Schools

West Hills, Santana Student-Athletes Among 22 Honored for Sportsmanship

Grossmont Athletic Conference is the only one in the county to hand out such awards. Latest were given at La Mesa Community Center.

Twenty-two student-athletes—applauded by 100 coaches, school officials and family members—took the stage Tuesday morning at the La Mesa Community Center to accept their latest awards.

Their patches and plaques weren’t just for excellence in sports, however. They were for sportsmanship and character.

“They are unique,” said school district official Larry Pear of the 2011 Grossmont Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Awards. “They will get a patch that only they will be able to wear.”

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Two from each high school in the were honored. They wore letterman’s jackets and ties, sweaters and polo shirts—even a ballcap or two. 

No matter how they dressed, the smiles were equally bright.

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Among the honorees—all chosen by their own schools—were (water polo and ) and ( of , (swimming and ) and (, and ) of , and Heidi Vettel (swimming, water polo and cross country) and Matt Hildreth ( and lacrosse) of El Capitan High School.

After accepting their awards, the students assembled in a courtyard outside for photos by John and Denise Stickney, owners of Boyd Anderson Photography. Parents, siblings and other family members stood with the pairs after coaches and administrators were snapped in an efficient assembly line.

The whole ceremony—on a school day, of course—took only a half-hour, ending with snacks including pastries and fruit.

The Grossmont Conference is the only one in the county to present sportsmanship awards of this kind, said Pear, conference president. It’s been held at least 10 years, he said, and is “one of the key elements of what we do as an educational institution.”

Said Grossmont High School Athletic Director Frank Foggiano with a smile: “Nobody else can do this. We have patented this.”


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