Athletes and families gathered for the annual Sports Awards Night in the PAC on Wednesday night. The event celebrated coaches and athletes and their accomplishments.
Starting the night, the cheer team delivered an exciting and enthusiastic performance, bringing up the energy in the PAC. Shortly after, the athletic directors and school administrators spoke to the crowd. They praised the athletes for their hard work and thanked families, coaches, and staff for their support throughout the year.
The presentation started by honoring the three-sport athletes. Seniors Molly Gray, Elise Koo, Mae Kunihiro, and Bryce Winters were recognized as three-sport athletes of the year. Gray played water polo, basketball, and lacrosse; Koo played flag football, soccer, and softball; Kunihiro played flag football, soccer, and lacrosse; and Winters played water polo, basketball, and was on the swim team.
Next was the award for the Female Team of the Year. The nominated teams included basketball, flag football, softball, and swim. The award went to the girls basketball team, which won CCS Division I and finished as the NorCal Division III runner-up.
The boys teams nominated for the Male Team of the Year included basketball, cross country, football, and swimming. Through it all, the boys cross country team won the award with an outstanding season, winning their fourth straight PAL championship with a perfect team score as all five scoring runners finished in the top five.
Next was the award of Coach of the Year. The chosen coaches were Marcus Blunt (softball), Craig Carson (boys basketball), Jason Knowles (flag football), Chris Saunders (football), Bruce Smith and Sofia Kim (swim and dive), Eric Wilmurt (cross country), and lastly Steve Yob (girls basketball). Knowles received the award for his work leading the flag football team to numerous wins and breaking several school records.
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year was next, as seniors Kylie Cox, Carey Maletis, Paige McGaraghan, Louisa Pflaum, and Molly Rosen were all chosen as nominees. Cox won the award for her outstanding contributions to her education and athletics. Cox has maintained a consistent 4.0 GPA throughout her high school years and has logged many volunteer hours. Cox is also the starting catcher and captain of the softball team, as well as leading the team in her batting average.
For Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the nominees were Jack Bullard, Matthew Kwon, Brady Phan, and Aidan Sharp. Sharp, a cross-country runner with an exceptional GPA, broke multiple records for the cross-country team this season. Sharp balanced tough practices, meets, and a crazy academic load.
For Female Athlete of the Year, Molly Gray, Elise Koo, Mae Kunihiro, Sabine Polly, and Hailey Preuss were all nominated. The athletic directors ultimately selected two Female Athletes of the Year. Kunihiro and Preuss both won the award by showing great sportsmanship and dedication.
For the Male Athlete of the Year, Teddy Dacey, Jordan Lavulo, Cason Mitchell, and JT Roeder were all nominated. Mitchell, a cross country and track runner, won the award. He has broken school records and helped his team succeed all four years.
At the end of the night, the senior athletes competing at the next level were called onto the stage, closing the night with warm cheers for all athletes involved.
