The Sports Informant

SureWest Communications  announced the second annual SureWest Sports Show Athletes and Coaches of the Year award winners. Winners selected for the 2009-10 season were:
 
Katie Simon (Roseville): SureWest Sports Show Female Athlete of the Year
Lefi Letuligasenoa (Elk Grove): SureWest Sports Show Male Athlete of the Year
Greg Benzel (Rocklin): SureWest Sports Show Boys Athletics Coach of the Year
Steve White (Oak Ridge): SureWest Sports Show Girls Athletics Coach of the Year
 
Highlights and interviews with the winners will air on the June 16, 2010 episode of the SureWest Sports Show, a weekly 30-minute youth and high school sports program that can be viewed on SureWest channel 702 and online at surewestsports.com. Airing on TV every Wednesday at 7 p.m. with replays throughout the week, the SureWest Sports Show is the only Sacramento area show to feature both youth and high school sports, and consists of scores, highlights and interviews from games around the region. Fans can view new and archived shows, sign up for Twitter alerts and see where the show will be next at surewestsports.com.

Katie Simon

Katie Simon poses with host Mike Finnerty after accepting her trophy. (Photo courtesy SureWest Sports Show)

SureWest Sports Show Female Athlete of the Year Katie Simon was the team MVP for Roseville High School girl’s varsity basketball for the fourth straight year and was selected First Team All-League for four straight years. In addition to basketball, Simon played volleyball for Roseville, garnering First Team All-League recognition. Simon’s accomplishments in the classroom include a 4.09 grade point average and a ranking of 21 out of 465 seniors at Roseville High School. Simon will attend the University of Nebraska on a basketball scholarship this fall.

Lefi Letuligasenoa

Lefi Letuligasenoa poses with host Mike Finnerty after accepting his trophy. (Photo courtesy SureWest Sports Show)

SureWest Sports Show Male Athlete of the Year Lefi Letuligasenoa is a three-sport athlete at Elk Grove High School. In football, he earned First Team All-Delta Valley League honors and was named Elk Grove’s defensive lineman of the year. Letuligasenoa also shined in wrestling, where he captured the CIF heavyweight state title. Outside of athletics, he is a winner of the Youth Inspire award, which recognizes the positive efforts, strong character and achievements of young people in the region. He is also part of the Junior Thundering Herd “Big Buddy” program where he teaches fundamental football skills to young players. Letuligasenoa is a 4.0 student and has signed a letter of intent to play football for Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.

Greg Benzel

Greg Benzel accepts his trophy. (Photo courtesy SureWest Sports Show)

SureWest Sports Show Boys Athletics Coach of the Year Greg Benzel led the Rocklin Thunder football team through an unforgettable 10-0 regular season. In the post season, the Thunder defeated the defending state champion Grant Pacers and rival Del Oro, earning Benzel and his team a spot in the Division II state championship game. Against Servite of Anaheim, widely regarded as the best team in the state and ranked number two in the country by MaxPreps, Rocklin was forced to play without its starting quarterback due to injury and still matched its opponent until Servite kicked the game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock. 

Steve White

Steve White accepts his trophy. (Photo courtesy SureWest Sports Show)

SureWest Sports Show Girls Athletics Coach of the Year Steve White led the Oak Ridge girls basketball team to its first-ever state championship title. After 15 heralded years with Oak Ridge, White had already gained a host of league and section titles when he led the Trojans to titles in the Sierra Valley Conference and the NorCal playoffs this past season, including victories over Kennedy, Nevada Union, Oakland Tech and Berkeley. In its final game of the season, Oak Ridge defeated the four-time defending Division I state champion Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits to bring home the school’s first-ever state championship title in girls basketball.