On Monday, May 20, Canyon Athletics hosted its fourth annual Athletic Department Awards and Recognition Ceremony. The Athletic Department thanked the Canyon High School Foundation and the Canyon Athletic Organization for their support of our athletic programs and facilities. Principal Brent McKee highlighted the accomplishments of the 2023-24 season. Canyon teams won 11 league championships, 2 CIF Team Finalists, an CIF Individual Finalist, a CIF Individual Champion, and a CIF Team Champion. The Fall Season saw league championships won by Girls Cross Country, Girls Golf, Girls Volleyball and Boys Water Polo. Girls Volleyball made it to the CIF-SS Divisional Semi-finals and qualified for the State Tournament. Boys Water Polo beat Villa Park for the first time in school history and then went all the way to the CIF-SS Divisional Finals, finishing the season as a CIF Finalist. Boys Soccer claimed another league title this season. Girls Wrestling made school history with their first league title. Winter sports had 7 teams compete in the CIF-SS Championships. Cheer made it all the way to the CIF-SS Division 1 Championships, missing out on the title by 0.7 of a point.
2023-2024 CIF Finalists and Champions
Cheer – CIF Finalists
Coach Daniela Palamara then recognized her amazing Varsity Cheer athletes on an amazing season that included being CIF-SS Division 1 Finalists, winning 6 USA Regional competitions, and finishing as USA National Champion. Congratulations Lindsey Andrade, Mckenzie Bernat, Nicole Chladek, Andralyn Dang, Aidynn Enriquez, Delilah Flores, Faith Hamilton, Noelle Horton, Savannah Jenkins, Kayla Lewis, Gianna Martino, Sydney Pino, Elizabeth Robinson, Isabell Rocha, Isabella Trout, Jossalyn Udink, and Ally Villain.
Wrestling – Individual CIF Champion
Principal McKee then highlighted the postseason success of the Wrestling Program. Girls wrestler, Tess Fortenbagh made it all the way to the State Meet and Mason Box was the CIF Champion at the 106 pound weight class. Box has wrestled at the varsity level for 3 years, earning 2 league titles and now a CIF title. Coach Davis Barr said “Mason has been a team captain his Junior and Senior year. He showed that hard work and determination can lead to success. He put in more work than any other boy on the team to achieve his goal of being a CIF champion -countless hours in the room, external practice, and independent working out. Mason set the standard in the wrestling room for what a champion wrestler acts like and that attitude is what made him a CIF champion.
Girls Basketball – CIF Champion
To top off our Winter Season, Girls Basketball won the 2nd CIF-SS Girls Basketball Championship in school history and qualified for the State Tournament. Principal McKee introduced CIF Division 4AA Coach of the Year, Sara Brown to present the team with their championship rings. Coach Brown said “As we gather here to celebrate our team’s incredible season, it is truly an honor to bring a CIF Championship to Canyon High School. This is a time to celebrate and reflect on accomplishing our ultimate goal. To the players, coaching staff, parents, administration, the student section, and the entire school community, I feel immense pride and joy. This journey has been filled with hard work, dedication, and an unbreakable spirit. While no season is perfect, I am incredibly happy and honored to share this moment with all of you. At the beginning of the season, our expectation was to improve a little bit each day. We set ambitious goals, fully aware that achieving them would require complete buy-in and unwavering commitment from everyone, including both the physical demand and mental toughness aspect. Our vision was clear: to push our limits, support each other, and strive for excellence both on and off the court. Today, I can proudly say that we have accomplished these goals and more.This accomplishment is a testament to our team’s perseverance and teamwork. Every early morning practice, every game, and every obstacle we faced brought our team closer together. The girls learned how to be resilient and discovered the power of unity. Winning the CIF Championship is a special accomplishment that will be etched in our memories forever. It symbolizes the culmination of these young women’s hard work and the realization of their dreams. But beyond the victory, it’s the bonds they have formed and the lessons that were learned that make this season truly unforgettable. I have countless cherished memories from this season, but the one that touches my heart the most is witnessing the girls’ bond grow stronger over time and seeing lifelong friendships form.In closing, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey and I am so proud of these young women! ” Congratulations Berlin Barraza, Sofi Maid, Mariah Streeter, Kayli Tagami, Divya Sukhija, Serena Chacko, Sara Kong, Emmy Smith, Justine Prajitno, Jasmine Prajitno, Breanna Statler, Lily Lobato, Everett Roach, Jana Ford, and Maya Conklin.
