FEMALE ATHLETES: Local standouts honored

Las Vegas Athletic Club awards student athletes for achievement on and off the field

Nicole Padilla admits she's a sports addict. Between competing in soccer, volleyball and softball during her senior year, the Las Vegas High School graduate was lucky she had time to breathe.

Padilla was one of several young women from across the valley honored as Female Athlete of the Year by the Las Vegas Athletic Club. Each year the club asks coaches and school administrators to select one student from each high school for the honor.

Joining Padilla in the awards ceremony were Britney Randall from Basic High School, Breona Gray from Bishop Gorman, Cortney Sobrero from Chaparral, Hayley Jones from Cheyenne, Natasha Wicks from Cimarron-Memorial, Lyndsay Gensler from Bonanza, Chelsey Friedmann from Boulder City, Meghan Mathews from Centennial, Kara Kofford from Clark, Lauren Bucherie from Coronado, Mayra Sandoval from Desert Pines, Erin Miller from Durango, Jennifer Guerra from Eldorado, Roxanne Ritchie from Foothill, Carolyn Forbush from Green Valley, Lindsey Zeller from Indian Springs, Frankie Wymbs from Laughlin, Breena Bonnet from Moapa Valley, Sequoia Holmes from Mojave, Vivian Ewalefo from Palo Verde, Katrina Opena from Rancho, Jessica Wadsworth from Sierra Vista, Lacee Koelliker from Silverado, Ashley Gibson from Valley, Kelci Pulsipher from Virgin Valley, Perla Melendez from the Southern Nevada Vocational-Technical High School and LaMesha Walker from Western.

For Padilla, sports have been a life-long love. At age 6, she joined her first soccer team. As a high school sophomore, she added volleyball and softball to the mix.

"My favorite sport was soccer since I played it the longest, but I like them all," she said.

Sunrise resident Guerra mixed volleyball, swimming and student government in her hectic Eldorado High School schedule.

"I just love sports. It's a big part of me and it probably always will be," Guerra said. "Just the love of the game and the love for the team keep me going."

The Sundevil volleyball team's Most Valuable Player kept up with school, even with all the hours she spent on the court and in the pool. A National Honor Society member, Guerra maintained a 4.2 grade point average. Plus, she sang in the school's varsity and madrigals choirs, served on the student council and volunteered as an elementary school reader.

Guerra said keeping up with school amid all the activities is all about conditioning and time management. In spite of her lack of free time, she said it was all worthwhile.

"I loved playing on the team. Being around women who enjoy the same things I do has always interested me," she said.

Padilla said the interaction with her teammates was the best part of her sports experience.

"It gave me a good chance to work with people who are different from me," she said. "Most of my classes I have with a lot of the same people, so I never would have met as many people as I did in sports."

Both student-athletes plan to continue their educations at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Padilla hopes to study sports medicine and pursue a career as a personal trainer. Guerra plans to study optometry.


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