Menifee 24/7 honors Santa Rosa Academy Athletes of Month

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee 24/7 is pleased to honor Athletes of the Month for April at Santa Rosa Academy. Honorees were selected by the coaches of their respective sports and were recognized with a presentation of certificates and photo opportunity on campus.

Boys volleyball player Dakota (DJ) Vavken-Hyton had 17 serves in a row in a recent match. As captain, he led his team to the first round of the CIF-SS playoffs with a positive attitude and the support of his teammates, said coach Shayne Sanders.

Luke Erbacher of the baseball team stepped up in place of an injured pitcher and threw a no-hitter. He went 6-plus innings in four games this season.

Softball player Paloma Pedini had a great offensive breakthrough in April. She was clutch for the team in getting on base and scoring runs, said coach Rachelle Aguirre. She helped lead her team to a 14-6 record, 10-1 in league play.

Boys track athlete Anthony Sullivan “is the epitome of what you want in a teammate and track and field athlete,” said coach John Paul Hernandez. “He is one of the most unselfish players I have ever had the privilege of coaching in my 20+ years of being a head coach. Not only does Anthony commit himself to practicing his own craft in the discus and shot put events, but he also volunteers to help coach the other discus and shot put athletes on both the boys and girls throwing teams during practice and after school.

“Anthony is loved by his teammates and was unanimously selected as the team's lead captain this year as he wears that "Golden C" badge with pride.

“In only his first year in track and field, Anthony owns the school's shot put and discus records at 36-2 and 110-1, respectively. He has finished either in first or in second place every league meet this season and will attempt to make it to CIF prelims in his throwing events at our league championships. I am extremely proud of Anthony and cannot think of another Ranger who exhibits our core values on a day-to-day basis.”

In April, girls track athlete Chloe Heiner “managed to quietly become one of the top athletes on our team and in our entire South Valley League,” Hernandez said. “Chloe's humility and unselfish character is the reason her accomplishments sometimes go under the radar and overshadowed by other more boastful athletes within our league. She simply does what she needs to get done and then packs up and goes home.

“Her hard work mentality and humility are what make her not only a great kid to have on your team, but a great teammate as well. Chloe has mastered four events this entire season at league meets and invitationals by dominating the triple jump, the long jump, the 100 meters, and the 200 meters. She is the epitome of what a track and field athlete should be with the diversity she possesses in her repertoire of events that she can execute. Chloe has also been called upon late in the season to run various legs in the 4x100 meter relay and the 4x400 meter relay I am pretty confident that if she wanted to throw a discus, do high jump, or run a 1600-meter run, she could more than likely dominate those events as well."

Golfer Colin Miller scored a key victory late in the season. He shot a career-best 39, playing with poise and precision. His performance was instrumental in securing a team victory, said coach Montoya Gunn. Then in the league finals, Colin finished as one of the top six scorers in the entire South Valley League and helped lead the team to a second-place overall finish. Thanks to his outstanding performance and season-long consistency, Colin was also named to the South Valley League First Team All-League, a well-deserved honor for one of the league’s most reliable competitors.