Track & Field – Individual Finalist
The Spring saw Baseball, Softball, Girls Swim, Girls Track & Field, and Boys Volleyball all earn league titles. Every spring sport qualified for the CIF Championships this year with Jayden Legaspi becoming a CIF Finalist in Shot Put.
Coach Sam Morales had this to say about Jayden’s season “Ihave the pleasure to talk to you all about a phenomenal young man by the name of Jayden Legaspi. Jayden is a dual sport athlete here at Canyon. He is on Varsity for both Football and Track & Field this year. Jayden has tremendous natural talent, and just as equally impressive is his amazing work ethic. Jayden has come a long way in just a single year of doing throws at Canyon. To paint a picture of just how far, last year Jayden placed 764th in the shot put, and 897th in discus in the state of California. Well that didn’t sit well with him and something lit in him over the summer. I witnessed Jayden train and work extremely hard, showing up 3 to 4 times a week to train at Canyon on his own for an hour or two at a time. Each week seemed to ignite a passion and drive in him and I remember halfway through the summer watching him throw and realizing he has a real shot at becoming the school record holder by the time he graduates from Canyon. It was a very proud and exciting moment for me. This year he was the double champion in Shot and Discus at three separate invitational meets. He is the Crestview League Champion in the shot put and runner up in the discus. Just a junior, he threw a lifetime best last Saturday to earn Runner Up in the shot put at the 2024 CIF Division 2 Finals! He was determined to write his own story and, well all that hard work has paid off. This year he is currently ranked 85th in discus and 67th in shot put in the state of California. What an exceptional junior year he has had. Now we wait for what he will do his senior year!”
NLI College Signees
Each year we recognize our student-athletes that commit to play at the collegiate level. This year we have recognized 21 signees so far, and now add Rael Halim, Justine Prajitno, and Jasmine Prajitno to the list of Canyon athletes competing in collegiate sports next year.
Rael Halim – Penn State Abington University
Rael Halim is a 4 year varsity center midfielder for the Canyon Comanches soccer team. He will be attending Penn State Abington University on an academic scholarship and will be majoring in Business. Rael helped lead Canyon Boys Soccer to back-to-back league championships. He is a two time First Team All-League performer and has been a Scholar Athlete all 4 years. Rael says his favorite high school memory was, “This year’s CIF run.” Rael says, “I’d like to give a special thanks to Coach Billy, Coach Carlos, Coach Sam, and Coach Lozano for believing in me all 4 years playing with Canyon.”
Jasmine Prajitno – University of La Verne
Jasmine if a 4 year varsity player at Canyon. She will be attending the University of La Verne on an academic scholarship and majoring in Biology. Jasmine was a team Captain who helped lead Canyon the CIF 4aa Championship this season and was recognized as First Team All League, First team all CIF, and Defensive Player of The Year. Jasmine was recognized as a Scholar Athlete and Top of the Tribe. Her Favorite memory was, “Winning the CIF Championship.” Jasmine says, “I would like to give thanks to my parents for always supporting me in all my challenges and pushing me to reach my potential, to my teammates for giving me a second family, my coaches for giving me guidance and my sister for being my #1 training partner.”
Justine Prajitno – University of La Verne
Justine is a 4 year varsity player at Canyon. Justine will be attending the University of La Verne on an academic scholarship where she will be majoring in E-Commerce and Graphic Design.Justine was First Team All-League this season and is a 2 time All-League performer and was Canyon’s team MVP this season. She is the 2024 Division 4AA Player of the year, and is the 2024 John R. Wooden Division 4 High School Player of the Year. Justine was recognized as a Scholar Athlete and Top of the Tribe. Her Favorite memory at Canyon was, “Winning the CIF Championship.” Justine says, “My family, coaches, and teammates will be there. I’d like to thank my coaches for always believing in me, my parents for teaching me the game of basketball, my teammates for all the support, and my sister for being my best training partner.”
