Winter Sports Awards 2025
Downtown Visalia Kiwanis
March 10, 2026
In partnership with the Downtown Visalia Kiwanis, TCOE’s CHARACTER COUNTS!
Program celebrated this fall’s Pursuing Victory with Honor (PVWH) student-athletes at
a lunch on Tuesday. The Downtown Visalia Kiwanis recognizes student-athletes,
nominated by their coaches, each season for their sportsmanship. The awards included
a certificate, patch, and lawn sign that reads "An Athlete of Character Lives Here.”
Below is a list of the Pursuing Victory with Honor award winners along with snippets
from their coaches.
Central Valley Christian High School
Colin Belt– Boys Soccer
Colin faced challenging situations in practice and games with a positive attitude, which in turn has earned him the respect of his teammates and coaches. He is a player who works hard, strives to be better each day and reflects his love through his actions on and off the field.
Kate Verhoevan – Girls Basketball
While Kate's basketball statistics are truly amazing, her humility and quiet, strong leadership attributes make her an equally amazing person. She is incredibly attentive to the needs of her teammates and serves as a phenomenal role model. Kate consistently leads by example through her responsible actions, whether she is cleaning up after practice without being asked, practicing plays to absolute perfection, or stepping up to mentor a teammate who might be struggling either on or off the court.
El Diamante High School
Jayden Mata – Girls Basketball
Jayden is a student-athlete who truly represents the values of this honor. As a member of the basketball program, Jayden plays with great heart, relentless effort, and integrity in everything she does. She is a true team player who consistently puts her teammates first and leads by example both on and off the court. No matter the situation, Jayden always finds a way to make the best of it—staying positive, resilient, and focused.
Rachel Crawford – Girls Soccer
Rachel consistently demonstrates the essence of strong character both on and off the field. She earns her teammates admiration through her commitment to honesty and reliability. Everyone can always depend on her to perform her best in every game and practice. Her interactions with opponents and officials reflect politeness and consideration. She treats everyone with dignity and respect. As a co-captain, she readily accepts the duties that come with the role, leading by example and holding herself accountable for the team's cohesion and effort.
Golden West High School
Ceylon De Rijke – Boys Soccer
Ceylon exhibits attributes that make him an excellent example of what a student athlete should seek to become. As a student, he is a hard-working, intelligent individual who had an air of maturity about him that few freshmen possessed. As a soccer player that same effort and intelligence abound; however, this is not all that makes Ceylon special. In both practice and games Ceylon displays leadership through dogged determination and his relentless work ethic. As a result of these attributes, he is admired and looked up to by both teammates and coaches.
Sophia Camacho – Girls Wrestling
Sophia is a first-year wrestler competing in one of the toughest sports there is, and she has quickly distinguished herself through hard work, determination, and strong character. Despite being new to the sport, she earned a spot in the varsity lineup and has placed at multiple tournaments this season, including winning a championship belt at the Central Valley Invitational. Sophia is now recognized as one of the top wrestlers in the Central Valley at her weight class. Off the mat, she demonstrates the same discipline and commitment in the classroom.
Mt. Whitney High School
Jake Saesee – Boys Wrestling
Jake exemplifies excellence in both academics and athletics, while consistently putting others before himself. He currently holds a 4.0 GPA, a reflection of his dedication, discipline, and strong character in the classroom. As a four-year wrestler, he has shown unwavering commitment, perseverance, and respect for the sport, his teammates, and his opponents. What sets Jake apart is not just his success, but the kind of person he is every day. He is trustworthy, respectful, and genuinely caring, always leading by example.
Jasell Hernandez– Girls Wrestling
Jasell consistently demonstrates integrity, accountability, and respect in all that she does. She maintains a 3.0 GPA while balancing her academic and athletic responsibilities, reflecting her dedication and strong work ethic. Jasell is highly coachable and always seeks opportunities to improve, welcoming feedback and using it to better herself and support her team. One of Jasell’s strongest qualities is her trustworthiness. Coaches and teammates can rely on her to do the right thing even when no one is watching. She follows team expectations, takes responsibility for her actions, and can be counted on to represent her program with honesty and integrity.
Redwood High School
Enrique Segura – Boys Wrestling
Enrique leads others with integrity and respect. His commitment to athletics models who he is as a great man of character. A great role model for others and willingness to mentor underclassmen is second to none. Enrique leads by example and his teammates respect that about him.
Adriana Soria-Rosales – Girls Soccer
Adriana is an exceptional leader on our soccer team, consistently displaying outstanding sportsmanship both on and off the field. She embodies a true "team-first" mentality in everything she does for our program. Off the field, Adriana is a genuinely kind and approachable person who is deeply admired by her teammates. She is especially loved by the younger girls, who see in her a reliable role model—someone who will always have their back and can be counted on without hesitation.
Tulare Joint Union High School District Foundation
March 3, 2026
In partnership with the Tulare Joint Union High School District Foundation, TCOE’s CHARACTER COUNTS! Program celebrated this fall’s Pursuing Victory with Honor (PVWH) student-athletes at a recognition breakfast this week. Each season, the Foundation honors student-athletes nominated by their coaches for outstanding sportsmanship. This semester's awardees received a certificate of achievement, a PVWH t-shirt, and a custom lawn sign that proudly reads, "An Athlete of Character Lives Here.”
Mission Oak High School
Miranda Loza Nunez - Girls Soccer
Miranda represents Mission Oak High School’s soccer program with excellence, genuine sportsmanship, and relentless energy. She is a trustworthy captain her teammates rely on. She demonstrates responsible preparation and accountability. She is fair in competition and always respectful to opponents. Miranda is the ultimate teammate, and I am honored to have coached her for three years.
Austin Cardoza - Boys Soccer
Austin leads by example in all facets of the Six Pillars of Character. As a student-athlete, he is a role model not only on the field but in the classroom as well. We appreciate the time he commits to his sport, his classes, and our school by serving on the MOHS student‑athlete leadership team, always showing up ready to support others.
Tulare Union High School
Ariana Espinoza Gonzalez- Girls Wrestling
Ariana shows great fairness toward the sport, her teammates, and her opponents. She is caring to her teammates, and after every match she displays strong sportsmanship toward her opponent and the referees. I can count on Ariana to show up for practice and give her full effort the entire time without complaining. She is simply an all‑around great teammate, athlete, and person.
Jose Romero - Boys Basketball
Jose is a true Tulare success story. He is the glue of our team and can be counted on for his quality of play and how he conducts himself on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. He works weekly officiating for our local middle school program and has built a reputation as a respectful leader in our sport. He is a great role model for the younger basketball student‑athletes.
Tulare Western High School
Amira Salcedo- Girls Soccer
Amira exemplifies all Six Pillars of Character, but two stand out immediately: she is especially caring and fair. She treats everyone around her with kindness and respect. Her teammates would agree that she is a quiet leader who stays calm in the toughest competitions. She supports her team and knows how to engage all players to help build our program to be the best it can be.
Brayden Wolsey - Boys Soccer
Brayden is a young man who exemplifies integrity, respect, responsibility, fairness, and compassion. Whether he is in the classroom or on the field, he remains a consistent person of character and a role model for younger athletes who watch him play. I know this personally, as my son is one of his biggest fans. We are fortunate to have Brayden take on this role‑model responsibility without hesitation. He leads by example and consistently demonstrates these qualities.