Page 62 June 2013 ARCADIA SPORTS PAGE ARCADIA SPORTS PAGE Arcadia High’s Reynolds selected Athlete of Year By Nathan Humpherys Alex Reynolds’ nomination for the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission’s thlete of the Year Award began when Vice-Principal and Athletic Director Kevin Mooney noticed a trend around campus. “Just about any time I look around and see something good happening, Alex is there in the middle of it,” Mooney said. The anti-bullying campaign at Arcadia? Reynolds was there. Food drives? Reynolds was there. Coordinating last year’s graduation? Tutoring for other students? Throwing a holiday party for the kids at Tavan Elementary? Reynolds, as always, was there. In fact, not only was Reynolds involved, most of the time he was leading the way. “He’s the epitome of the excellent student athlete,” Mooney said. “Again, a great athlete, but so much more than just a great athlete.” Reynolds has played year-round baseball since he was 8 and played football for the fi rst time as a freshman at Arcadia. After a standout year as a wide receiver on the freshman team, he was called up to varsity during his sophomore season. Once on varsity, he earned a starting spot, averaged nearly 28 yards per catch, and continued to start his junior and senior years. In baseball, Reynolds was the MVP of his freshman team. He began starting in the varsity out fi eld as a sophomore, a role he continued in while also making regular appearances as a pitcher during his senior year. Though Reynolds is a gifted high school athlete, his true talent appears to be his world-class ability to juggle a schedule. Where most high schoolers would be busy enough with classes, a girlfriend and playing two sports, he somehow found the time to be a three-year member of Club Interact (which focuses on community service and the environment), a member of Club DECA (a club for students interested in business and marketing), one of the founders of Arcadia’s Student Advisory Board, not to mention the president of National Honors Society. He also helps out with Little League, walks dogs at the Lucky Paws Animal Shelter and donates blood so often, his mother has started a collection of the “Thank You” cards the blood bank sends him. And this is all on top of a full load of honors and AP classes. “The grades are de fi nitely a big deal,” his mother, Shawna, said. “He has literally never gotten a ‘B’ on his report card,” a goal she says he set for himself when he started high school. Getting straight ‘A’s in dif fi cult classes has earned Reynolds a 4.7 weighted grade-point average, ranking him sixth in his graduating class of 455. With all he’s achieved, it would seem inevitable that someone should take notice. Still, Reynolds was surprised to learn he had not only come to his vice-principal’s attention, but that Mooney wanted to nominate him for the award. “It’s such an honor, to have an administrator at Arcadia recognize me and go through the trouble and take his time to do this for me . . . It feels so rewarding,” Reynolds said. “I never would have imagined it. It caught me off guard, but it feels amazing.” The Youth Sports Awards were presented as a part of the PRSC’s Arizona Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Reynolds walked down the red carpet outside the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts with his dad, Scott, his mom, and his girlfriend, Hannah Zweig. During the reception that preceded the ceremony, the movers and shakers of the Valley’s business and athletics communities fl ooded the venue, sipping cocktails, eating shrimp hors d’oeuvres and bidding on memorabilia in the silent auction while the Cardinals’ mascot and the University of Arizona spirit squad mingled with the crowd. A couple of hours passed, then the doors to the auditorium opened and everyone fi led in. There were opening remarks and a video presentation, then the Youth Sports Awards were announced. Contributor of the Year was awarded fi rst, given to John Wilborn for his work with Horizon Huskies Boys Lacrosse; Coach of the Year went to LPGA-USGA coach Kathy Knadler. “It was pretty hard to contain myself while we sat there,” Reynolds said. Finally, the emcee announced, “The Athlete of the Year award goes to: Alex Continued on page 63 By Michelle Milan Nate Holloran, a third-grader at Hopi Elementary School, recently scored his fi rst hole-in-one while gol fi ng with his family at Mountain Shadows Golf Club. The 9-year-old was at hole No. 13 and swung from 90 yards, hitting with a 7-iron. Nate has been gol fi ng for about fi ve years and golfs with his family fi ve to seven times a year. His mom, Keri, said he’s been swinging a golf club since he could walk. “It was kinda hard. My parents were like ‘I’m not gonna say anything,’ and I just swung and did it,” Nate said. His parents were jumping up-and-down and yelling, Nate said. According to HoleinOne.com, the average age of a hole-in-one golfer is around 45, and the number of years playing is around 13 years. National Hole-In-One Registry states the odds of an average player making an ace is 12,000 to 1. Nate’s dad, Patrick, was a club professional for 13 years, most recently at The Phoenician Resort in 2000, so to see his own son swing a hole-in-one was pretty amazing, he said. Keri won the 1999 Phoenix Women’s City Championship, Patrick said in an email. “He has good golf genes,” Patrick said. Keri said her son was very excited and shocked when he scored the hole-in-one. “I like it (gol fi ng) because I get to see different courses and I get to play with family and friends,” Nate said. Nate’s other hobbies include baseball, fl ag football, basketball, soccer and swimming. 