Greg Jones Scholarship
The Greg Jones Scholarship is a memorialscholarship award sponsored by Mr. Gary Jones and his wife Mrs. Anne Jones in memory of his son Greg Jones. It is awarded to a male and female student who have maximized their potential as an athlete and made a major contribution to their team as a result of their development. Including tonight’s recipients Mr. & Mrs. Jones along with the Canyon Athletics department have sponsored 52 scholarships totaling over $25,000 in student aid.
Greg Jones Scholarship – Sayed Hachem
Sayed Hachem was presented his award by Head Football Coach Phil Hughes. Hachem is a 3-year varsity defensive end who came to Canyon from Kuwait as a sophom*ore. Coach Hughes said “He workedhard to learn and become fluent in English. This same work ethic has provided him an opportunity to play college football at a great academic university by being able to excel on the field and in the classroom. Sayed will be playing Football at the University of La Verne on an Academic Scholarship and will be majoring in Business Administration. While at Canyon Sayed was recognized with the Mitchel Cook award and has been a scholar athlete. Sayed’s favorite memory at Canyon is, “Playing Running Back for one practice, I felt very fast that day.” Sayed says, “My mom is with me today and I would like to thank her, and I would also like to give a special thanks to coach Hughes for helping me become the man I am today.” I am incredibly proud of Sayed and am excited to see what the future holds for this amazing young man.”
Greg Jones Scholarship – Alexa Wakefield
Coach Barr presented Alexa Wakefield with the Greg Jones Scholarship. Barr said “There is so much that I want to say about Alexa Wakefield, but I don’t have an hour to speak. I have had the privilege to know Alexa for two years and be her coach for her senior year. As I got to know Alexa as a student, I knew that there was a burning passion for competition in her, she would come to be to show off her accomplishments in the gym and how much she was pushing herself to lift more and more. From that moment on I knew she needed to be a part of the Wrestling program. After a year of consistently pitching to her the benefits and reasons to join, all it took was challenging her to be great. Above everything she wanted to prove that she could do it. She stepped into the room the first day of school never having done wrestling and attacked the sport. At tournaments she was a menace, using her natural talent and raw strength to impose her will on the competition, and as she learned technique and finesse, she became one of the most accomplished wrestlers at her weight in orange county.However, with all her success there was failure, but that never stopped her, it drove her to be better. As a first-year wrestler she accomplished so much. Several tournament medals, a bronze medal in league, a CIF placing and a Master’s qualification, with all her individual accomplishments she was also a part of the first Girls Wrestling League Championship team. Alexa was named the team Rookie of the year, and recognized by the Orange County Wrestling Coaches Association for her accomplishments this season.”
Ironman Recipients
The Ironman Patch is awarded to student-athletes who participate in 3 or more varsity sports during one school year. I know we all understand how much time and dedication it takes to excel in one sport but these three incredible athletes excelled in at least three varsity sports. Congratulations to Allison Yim, Angelina Ahrendt, Caroline Hicks, Hannah Horton, Jaxson Malchow, Kayleigh Guyot, Kyle Boyle, Maya Conklin, Noah McClary, Tyson Smith, Eve Roach, and Makayla Plascencia.
Cheer Performance
Canyon Cheer took the floor showing off some of their award winning routines.
Sportsmanship & Leadership Award
This award is given to an athlete that has been a leader, while exhibiting good sportsmanship during their entire athletic career at Canyon. Their attitude, effort, leadership and overall contribution to campus clubs and activities help create the ideal profile. This year we had two female and two male athletes given this award.
Sportsmanship & Leadership Award – Paloma Saenz
Softball coach Rob Lewis presented Paloma Saenz with her award. Lewis praised Saenz as a model student-athlete who inspired, motivated, and encouraged her teammates on the field and in the classroom. Saenz received the “Coaches Award” as a freshman as at testament to her hard work and positive attitude. Her sophom*ore year, Paloma moved from short-stop to third base and quickly became one of the top third basem*n in the conference. She was nominated First Team All-League, Most Improved and made the Michelle Carew All-Tournament Team as a sophom*ore. Paloma was named a captain in the junior and senior seasons. During her junior season, Paloma suffered an ACL injury in the second round of the CIF playoffs. Her hard work an perseverance allowed her to return for the end of her senior season. Coach Lewis said of Paloma “…if she wasn’t at the physical therapist doing her rehab, she would be at our team practices helping, guiding and mentoring her teammates.She has been an inspiration to everyone who interacts with her. Her work on the field mirrors the work in the classroom.” Saenz has been Top of the Tribe and a Scholar Athlete all four years at Canyon and is also a very talented artist. Paloma will be attending UCI in the fall and majoring in Language Sciences.
