‘It’s an honor.’ Merced County three-sport athlete earns top award from Sac-Joaquin Section
Le Grand High senior Alexa Ultreras has always had a busy schedule during her high school career as a three-sport athlete. Somehow she’s been able to balance her time between volleyball, basketball and softball and still maintain a 4.0 GPA.
Her hard work paid off as she was one of two student athletes recognized from the Sac-Joaquin Section. Ultreras and Escalon’s Elijah Lattig were awarded the Clarke Coover Award, which is named in honor of former Section Commissioner Clarke Coover.
“It shows how hard I work as a student athlete and academically as well,” said Ultreras, who scored over 1,000 career points in basketball. “I’m constantly pushing myself, staying up late, trying to get my straight A’s. On top of that I have practices and games and a busy schedule.”
Each applicant is asked to write an essay and Ultreras wrote about sportsmanship.
Ultreras recently signed her national letter of intent to play volleyball at UC Merced.
“It was super exciting to find out I won,” Ulteras said. “It’s an honor.”
The section office usually hands out a $1,500 scholarship to go along with the Clarke Coover Award and other scholarship money to go along with the Dale A. Lackey Scholar-Athlete Award winners.
However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic there were no foundation volleyball and basketball games played this year — and no scholarship money available to hand out to winners. The money raised from the those foundation games help fund the scholarships.
Ultreras was named all-Southern League three times in volleyball, she was named all-league three times and MVP once in basketball.
She is the student body president, a member of FFA and she won the President’s Award. She volunteers at local youth football games as well as several community events through FFA. Her 4.0 GPA ranks sixth in her class.
Three other Merced County athletes were named Dale A. Lackey Scholar-Athlete Award winners: Los Banos’ Madelyn Brizzee, Golden Valley’s Jadyn Gong and Jaret Mello.
Brizzee played volleyball and was a member of the swim team for four years. She was named to the all-Western Athletic Conference team twice in both sports
She’s an AP Scholar with distinction and a member of the National Honors Society, CSF and the Spanish Honors Society. She volunteers as a volleyball coach with Los Banos Parks and Recreation, at the Los Banos Memorial Hospital Gala and through Interact Club..
Brizzee is ranked No. 1 in her class with a 4.68 GPA and plans to attend the University of the Pacific.
Gong is a three-sport athlete at Golden Valley, competing in soccer, track and volleyball all four years. Gong has been named the Central California Conference Goalie of the Year the past three years.
She’s a member of leadership, Spirit Club and College Bound Club. She volunteers for the Fresno Bee Kids Day, Valley Children’s Hospital and at local youth track meets.
Gong has a 4.19 GPA and will attend UC Merced to play soccer and study biomedical sciences
Mello was also a three-sport athlete at Golden Valley, competing in football, wrestling and baseball all four years.
Mello volunteers at youth wrestling meets, as an elementary school tutor and for the Golden Valley Wish Rally. He has a 4.02 GPA and plans on attending Merced College.