9-year-old fi res an ace 9-year old Nate Holloran skews the odds, hitting his fi rst hole-in-one in only fi ve years of playing golf. Schuman wins award from Charros Arcadia High School catcher Max Schuman won the Spring $500 scholarship from the Scottsdale Charros. Schuman and teammate Josh Arndt, a third baseman, were two of 11 AHS athletes named to All-City teams for Spring sports. The Scottsdale Union School District and the Charros select All-City teams and scholarship recipients, respectively, three times per school year. Tim Werner, Sabrina Barkdull and Katherine Byrne were named to the All- City tennis team as singles players. Amanda Byler and Shannon Feeney made the softball team, Byler as an in fi elder and Feeney as an out fi elder. Four track athletes were honored with All-City designation: So fi e DeWulf in the 800 meters, William McClelland in the 400 meters, Timothy Duckworth in high jump and pole vault and Stephon Wells in long jump and triple jump. In addition to their All-City awards, Schuman and Arndt were named to the All Section team. Schuman was a fi rst-team selection, while Arndt and Tyler Murphy were picked for the second team.

Page 63 June 2013 ARCADIA SPORTS PAGE TOO ARCADIA SPORTS PAGE TOO Reynolds Continued from page 62 Reynolds,” and the amphitheater fi lled with applause as Reynolds made his way to the stage. “I never imagined it feeling that good,” he said of his walk to the podium. “The other two people that went up (Wilborn and Knadler) were just so quali fi ed, I was like, ‘Wow, it’s really an honor to be up here on the same stage as all these people,’ and to have it presented by Sports Authority was so cool – I didn’t expect that at all.” Standing in the lobby afterwards, plaque in hand, Reynolds breathlessly tried to put the experience into words. Some of the ones he came up with: “incredible,” insane,” and “surreal.” “It just continued to blow me away and beat my expectations of what was coming,” he said. Unsurprisingly, his parents couldn’t have been prouder as they watched their son receive his award. “I know how hard he has worked, so to see him get recognized – beyond our own recognition – is something that will stay with me the rest of my life” Scott said, describing the moment as “one of those life things that you will always share with your child.” Reynolds, used to having his parents in the stands behind him, was nevertheless excited to know they were there yet again. “My mom and dad have been so supportive of me my whole life,” Reynolds said. “They’ve dealt with far too many youth baseball games and freshmen football, J.V., varsity football and all the baseball games – even the ones I didn’t play. I’m just so glad that they can be here to experience this with me.” He was also glad that his girlfriend, who has gone to many of his games (even though, as Reynolds put it, “baseball isn’t the most exciting sport for girls”), was able to share the special evening with him. “It’s just so nice to be able to spend it with people you care about, that have been there for you for so long,” he said. In a way, the award could be seen as a capstone for his high school achievements, marking the ending of one era and the beginning of another, which will start when Reynolds heads off to Columbia University in New York City to begin his fi ttingly ambitious studies in Economics and Mandarin. By Nathan Humpherys As the Titans ended their spring ball program, Lenny Abt was looking forward to the upcoming football season. “Obviously having the interim tag off helps,” said Abt. Abt became the interim head coach just before the start of last season, after then- coach Jim Ellison abruptly resigned on the eve on the team’s summer training camp. Given the reins with such short notice, Abt’s biggest concern was keeping the young team focused. He described the team’s greatest success as “playing together as a team, watching each other’s backs, growing together” as well as “moving past any distractions that might have been.” That the team has around 30 returning players should also help the preparations go smoothly. The defense will have eight or nine players with starting experience returning, whereas last year, they only had two returning players (neither of them starters). On the offensive side, the team is returning four linemen with extensive varsity experience (three of them starters), and should have experienced hands at the quarterback and fullback positions as well. The program will see a few new coaches next year, and Abt plans to install new looks for the offense and a new defensive scheme. AHS prepares for football 7 SPORTS CAMP LOCATIONS one in your neighborhood Basketball, soccer, baseball, swimming, archery, volleyball wi`ëœÀÌà ALL SUMMER LONG! May 28 - August 9 £ÜiiŽÃiÃȜ˜Ã±ՏE>v`>Þ ÝÌi˜`i` >Ài±č}iÃ{¤‡£Î HUBBARDSPORTS.COM 602.971.4044 REGISTER TODAY AT hubbardsports.com