High schools honor 2022-23 athletes of the year

Local high schools honored their athletes of the year, recognizing students who had excelled in their chosen sports during the 2022-23 school year. This Class of 2023 student athletes finished four years that were unlike anyone could have imagined when they entered high school in the fall of 2019 dreaming of playing sports the next four years wearing their new school’s colors.

Carondelet

Cougar Athlete of the Year Lizzie Vranesh was a member of Carondelet varsity soccer all four years. She was a leader on the 2022-23 team that won its second consecutive North Coast Section Division I title and took second in the NorCal DI Regional Championships, falling 1-0 to Saint Francis of Mountain View in the season finale. A midfielder, she was named to the EBAL first team all-league squads the last two years and was second team as a freshman. Vranesh will continue her playing career at Cal this fall.

Scholar Athlete of the Year Sabrina DeAraujo earned this award for maintaining a 3.75 GPA or higher during her rugby season for the Cougars. She was a leader on the Carondelet rugby team in both fall and spring rugby.

DeAraujo scored her 100th point at the spring championships where the Cougars took home the championship at the Rugby NorCal Girls High School 10s Cup.

Athlete Spotlight

Co-Senior Athlete of the Year Shelby Santos was a member of the Carondelet indoor volleyball program all four years, the last three on varsity. This past year she was team captain. Santos, who will be going to UC Davis this fall, was also a member of the Carondelet beach volleyball team and competes regularly in beach tournaments on the club level. In March sheearned her bid to this summer’s Nationals 18U team. Her award announcement said, “Through out her career at Carondelet Shelby has always been a positive role model for other athletes and is always present to support her sisters at various athletics events.”

Damik Van Fanos

Team: Dana Hills Swim Team

School: Clayton Valley Charter High

Sports: Swimming, Water Polo

Outstanding in the swimming pool and classroom, Van Fanos began swimming in meets at the age of seven. After exploring different sports throughout his childhood, he discovered a passion for swimming. He swam every summer for Springwood Swim team from the time he was seven until 17. In his final season he’s on the Dana Hills Swim Team as an 18-year-old. With the help of his first swim coach Brendin Brown, Van Fanos turned his passion for swimming into a talent that carried him throughout high school starting on the De La Salle junior varsity water polo team as a freshman. He transferred to Clayton Valley Charter after one semester and spent the rest of his high school career on the CVCHS varsity swimming and water polo teams.

Van Fanos reflects on his experience as an Ugly Eagle athlete fondly, noting that his “favorite part was the sense of camaraderie that came with being part of a team. The countless hours of practice, along with the collective competitive drive brought [me and my] teammates together, and, in the process, created some lifelong friendships.” Van Fanos was first team all-Diablo Athletic League swimming this spring and throughout his time on the Ugly Eagles teams,he accomplished several goals, including qualifying for CIF State Meet during his junior and senior years of swimming and receiving the “Most Improved” award during his senior water polo season. Van Fanos is appreciative of his Clayton Valley water polo coach Gabe Martin as well as both of his moms for the roles they each played in his success. In his time out of the pool at Clayton Valley he participated in the Engineering and Design Academy, Senior Men and Blue Crew, and maintained a 4.4 GPA. His hard work led him to UC Berkeley as an applied math major in hopes of becoming an actuary. His time as a Cal Bear begins next month.

CVCHS student journalists Corinne Jeandheur and Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight.

The Pioneer congratulates Damik and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or a great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pio-

Co-Senior Athlete of the Year Maddie Buckley has been goalie on the Carondelet varsity soccer team all four seasons. She was the keeper for two EBAL championships teams, the 2020 CIF DI NorCal Regional champions and the past two NCS DI titlists. This past year, Buckley was the club leader of the inaugural Sixth Woman Club. UC Santa Barbara-bound Buckley was a member of the first team allEBAL squad this year after being named second team as a junior.

CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER

Female Athlete of the Year Soo-Jin Berry kept busy all year as a member Ugly Eagles golf, basketball and softball teams. She was selected to the first team all-Diablo Athletic League first team for both basketball and softball during this senior year. As a junior she was second team basketball and first team softball. The all-around athlete is going to the University of Iowa to play softball this fall.

Male Athlete of the Year Ryder Helfrick lived up to all his press clippings this year helping the Clayton Valley Charter baseball team to the top of the Bay Area baseball rankings during the spring season, including winning the Diablo Athletic League Foothill championship as the DAL MVP. In the NCS playoffs the Ugly Eagles lost the championship game to De La Salle. Helfrick was recently named first-team high school all-America by Collegiate Baseball News. He will join the powerhouse Arkansas Razorbacks team this fall. To top it off, Ryder Helfrick wins this school award a year after his brother Leighton won the same honor.

Eagle Leadership Award Ryan Morimoto was a leader for the Ugly Eagles football and soccer teams while also excelling in the classroom.

Irvine Scholar Male Athlete Kyle Hetherton made his mark in the classroom and the pool for the Ugly Eagles on varsity swimming and water polo. He was second team allDAL in water polo.

Irvine Scholar Female Athlete Gabby Cherwin was DAL Stunt MVP capping her senior year on the CVCHS stunt cheer and sideline cheer teams while also taking care of business in the classroom.

Male Mark of the Year Christian Aguilar for breaking school records in single season passing yards, completion percentage and passing TDs as the Ugly Eagles quarterback who transformed the run-oriented football team’s offense with his passing exploits.

Female Mark of the Year Molly Gray is only a sophomore, but she broke the alltime North Coast Section record for most diving points this spring with 540.6, almost 100 more than the secondplace competitor. She has already made her mark internationally representing the United States in age group competitions.

Bruce Iversen Memorial Award Jake King

Matt Nolan Memorial Award (Baseball) Myles Walton

CONCORD

Female Athlete of the Year Casey Brenes spent four years on Minutemen varsity softball and three seasons on varsity basketball. She was named first team all-DAL softball this season after earning second team honors as a junior. The versatile athlete won multiple scholar athlete and school player of the month awards. She was Minutemen of the year for basketball. She capped her Concord High career this spring with all-Bay Area team honors.

Male Athlete of the Year

Ryan Murphy may have a Brandon Crawford look but his athletic resume reads very old school. In bygone eras, male high school athletes played football, basketball and baseball and that’s exactly what Murphy did this year for the Minutemen. He was the football team’s Defensive MVP as they reached the NCS playoffs. He was a first team all-DAL linebacker and second team allleague tight end. This spring he also received all-DAL honors in baseball.

E.D.D.I.E Award (outstanding display of Enthusiasm, Dedication, Discipline, Inspiration and Encouragement) Keoni Caban and Alana Sevier

Coaches Award Zachary Willsie and Lizeth De La Cruz Vazquez Scholar Athletes Tung (Tommy) Nguyen and (tie)

Hannah Jacobs and Haylie Jacobs

DE LA SALLE

Athlete of the Year

Chukwunonso Udeh was a one-man wrecking crew this spring as he concluded his Spartans career as a state champion. He competed all four years on varsity track, but his senior year exploits overshadowed a tremendous set of results a year ago as a junior that was capped with a second place in the State Meet high jump. He finished as the school’s all-time leader in five events. At this year’s NCS Meet of Champions he won three events and his relay team was second. Then at the California State Meet he won the long jump at 23-9¾ and was fifth in the 110 hurdles, high jump and relay to almost single-handedly place De La Salle sixth in the boys team standings. Udeh recently accepted an athletic scholarship to UC Berkeley in the fall.

MT. DIABLO

Female Athlete of the Year Natalie Dance helped her Red Devils team to the North Coast Section playoff semi-finals and that earned them a place in the NorCal Regional Division V playoffs. She was first-team all-Diablo Athletic League.

Male Athlete of the Year Ashten Adkins transferred to the Concord school this year and was a second-team allDAL runningback for the Red Devils.