Foothills Sentry August 2024

Foothills Sentry Page 14 AUGUST 2024 COMMUNITY SPORTS BY CLIFF ROBBINS AND CHAD CLINE El Modena inducts 2024 Hall of Fame athletes ElMo awards 2023-24 Athletes of Character El Modena inducted two alum- ni, Amy Moreno Romero and Rex Moore, into the 2024 Athlet- ics Hall of Fame, May 30, at the Embassy Suites in Garden Grove. Romero (1990-1994) was a scholar-athlete throughout high school, playing soccer and soft- ball all four years, and volley- ball the last two, earning many honors. She was a four-time All- Century League soccer player, three-time team captain, and the League MVP in 1994. Romero was a three-time All-County and All-CIF selection. She was a two-time Excalibur All-Tournament player in 1992, named the CIF Defensive Player of the Year in 1994, nationally ranked in the Puma Top 150 in 1994, and a four-year softball let- terman (1990-1994) and a two- ear letterman in volleyball (1992- 1994). Romero received an athletic scholarship in soccer to UCLA (1994-1997). She was the goal- keeper, and graduated in 1998 El Modena High coaches presented Athletes of Charac- ter awards to the top athlete in each sport: Gregory Koutures, football; Cash Sebestyen, boys cross country; Leslie Santia- go, girls cross country; Daniel Morones, boys water polo; Sa- mantha Simmons, girls water polo; Eleanor Tjoa, girls tennis; Luke McQuerrey, boys tennis; Kathryn Kerrigan, girls golf; Troy Parker, boys golf; Kiara Parayao, cheer; Cassandra Ju- rjis, pom; Angelina Solis. girls volleyball; Alejandro Espinoza, with a degree in sociology. Moore played varsity football for the Vanguards, 1980-1982. He was a Prep All-American in 1982, a three-time All-Century League selection, and was award- ed League MVP in 1982. Moore was First Team All-County and CIF in 1982, Defensive Player of the Year and Prep All-American in 1982, two-time League Cham- pions, two-time CIF Finalist 1980 and 1981, a Semi-Finalist in 1982 and designated one of the “Top players in 100 years of Orange County Football.” Moore received an athletic scholarship to play football at USC. He was an outstanding player for four years (1984-1987) and won numerous awards, in- cluding the Davis-Teschke and Marv Goux award in 1986, was on the Pac-10 Championship Team in 1984 and 1987, the Rose Bowl Championship Team in 1985, and holds the single season record for tackles with 206, set in 1986. boys volleyball; Jack Weir, boys basketball; Ashlee Methu, girls basketball; Sebastian Ramos, boys soccer; Dakota Martinez, girls soccer; Nathaniel Chavez, boys wrestling; Emily Pacheco, girls wrestling; Travis Collins, baseball; Benjamin Astor, boys lacrosse; Mia Henry, girls la- crosse; Lauren Spitzer, girls flag football; Lynsey Arostigue, softball; Grace Warton, girls swim; Brenton Lively, boys swim; Damien Herrera, boys track and field; and Jasmin Tru- jillo, girls track and field. Nick Santivanez was awarded El Modena’s Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Coach Josh Kliner, left. Santivanez was baseball’s Most Valuable Player and named to the Crestview League First Team. Grace Walton, a swimmer, was presented the El Modena Female Athlete of the Year by Coach Ni- cole Clark. Rex Moore, left, with son Jack, was inducted into the El Modena School Athletics Hall of Fame. Amy Romero, right, was introduced by former El Modena Coach Tino Ray Younger for induction into the El Modena High School Athletics Hall of Fame.