Sportsmanship & Leadership Award – Makena Oliva
Coach Brierly presented Makena Oliva with her award. Brierly said “Makena has been a highly successful athlete from the moment she walked on campus. She immediately made her mark by being one of the top 3-4 runners at Canyon. That success continued her sophom*ore year as she was the number 3 runner on the teams that were both CIF Southern Section Div 2 Runner Ups as well as CIF State Div 2 Runner Ups.In her junior year, Makena became the de facto top runner at Canyon and was stepping into the role of being the leader of the team. It took some time for her to learn how to navigate that role, but that experience really showed through here in her senior year. Makena led a relatively young squad with very little varsity experience, she was the only senior in our top 10 and only 2 other girls had even run on varsity previously. With her guidance, the group steadily got better throughout the year, including dominating the Crestview League with a score of 18, where a perfect score is 15. They were also the top team in the Century Conference! In the postseason, the team finished in 9th place at the Southern Section Div 2 Finals, just missing out on qualifying for the State Meet where they needed to place 7th. Makena herself finished 15th overall to qualify for State as an individual. The team’s success would not have been possible without her leadership and guidance.The true showing of Makena’s leadership and sportsmanship came during this past track season. Makena had an injury that ended up sidelining her for the whole season. She still attended practices, helping to motivate her teammates and help the coaches with workouts. Makena attended every meet to cheer on her teammates and show her support, as well as provide her experience and race tactics to her teammates to help them.” Oliva will be running for Cal State Fullerton next year.
Sportsmanship & Leadership Award – Casey Garcia
Lacrosse Coach Neil Trusso presented Casey with his award. Coach Trusso highlighted Casey’s commitment to hard work on both the Canyon Football and Lacrosse teams. Trusso said “Over the last four years and especially the last two, Casey has established himself as a captain and leader in our program. He works the hardest, arrives early and leaves later than the rest of the players. When someone needs a hand he is there to lend it. He has helped teach and train players every year he has been a part of our team. The players look up to him and his work ethic. …What sets Casey apart as a leader is his ability to lead by example. Whether it’s on the field or in the classroom, Casey leads with integrity, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. He has taken many players under his wing to teach them not only the game of lacrosse the how to succeed at Canyon High School.” Casey helped lead Canyon Boys Lacrosse to the Division 3 CIF Semifinals last season and the Division 2 playoffs this year.Casey has been selected as team MVP, has won the Comanche award, Master of the X, and in football has been recognized as Defensive MVP and Most Inspirational.He has the School record of face off wins, 537 and face off attempts, 801, with an astounding 169 out of 213 face offs this season. a 79% win ratio in 2024. Garcia will play lacrosse at Dominican University of California next year while majoring in Business.
Sportsmanship & Leadership Award – Luke Kornely
Boys Water Polo Coach Selena Photopulos presented Luke with his award. Coach Photopulos had this to say “Luke consistently displays excellent character which has been evident among the coaching staff, his fellow athletes and the student body. Luke was a leader as a freshman, and maintained the respect of the seniors during his sophom*ore and junior year. Luke filled multiple roles during his tenure as a member of Canyon Water Polo.He displayed his strengths as one of the top scorers as a junior and became our best perimeter defender as a senior. Luke was at the helm of establishing and maintaining Canyon culture, ultimately leading to Boys Water Polo’s first ever championship appearance as well as first ever victory over Villa Park. His commitment to Canyon Water Polo has been exceptional. Luke began playing with our club team at 11 years old. Luke played 3 years on varsity water polo and 3 years on varsity swim. He has earned First Team All-League awards, was 2nd Team All CIF and earned 1st Team All CIF recognition. Luke volunteers at his church and is a board member on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club. Luke also was voted ASB Commissioner of Athletics and has excelled in his role as a leader. Luke has truly established himself as a trustworthy and responsible leader.”
