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Winter, spring sports athletes honored at banquet<br>

John Margaritis, associate head coach for the Northern Arizona University women’s basketball team, led off the evening as guest speaker. Margaritis provided various viewpoints on the life of the student athlete.

Awards and recognition dominated the evening and girls basketball was up first. Coach Lorenzo Rodriguez talked about the team’s 20-7 season, which ended in the first round of the state playoffs. It was the seventh straight year the Lady Vikes had qualified.

In the team awards, Lyssa Mulvihill was named most valuable player. Mulvihill capped a stellar high-school career this season, scoring 1,318 points in four years. She also was recognized as the team’s best in four statistical categories — steals (165), assists (160), rebounds (278) and scoring (411 points).

Mulvihill was also named the most valuable player of the conference. She will represent Williams in the state all-star game on June 7.

Other awards went to Teri Stevens (most improved) and Hillary Wamble (spirit). Along with Mulvihill, other all-conference first-teamers were Tami Edes, Ashley Rocha and Dee Dee Fogg. Stevens, Michelle Barnes and Sylvia Aguilar were honorable mention.

Besides Mulvihill’s awards in the statistical categories, others recognized included Rocha (top field goal percentage, 54 percent), Stevens (top free-throw percentage, 60 percent) and Aguilar (hustle award).

Kristi Fredrickson announced junior-varsity girls basketball awards. Those honors went to Michelle Sandoval (MVP), Tricia Gaines (most improved) and Danielle Kurtz (spirit).

The boys basketball team may not have qualified for state this season, but it was a memorable campaign for the Vikings. The team ended up 12-11, reaching its goal of finishing above .500.

First-year coach John Reilly, who will coach the 1A-3A all-stars next month, handed out awards to Donald Jenkins (MVP), Ben Langston (most improved) and Ryan Barnes (spirit). Jenkins finished the season averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds per game. He’s headed to Arizona Western College to play basketball.

Williams had five players make all-conference — Jenkins, Barnes and Vishal Patel, who were all first team, along with Langston and Steffen Eikenberry, who were honorable mentions.

JV boys basketball awards went to Cesar Davalos (MVP), Matthew Dent (most improved) and Mark Pixley (spirit).

Track coach Dan Ayub finished the season with only two athletes. They were both recognized as most-improved athletes — Daniel Mayfield and Garrett Wamble.

In softball, coach Ann Wells had a fine season with another state qualifier. An indication of the Lady Vikes’ strength can be seen on the all-conference team. Fogg, Edes, Barnes, Cassandra Killinsworth and Christina Repp made first team while Aguilar, Nahvon Curry and Mareesa Stevens made honorable mention. Killinsworth was named co-MVP of the conference.

Team awards went to Fogg (MVP), Rachel Fitzgerald (most improved) and Mareesa Stevens (spirit). Fogg and Repp will play in the June 5 state all-star game.

Wells also announced three broken school records — all by Fogg. Fogg’s career batting average ended up at .504, she scored 161 runs and stole 222 bases.

JV softball awards went to Sandoval (MVP), Alicia O’Neal (most improved) and Kelly Cuniffe (spirit).

The Williams baseball team had an up-and-down season with several obstacles to overcome, but the Vikings ended up qualifying for the state playoffs for the 13th straight year.

The Vikes even held a 1-0 lead over eventual state champion Phoenix Christian through the first few innings.

Coach Ken Edes presented team awards to Shayne Melban (MVP), Langston (most improved) and Brandon Evans (spirit). Melban had a great season on the mound with an 8-3 record and allowing only 24 walks all year.

All-conference selections included first-teamers Melban, Barnes and Evans, along with honorable mention picks Cory Stevens and Chance Grantham.

Melban and Evans will represent the Vikings at the June 7 state all-star game at Grand Canyon University.

Barnes was also named to the all-state second team.

The evening ended with the golf team. Coach Rick Shipley boasted about the small squad’s accomplishments, which included a regional championship for the second straight season.

Williams then hosted the state golf tournament, a first for northern Arizona in several years. The Vikings finished 11th out of the 17 teams competing.

Team awards went to Evans (MVP), David MacDonald (most improved) and Mulvihill (spirit). Evans finished with the third-best score at state and was fifth individually. He won the regional tournament, with Mulvihill coming in third and MacDonald fourth.

Shipley also recognized this year’s winners of the Bruce Dent Memorial Award, which goes to the top all-around senior athletes. Evans won for the boys and Mulvihill for the girls.


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