Winters 2019 sports highlights

Small towns are big on their sports. Athletic participation of any kind is more than “just something to do” for families. Athletes learn about teamwork, dedication, resilience, courage and hard work–just to name a few. Here are some Winters sports highlights from 2019. 1. Shaw performed in the London 2019 New Year’s Day Parade. At a UCA (Universal Cheer Association) cheer camp Colby Shaw was nominated to be part of the Varsity Spirit All-American Cheerleading team and represent Winters High School in across the pond. Shaw performed a routine nine times along the two-mile parade route alongside almost 1,200 other All-American cheer nominees.  2. The Senior Capstone Basketball Tournament WHS student Marin Spalding’s Senior Capstone project gave an opportunity for high school and Winters Middle School Life Skills students and Team Davis members to a friendly competition on the court to shoot hoops and raise funds for their programs. The tournament was the first of its kind at the high school. The two-game event brought community members, Winters school district staff and students together to watch as Life Skills students played their heart out on the court. 3. 50/70 Winters Little League team The 50/70 little league team played hard during the summer. Although they didn’t take first place, their efforts are worth noting and the Express is excited to see what these athletes do as they fine-tune their athletic abilities. Coach Rudy Baylor said their season notables for the 2019 Winters LL baseball 50/70 team include Ashton Baylor leading the team with a batting average of .472 and on base percentage of .680, and Isaiah Pazmino led the team in stolen bases. 4. WHS community cheer camp The WHS cheer squad hosted a cheer camp open to the community for all interested students from TK to eighth grade. While the camp served as a fundraiser, it ignited spirit for all the camp attendees. Campers played games and learned cheers, while older advanced campers had a chance to learn stunting. All campers received an opportunity to perform during a WHS halftime period in August. 5. Carrion, Valencia placed on All-Metro baseball teams Daniel Carrion and Ruben Valencia represented WHS on the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro baseball teams. The All-Metro team is made up of high school students from the Sacramento Metro area who are chosen based on performance and personal stats. There is no preference to school or division. Carrion was placed on the first team as a utility player, and Valencia was placed on the second team as a designated hitter. 6. WHS wrestling teams sent two on to NSCIF Championship The 2018/2019 WHS wrestling team had four athletes who excelled on the mat, and three of them went in with a top 10 seed ranking for the Regional Championships in February 2019. Kendrick Borchard and Valeria Ceja moved on to the NSCIF Championship. While they didn’t place high enough in rank, their wrestling performance landed them a spot on our highlights. We’ll be watching to see what Ceja does during the season this year. 7. AYSO U12 boys took second in Presidents Cup Tournament The Winters American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO) U12 boys “Winters Fireballs” Select Team took second place in the 2019 Presidents Cup Tournament in February 2019. The team placed first in their brackets after competing in three games the first day of the tournament. They took second place after playing three more games the following day. 8. Three cheer squad members nominates All-American During the summer, three members of the WHS cheer squad were named as All-Americans in their sport. Annie Ramos, Jorge Fernandez and Octavio Diaz were judged on their performance and knowledge of the dance and cheer routines taught during camp, athleticism, execution of jumps and stunts, and overall showmanship and spirit. They bring the number of Winters All-American nominees to four following Colby Shaw who was named All-American in 2018. 9. The Valencia brothers at Butte View League Championship There was no race greater to watch than that of brothers Ruben and Diego Valencia speeding through the water during the 2019 WHS swim team season. When competing in the same heat it was a nail biter to see which of them would take first, because the other was always right behind in second. In the Butte View League championship meet in October 2019 both Ruben and Diego swapped first and second place honors in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. 10. Duran shuts it down on the mound Winters athlete Anthony Duran played for the Admirals Baseball Club in Vacaville this year. Over the Memorial Day weekend, Duran’s team played in the United States Specialty Sports Association, California State Championship Tournament. During the championship game Duran came in as a relief pitcher and closed out the game. Duran’s team was down by one run and had two outs. With bases loaded Duran struck out the batter. In the following inning Duran had two strikeouts with no hits and one one intentional walk. Duran’s team won the game, five runs to four, and an overall record of 6-0, taking the State Championship.]]>