The Sun Standout Awards was a real shindig at the South Point Showroom on May 19, recognizing the top-notch performances in prep athletics over the past year. The event highlighted a coach who snagged a whopping 15th state championship, a female flag football player who dominated the nation in rushing, and a cross country star who shattered records. Since 2016, this ESPY-inspired ceremony has been the cherry on top of each school year, bringing together the best of the best in high school sports.
This year’s winners and finalists had some incredible stories to share. Manuel Saldate from SLAM and Melvin Whitehead from Liberty took home the Sun Standout Awards of Excellence. Karen Weitz from Centennial received the prestigious Hank Greenspun Lifetime Achievement Award. The Game of the Year title went to the intense matchup between Silverado and Coronado in basketball. Bray’ana Miles from Democracy Prep stole the show with the Moment of the Year. Aiyana Castro from Arbor View was crowned Citizen of the Year. Mike Yamamoto from Liberty was recognized as the Unsung Hero. Ayanna Watson from Bishop Gorman was named Female Athlete of the Year, while Kenan Dagge from Desert Oasis took home the Male Athlete of the Year title. I’yanna Jones from Western and Jerrad Barczyszyn from Shadow Ridge were honored as Female and Male Scholar Athletes of the Year, respectively. Coach of the Year went to Wes Pacheco from Mojave Football. Thaddeus Thatcher from Arbor View was hailed as the Male Rising Star, while Danielle Morales from Arbor View was recognized as the Female Rising Star. The Team of the Year award went to the Coronado Boys Soccer team.
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Ray Brewer, a local through and through, has been part of Greenspun Media Group since the ’90s. He’s been all about covering high school sports for quite some time now. Hillary Davis joined the Greenspun Media Group in 2020 as a general assignment news reporter after spending over a decade reporting on various beats. These folks sure know how to keep us informed and entertained with their stories.
