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The Lady DW Basketball Team award winners were honored for the 2019-2020 season. From left: Claudia Benavides, EWAC All Conference Second Team; Kira Boggs, Defensive Player Award; Kirsten Miller, Coach's Award; Sadie Seney, Most Valuable Player, Free Throw Award and EWAC All Conference First Team; Kenzie Dobbs, Most Improved Player; and Mackenna Culley, Most Inspirational Player and EWAC All Conference Second Team.
The Dayton-Waitsburg Cheer Squad leaders were recognized for their contributions, including Sarah Shutters, left, recipient of the Coach's Award, and Grace Coulston, honored as Most Valuable Cheerleader. Not pictured: Hannah Tiner, Most Inspirational, and Michelle Gomez, Most Improved.
Dayton-Waitsburg Boys Basketball award winners were recognized at the Sports Awards Banquet. From left: Monte Pettichord, Most Improved Player; Tayven Seney, Team Captain; Josiah White, Team Captain and DW Mr. Defense; Mason Finney, Most Valuable Team Mate and Southeast 2B All League Second Team; and Seamus House, Coach's Award.
WAITSBURG–The Dayton-Waitsburg Sports Combine recognized athletes from its cheer, girls' basketball and boys' basketball programs at the Winter Sports Awards Banquet held March 12.
Members of the DW Cheer Squad were recognized by Nicki Luper, Athletic Director, in the absence of Advisor Vicki Hamann.
Letter awards went to Sarah Shutters, Natalie Teal, Michelle Gomez, Alexis Reeves and Emma Williams. Receiving letter pins were Alicia Apodaca, Jessie Atteberry, Kaylee White, Grace Coulston, Anna Miller and Hannah Tiner. Dia Adkins received a participation certificate.
The squad's Most Inspirational was Hannah Tiner. Most Valuable Cheerleader was Grace Coulston and the Coach's Award went to Sarah Shutters. Most Improved Cheerleader award was presented to Michelle Gomez.
Cheerleaders who were scholar-athletes included Coulston, Tiner, Acevedo and Apodaca.
Head Girls Basketball Coach Tamira Culley opened by thanking family, parents, the Booster Clubs, scorebook keeper Valerie Benavides, Boy's Coach Roy Ramirez and the DW Boys team, and assistant coach Desirae Jones for her work on the stats, assisting during games, and reporting to the newspapers.
"We became a team last summer at the NBC camp," Culley said.
Coach Culley noticed on the first day how the DW girls were sprinkled here and there during lunch and dinner while other teams were in groups. "On the second day at breakfast, they were all at the table together," Culley said. "That's when I knew we'd be okay."
The team would eat, play basketball, and sleep, every day for four days, she said. On the last day, the DW team was "dead last in the bracket. I worried it would destroy them," Culley remembered.
It "ticked off" the team and to show they didn't deserve it, their play that day landed them in the championship game, Culley said.
Culley presented each player and spoke a few positive words about them.
Receiving certificates of participation were Kirsten Miller, Destiny Brincken, Kira Boggs, McKenzie Dobbs, Mackena Culley, Sadie Seney, Teagen Larsen, Cassidy Laughery, Megan Forney, Cecilia Acevedo, Claudia Benavides, Megan Forney, Kaylene Slack, Samantha Davis, Sagelyn Kilts, Trista Villaro, Laura Hill, Milena Gemmell and Mohala Bramer.
Receiving letter pins were Miller, Brincken, Boggs, Dobbs, Culley, Seney, Larsen, Laughery, Forney, Acevedo and Benavides, who also received her initial letter award.
Scholar-athletes were: Teagan Larsen, Claudia Benavides, Mohala Bramer, Mackenna Culley, McKenzie Dobbs, Milena Gemmell, Sage Kilts, Cassidy Laughery, Sadie Seney, Trista Villaro and Kira Boggs.
Managers Kamryn Tupling, Brooklyn Laughery, Alexa Jones and Peyton Benavides were recognized for their contributions.
Sadie Seney was named Most Valuable Player, voted by team members, she was a team captain, and she also garnered the Free Throw Award. Seney was also selected to the EWAC 2B First Team All League.
Mackena Culley was honored with Most Inspirational, was a team captain, and was named to the EWAC 2B Second Team All League.
Claudia Benavides was the team's second selection to the EWAC Second Team All League.
Kira Boggs got the Defensive Player Award, and was a team captain.
McKenzie Dobbs received the Most Improved Award.
The Coach's Award went to Kirsten Miller.
Assistant Coach Josh Wilson filled in for Head Coach Roy Ramirez, who was ill, with Assistant Coach Terry Bartlett accompanying him.
The varsity's season was one with some "hard-fought wins," Wilson said, noting that "once the team established its identity, that's when we started to mesh." If that cohesiveness can be extended next year, "watch out" Wilson warned.
Mason Finney was awarded the Most Valuable Team Mate plaque, plus he was a selection to the Southeast 2B All League Second Team.
DW's Mr. Defense Award went to Josiah White, who also received a Captain's pin along with Tayven Seney.
Most Improved Player was presented to Monte Pettichord and the Coach's Award was given to Seamus House.
Certificates of Award were presented to Colton VanBlaricom, Benney Bryan, Shawn Evans, Josiah White, Mason Finney, Monte Pettichord, Wyatt Costello, Dylan Bledsoe, Seamus House, Tayven Seney and Keon Lindley.
Letter pins went to VanBlaricom, Evans, White, Finney, Pettichord, Costello, Bledsoe, House, Seney and Lindley.
Scholar-athletes included Colton VanBlaricom, Monte Pettichord, Benny Bryan, Jesse Mings, Joseph Patterson, Josiah White and Tayven Seney.
Wilson pointed out that junior varsity basketball is one of the hardest sports to play due to the level of learning in progress. To his jayvee players, Wilson emphasized not the win-loss record, but the attitude of the players and team, and how they competed on the court.
Junior varsity teammates who received certificates included: Isaac Finney, Daylan Morrow, Julio Laencina, Levi Boudrieau, Joe Patterson, Logan Potter, Garret Korsland, Benney Bryan, Rodrigo Arroyo, Jesse Mings, Ben Ingram and Alex Dahlby.