OCADA Student Athlete with Character Award
Luke Kornely – Luke was also a recipient of the Student Athlete with Character Award presented by the Orange County Athletic Directors Association which is given annually to a senior male and female athlete from each school who best represent the six pillars of character;Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.
Karys McKinney – Coach Sam Morales said this of Karys “These individuals exhibit a vast array of exceptional qualities. From being dependable, caring, uplifting, respectful, dedicated, and hard working to displaying fair play and integrity on and off the field. Karys certainly checks off all of the necessary boxes for this award. I have known her for 4 years now and can attest to the brilliant, kind, joyful, diligent and thoughtful person she has been and continues to be. In a world wrought with self promoting and self serving agendas, it has been an absolute pleasure to coach such a wonderful, kind and selfless individual such as Karys. She is the type of student athlete that every coach dreams to have on their team and one every teammate cherishes. She has led, inspired, encouraged and brightened our classrooms and athletic fields for 4 amazing years. I truly have loved being a part of her journey and can’t thank her enough for all that she has given to myself personally and to this school.”
Athletic Council Patch & Stole Presentation
The Athletic Council was created in 2020 to facilitate leadership and school spirit across the Canyon Athletic Department. Athletic Council members have been selected by their programs head coach to serve 2 years as student leaders who encourage, unify and support fellow students who participate in extracurricular activities at Canyon High School.
ASB Athletic Commissioners Heather Greenbaum and Luke Kornely presented the junior members of the Athletic Council with their patches and the senior members with their graduation stoles.
Song Performance
Canyon Song was led to the floor by Head Coach Rocky Lopez.
Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
This award is given for a combination of outstanding athletic success and exceptional academic results.
Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Tyson Smith
Tyson Smith was presented his award by Coach William Higuera. Tyson has been a captain of varsity soccer for two seasons and was the leading goal scorer this season with at total of 22 goals in 26 games. Smith was selected as the Team Offensive Player of the Year, Team MVP, Players’ Award, Crestview First Team All-League, and First Team All-CIF for Division 1. Tyson was also on varsity tennis and track & field. Smith is Top of the Tribe, an IB Diploma recipient, on the All-CIF Academic Team, earned a National Merit Scholarship Letter of Commendation, founded the Diversity Club and Culinary Arts Club. He is a National Honors Society Board Member, a California Scholastic Federation member and Canyon Surfrider Club member. Tyson also serves as a youth coach for Canyon Hills Soccer Association and National Junior Basketball as well as an Oaks Canyon Day Camp Counselor. All this while maintaining at 4.94 Overall GPA and 4.0 Academic GPA.
Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Sofi Majidi
Sofi Majidi was presented her award by Coach Sara Brown. Sofi is ASB President, founder of Canyon United Way Club, a senior recreation leader for the city of Anaheim, an ambassador at Canyon, a volunteer tutor at La Semilla Learning Center. Sofi will graduate with a 4.95 GPA overall and a 4.0 Academic GPA. She was a team captain for Girls Varsity Basketball helping lead her team to the CIF-SS Division 4AA Championship this past season. She was an All-League selection this season and holds the record for most three-pointers in a season at Canyon. Majidi is also ranked #11 in California for three-pointers made. Coach Brown said “Sofi will be attending UCLA in the fall, and I have no doubt that she will continue to excel and inspire wherever she goes. She is a true class act and a remarkable representative of Canyon High School. Her achievements, both in and out of the classroom and on the court, reflect her hard work and character. It is with great honor that I present Sofi Majidi with the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Congratulations, Sofi, and thank you for being an outstanding role model and leader.”
Bill Hall Award
The Bill Hall Award was created by OUSD tohonor Mr. Hall after his death in a plane crash back in the late 1970’s. The ideal candidate is a graduating senior who excelled in athletics not only as a result of their talent, but rather, their work ethic, determination, and ability to be coached.
Bill Hall Award – Justine Prajitno
Presenting the Bill Hall Award to Justine Prajitno was Coach Sara Brown. Coach Brown said of Justine “Justine’s list of accomplishments is impressive. As a team captain, she was awarded First Team All-League, Third Team All-Orange County, 4AA CIF Player of the Year, and was a John Wooden Player of the Year award recipient. She was also chosen to play in the OC All-Star Game and the Scorebook Live All-Star Game, competing alongside the best players in Southern California to represent Canyon. Additionally, she led her team to a CIF championship this season.What truly sets Justine apart is not just her athletic achievements, but her character. She does not get rattled easily, and her work ethic is unmatched. Justine has consistently shown that success in basketball comes not merely from natural talent, but from hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to learn and grow.Justine’s incredible accomplishments and character make her a deserving recipient of the Bill Hall Award. She has set the bar high for future Comanches and has already made a lasting impact on our school community. In the fall, Justine will be attending La Verne University to continue her academic and collegiate basketball career. We are incredibly proud of her and excited to see all the great things she will achieve in the future.”
Bill Hall Award – Chloe Nguyen
Coach Matt Silva presented Chloe with her award. Silva said “She is an amazing athlete however, her work ethic and ability to be coached are what gave her the edge in an extremely successful year. Coming off a solid junior year, she worked extremely hard to get herself to the next level. In a year that made history for the lady Comanches, she excelled above most other athletes. As our Defensive Player of the Year, she racked up a conference high 425 digs and 43 aces as well as maintaining a serve receive of 2.55. She was a problem for other people’s offense, so much so that coaches purposely kept the ball away from her, leading me to give her the freedom to play, read and react to defense. Going into playoffs, I gave her more court than I had previously and she was pivotal in our quarterfinals comeback with 32 digs and 7 aces. In a season of accolades, she was on top with the Defensive Player of the Year , League MVP, All-CIF and just recently was invited to the OC All Star Game.”
Bill Hall Award – Austin Duarte
Coach Jason Smith had this to say about Austin “While this award does factor in their athletic accomplishments, it is not simply about celebrating talent, but recognizing what I consider even more important, leadership, work ethic, determination, coachability and character. I am so honored to present this award to someone who has shown us all what it truly means to achieve greatness on and off the field and embodies what it really means to be a true champion.” Smith continued “He met every challenge head on and overcame each obstacle with unwavering resolve, perseverance, and maturity. He looked at every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow and become a better person and athlete. This attitude is a true testament to his character and commitment to our program.” Duarte was a 4 year varsity player while earning a 4.1 overall GPA. He was a Member of Top of the Tribe, the Athletic Council, and ASB. Austin will play baseball at Cal Poly Pomona next year on an athletic scholarship.
Bill Hall Award – Drew Herbel
Coach Selena Photopulos presented Drew Herbel with his award. Photopulos said of Drew “…has excelled as a student and currently has a 4.7 GPA. Drew displays responsibility by maintaining this GPA as a student athlete. In 2021 as a sophom*ore, Drew became a varsity starter and an impact player on his team. Drew committed to club water polo in the off season, which is during high school swim season and excelled in both. Drew competed in the summer junior olympics and dropped time in all individual swim events. In 2022, as a junior Drew was voted to be a team captain by earning the trust and respect of all of his teammates. Despite Drew being one of the smallest players on the team he was never out worked or out hustled on a single play, drill or swim set. Drew led his team on a CIF quarterfinal run, best in Canyon High School history. Drew consistently holds his team accountable and is the standard for the other athletes to uphold, in and out of the pool. Drew is always the first one in the pool, the last one out and is always cleaning up equipment at the end of practice and games. Drew represents the standard for character and is deserving of this award.”
Thompson Memorial Scholarship
The inaugural Mike and Scott Thompson Memorial Scholarships were presented to Aidan Demkiw and Drew Herbel by Mrs. Thompson, mother of two former Canyon Boys Water Polo players. The Thompson Memorial Scholarship recognizes the two Canyon players who best exemplify a passion for water polo and a commitment to academics.
