEN – Modesto)
TRAVIS GLOCK (AMADOR – Sutter Creek)
MICHAEL GLOUDEMAN (CAPITAL CHRISTIAN – Sacramento)
PAUL GOOSSENS (ELLIOT CHRISTIAN – Lodi)
JOHN GUERRERO (ATWATER)
JULIAN HAYWARD (MOUNTAIN OAKS – San Andreas)
SEBASTIAN HERNANDEZ (CENTRAL CATHOLIC – Modesto)
LEFEAGAI LETULIGASENOA (ELK GROVE)
JONATHAN PARRA (CHAVEZ – Stockton)
GEOFFREY RETEMEYER (TURLOCK CHRISTIAN)
JOSH RITCHART (FOREST LAKE CHRISTIAN – Auburn)
SETH SIDDLE-MITCHELL (TOKAY – Lodi)
JAKE STASSI (YUBA CITY)
BRIAN TRUONG (BETHEL – Vallejo)
STEVE VANDER MOLEN (RIPON CHRISTIAN)
JACKSON WELCH (JESUIT – Carmichael)
SAM WELCH (DIXON)
JOSHUA WEST (SACRAMENTO)
MICHAEL WILEY (VINTAGE – Napa)