More State Girls Athletes of Year

Among others earning top state honors are Elena Bruckner of San Jose Valley Christian (juniors), Tara Davis of Agoura (sophomores) and MaKenzie Fischer of Laguna Beach (Division III). Rebekah Cervantes from Redwood of Visalia also is second-ever State Three-Sport Athlete of the Year.

For announcement of the Cal-Hi Sports Girls State Athlete of the Year for 2014-15, CLICK HERE.

Note: Some of our football preseason rankings plus several major historical features are coming up within three weeks and will be for Gold Club members only. To join our team today, CLICK HERE.

Congratulations to the following girls for being selected as a 2014-15 Cal-Hi Sports State Athlete of the Year:

SENIORS
Abbey Weitzeil (Saugus) Swimming
The senior of the year last year was Long Beach Poly track standout Ariana Washington, who was basically judged to have been in a tie with Weitziel as a junior in the final overall vote. It was close but not close to being a tie this time.
Note: For other seniors who would be Athletes of Honor, please check below underneath each CIF division.

JUNIORS
Elena Bruckner (Valley Christian, San Jose) Volleyball, Track
The San Jose Mercury-News Girls Athlete of the Year won out in this choice in a close call over both Courtney Corrin from Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood (last year’s No. 1 sophomore) and Zaria Francis, the sprinter from Rio Mesa of Oxnard who swept the 100 and 200 at the CIF state track meet. Bruckner didn’t sweep in her two events at Clovis – the shot put and discus – but she still ranked No. 1 in both events in the nation and she also was second on the team in kills for a Valley Christian volleyball team that was ranked among the best in the state. Prior to throwing 50-02.50 in the shot for her win at state and 154-09 for third at state, she became the all-time CIF Central Coast Section leader in both events at 53-05 and 182-08. She probably wasn’t too disappointed about not winning the discus at state because senior teammate Ronna Stone won it with a mark of 161-09. Ronna Stone’s younger sister, Ronika, also was a teammate of Bruckner’s on the volleyball team.
More Junior Athletes of Honor:
Mia Camuso (Shasta, Redding) Softball
Destiny Collins (Great Oak, Temecula) Cross Country, Track
Courtney Corrin (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood) Soccer, Track
Zaria Francis (Rio Mesa, Oxnard) Track
Amanda Gehrich (Tesoro, Las Flores) Cross Country, Track
Sabrina Ionescu (Miramonte, Orinda) Basketball
Andrea Lee (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach) Golf
Maddie Musselman (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach) Water Polo
Jasmine Pharms (Stagg, Stockton) Basketball, Track
Ena Shibahara (Peninsula, RH Estates) Tennis
Lauren Speckman (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) Volleyball
Ronika Stone (Valley Christian, San Jose) Track
Hannah Waller (Buchanan, Clovis) Track
Taylor Ziemer (Montgomery, Santa Rosa) Soccer

SOPHOMORES
Tara Davis (Agoura, Agoura Hills) Track
All you need to know about Davis is that this summer she became one of just two girls in state history (and one of just four nationally) to record marks of more than 21-feet in the long jump and 42-feet in the triple jump. Davis produced her jump of 21-0.5 at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Colombia to win the gold medal. Earlier in qualifying for the triple jump, she went 42-8.25. Of course, Davis did more than just those two events for the Chargers this past track season. She also set a sophomore state record in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.48 seconds. At the CIF state meet, Davis was third in the 100 hurdles (13.55), third in the long jump (19-7.50) and second in the triple jump (41-6.75).
More Sophomore Athletes of Honor:
Holly Azevedo (Pioneer, San Jose) Softball
Destiny Littleton (Bishop’s, La Jolla) Basketball
Meghan McClure (Santa Margarita, Rancho SM) Volleyball
Lexi Sun (Santa Fe Christian, Solana Beach) Volleyball
Lauren Rain Williams (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) Track
Angel Yin (Arcadia) Golf

FRESHMEN
Sabrina Iqbal (Pioneer, San Jose) Golf
Despite her school not having a girls golf team, Iqbal made CIF state history as she became the first freshmen to capture the girls golf state title. She shot a 71 to take the state championship by one stroke. Before capturing the state title, she finished tied for first at the NorCal championship and finished in third place at the CCS finals. Already this year she was named by the San Jose Mercury-News as its girls golfer of the year and earlier this week she was named the Junior Tour of Northern California Player of the Year for the second year in a row.
More Frosh Athletes of Honor:
Rylee Bowen (Sonoma Academy, Santa Rosa) Cross Country, Track
Aquira DeCosta (St. Mary’s, Stockton) Basketball
Gracie Figueroa (Selma) Wrestling
Abby Gruebel (Foothill, Tustin) Soccer
Alleida Martinez (Selma) Wrestling
Danielle Williams (Amador Valley, Pleasanton) Softball

Division I Schools:
Abbey Weitzeil (Saugus) Swimming
Our overall State Girls Athlete of the Year was actually named as the Division I schools winner for last season when she was a junior. The overall state honoree last year was from a D2 school.
More Division I Athletes of Honor:
(Seniors Only)
Kat Klass (San Ramon Valley, Danville) Water Polo
Alyssa LaFrancis (Rancho Buena Vista, Vista) Wrestling
Taylor McQuillin (Mission Viejo) Softball
Katie Lou Samuelson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) Basketball