CIF Finalists – Boys Water Polo
Coach Photopulos spoke about this year’s varsity team. Photopulos said “This is a historic team, these young men have established culture and standards that will last long past their time at Canyon. I’ve been at Canyon for 8 years and I’ve had the opportunity to coach gifted athletes without the best attitudes. I’ve coached some of the smartest teams with the senior class attending schools like Cal and UCLA but our record was less than .500. This was the first year, under the leadership of the senior class, that we’ve had successful team bonding, a winning record of 26-6, established team buddies to support student-athletes through water polo and life’s struggles, successfully enjoyed two travel tournaments, beat VP in the first time of Canyon Boys Water Polo history, won a league championship, and made it all the way to CIF Finals.This group of athletes made it very difficult to select only a handful to receive accolades like All League, All CIF and individual banquet awards. They each stepped up in a big way at different times and it’s why our team is so well rounded.There are so many stories I look forward to sharing with you all but I truly loved being on the pool deck to coach everyday.” Congratulations Aidan Demkiw, Zachary Shouka, Gavin Shea, Jake Gayer, Eyad Elragaby, Luke Kornely, Drew Herbel, Sam Malo, Adam Hermreck, Jack Friesen, Jaxson Malchow, Jake Winsberg, Zachary Mauldin, Anthony Karma, Spencer Winsberg, Hunter Nguy, and Jacob Jackson.
Athlete of the Year Award
Athlete of the Year – Delanney Ewing
Coach Steve Anderson presented Delanney with her award. Anderson said “Delanney has been a swimmer and water polo player over her four years at Canyon, earning varsity letters in both sports each of the 4 years. She will be attending San Diego University on an athletic scholarship and majoring in Education. A few of her top accomplishments in swimming include making the all-time top times list in 4 events: 50/100/200/500 free, and this year’s trip to the CIF D-2 championships where she swam in two individual events and was a member of our 200 free relay team that finished fourth and our 400 free relay which were consolation champions.Water polo, however, is her dominant sport. She was our team captain this year. She has been our leading scorer all four seasons. She was 2nd Team All-League as a freshman and 1st team for the last 3 seasons. She was selected 1st team all CIF for the last 2 years. She was our team MVP for the last 2 years. She is the second all-time goal scorer in our program, trailing only Courtney Matthewson, a 2 time Olympic gold medalist. She is 2nd all time in assists. She played both ends of the pool and was a lockdown defender for us. She is number 5 all-time in steals. All of these all time statistics were for only 3 1/3 seasons as her freshman year was mostly lost to covid restrictions.Delanney has been recognized as a Scholar Athlete at Canyon. Her favorite memories at Canyon were all the tournaments and games she’s played with her teammates which she says are memories she will have forever.” Delanney says, ” I would like to thank my mom, dad, brothers (Brennan and Connor), my teammates, all the coaches that have helped me become the player I am, and the teachers and administration that have helped me and guided me for the past 4 years at Canyon. I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of you.”
Athlete of the Year – Cohen Gomez
Coach Jason Smith presented Cohen with his award. Smith said “This award is not merely a recognition of athletic accomplishments but a celebration of the extraordinary character and dedication that define a true champion. When we talk about athletic excellence, we most often focus on physical ability. However, true athleticism encompasses so much more; the relentless pursuit of excellence, the commitment to something bigger than you, competitive toughness and the resiliency to overcome challenges. It is about sportsmanship, the respect for competitors and the game, and the ability to inspire others. Cohen has showcased those qualities in his time here at Canyon.When I took over the program, from day one it was clear Cohen was someone who pushed himself to be better, helping our program foster a culture of excellence. He possessed a rare combination of talent, work ethic, and an elite competitive spirit. It is that competitive spirit that made him public enemy #1. Cohen was always the focus of our opponents and the one person that teams wanted to say they beat. And he always rose to the challenge. This isn’t to say that it has always been easy for Cohen. He has had his time of challenges, and adversity just like anyone else, but what truly separates a good athlete from a great one, is how they respond to adversity. Cohen has shown humility, determination, grit, resolve, hard work and perseverance through those difficulties. No matter the challenge, Cohen has faced all of them head on and overcome…in my opinion this is what exemplifies the true spirit of a champion and what makes him deserving of this award in addition to all of his athletic achievements.” Gomez was a four year varsity player while earning a 4.4 overall GPA. Cohen will play baseball for Stanford next year.
In closing, Nate Harrison congratulated all our award recipients, league champions, CIF qualifiers, CIF Finalists and CIF Champions. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our student-athletes and make this event possible.