Division II Schools:
Katie McLaughlin (Santa Margarita, Rancho SM) Swimming
In contention for our overall athlete of the year selection, McLaughlin takes home this divisional honor after setting the pool on fire and setting three Orange County records and a national high school record this season. For the fourth year in a row, she captured the CIFSS Division I championship in the 100 butterfly with a lifetime-best time of 51.53 to reclaim her overall national high school record. She also earned her third straight CIFSS Division I championship in the 200 free with the reported second best time in the nation behind the world-record holder and anchored the 400 free relay team to a Division I state record while capturing yet another championship. Headed to Cal, she was named as the OC Register’s girls swimmer of the year back in May. Without Abbey Weitzeil in the same class, McLaughlin might have been the state and nation’s top overall swimmer this year.
More Division II Athletes of Honor:
(Seniors Only)
Yasmeen Bedaa-Ghani (Redondo, Redondo Beach) Volleyball
Christina Chenault (Carondelet, Concord) Track
Alexa Dreyer (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) Volleyball
Deajanae Harvey (Granite Hills, El Cajon) Basketball, Track
Lauren Heyn (Del Oro, Loomis) Basketball, Track
Maddy Lewis (Alameda) Basketball, Softball
Skyler Lewis (Grand Terrace) Basketball, Volleyball
Milan Moses (Dublin) Basketball, Soccer
Sydney Raggio (St. Ignatius, San Francisco) Basketball
Kendall Reusing (La Sierra, Riverside) Wrestling
Note: For other seniors who would be Athletes of Honor, please check below underneath each CIF division.

Division III Schools:
MaKenzie Fischer (Laguna Beach) Water Polo
It took someone with a swimming resume like Weitzeil to edge out Fischer for the overall State Athlete of the Year honor. Fischer did everything in prep and USA water polo almost the same as our overall honoree from 2010-11, Danville Monte Vista’s Maggie Steffens, except you could argue Steffens was perhaps a slight bit further along as a national team contributor at the same age. Fischer was sensational in leading Laguna Beach to a 31-0 record and second consecutive CIFSS Division I title. She also was named for her second straight CIFSS D1 Player of the Year honor and was a back-to-back Orange County Register Player of the Year. Fischer, who led the U.S. team to a title last summer at the FINA Youth World Championship, is playing for the national team this week at the FINA World Championship in Russia. Another Orange County girl on that team is junior Maddie Musselman of Corona del Mar, who has a chance next year to be in line with Steffens and Fischer with a state athlete of the year selection.
More Division III Athletes of Honor:
(Seniors Only)
Rachel Garcia (Highland, Palmdale) Softball
Kira McKechnie (Christian Brothers, Sacramento) Basketball, Softball
Courtney O’Brien (Harvard-Westlake, N. Hollywood) Soccer
Kora Wade (Temescal Canyon, Lake Elsinore) Water Polo, Softball

Division IV Schools:
Ma’Ane Mosley (St. Mary’s, Berkeley) Basketball, Track
After averaging 18.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game for the Panthers on the court, Mosley was selected as one of our 10 all-state elite overall second team players. She then showed off her speed and jumping ability as a long jumper for the St. Mary’s track team. She went over 18-feet several times, qualified for the CIF state meet and was in the state meet finals. Mosley also was on the Panthers’ 4×100 relay team that also made it to the state meet. Like several other talented basketball players from the Bay Area, she will stay close to home this fall and will play next at Cal. Mosley also joins Ron Smith of the St. Mary’s football and track teams as a Division IV State Athlete of the Year.
More Division IV Athletes of Honor:
(Seniors Only)
Kennedy Burke (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth) Basketball
Marissa Given (Notre Dame, Salinas) Basketball, Softball
Kathleen Scavo (Justin-Siena, Napa) Golf

Division V Schools:
Zoe Casas (Aquinas, San Bernardino) Softball
Setting a state record with 251 career hits, she was named as our Small Schools Softball Player of the Year for the second time in her career, and now adds one more honor before heading to Florida State. In her senior season, she hit .736 with 15 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 39 RBI as she broke the previous state record for career hits of 244 set back in 2011 by Brenna Moss from North of Bakersfield. Casas also was the San Bernardino Sun Player of the Year once and was on various all-state teams since her sophomore season. Other totals of hers that will make the state record book include her career batting average of .681 and runs scored with 193.
More Division V Athletes of Honor:
(Seniors Only)
Lindsey Calvin (Central Valley Christian, Visalia) Volleyball, Basketball
Hannah Carrillo (Bishop’s, La Jolla) Water Polo
Madison Price (Mesa Grande, Calimesa) Volleyball, Basketball
Summer Vercruyssen (Durham) Volleyball, Basketball, Softball

Three-Sport Athlete of the Year:
Rebekah Cervantes (Redwood, Visalia)
This is just the second year of this special category, which went to Sarah Robinson for 2014-15 from Gunn of Palo Alto for soccer, cross country and track. It’s a salute to those who have made the difficult decisions to participate at a high level for three separate teams at their schools. Cervantes was the Visalia Times-Delta player of the year in softball and basketball and was the co-player of her league in volleyball. Bound for Boise State for softball, Cervantes ended her prep career in that sport with a .525 batting average with 22 homers and 184 RBI. She hit .500 as a senior with six homers and 37 RBI. In basketball, Cervantes helped end Hanford’s legendary league win streak and finished with 13.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. In volleyball, she was a four-year varsity performer and as a senior had 301 kills, 357 digs and 67 aces.

Thanks to Stockton office assistant editor Paul Muyskens for contributions on this post. Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports