Sultans athletic award winners from 2019-20
- Updated: June 1, 2020
ECS staff report
SANTEE – Santana High School announced its annual Senior Awards winners for the 2019-20 school year.
According to the school’s press release, each honoree was selected by the administration, staff, and coaches in the Sultans’ athletic department, based on athletic skills and success, leadership, and scholarship.
Male Athlete
Heading the list is Nathan Temple, who was named the recipient of the Britt Edmundson Memorial Award for Male Athlete of the Year.
In football, Temple was tabbed to the All-CIF San Diego Section second team after the coaches voted him the Grossmont Valley League co-player of the year. In addition, he was selected to the All-East County team after guiding the Sultans to the CIF Division III championship contest.
According to the school, Temple was “a leader on and off the field and was always positive and would help bring up his teammates when they were down.”
“He worked hard in the weight room, in the classroom — he was a Union-Tribune All-Academic Team honoree — and on the field,” setting several football passing records.
The award is given in honor of Britt Edmundson, who passed more than a decade ago following a tragic car accident. He was one of the best athletes to come out of Santana, serving as the quarterback of the football team, captain of the basketball team, and he continues to hold the school record in both the pole vault (14-feet even) and the high jump (6-9 3/4).
Female Athlete
The runaway winner for Female Athlete of the Year is Lakaila-Aquiningoc-David, in an award named for longtime Santana coach Mary Daniels.
Aquiningoc-David has a three-sport standout in the classic sense, starring in volleyball, basketball, and softball, achieving all-league status in all three.
In volleyball, Aquiningoc-David was the team’s most valuable player.
Aquiningoc-David was basketball’s Player of the Year in the Grossmont Valley League in route to a Grossmont Valley League championship.
In softball, Aquiningoc-David was a first-team all-league as a junior — her senior season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aquiningoc-David also excelled in the classroom to make the UT All-Academic squad.
According to the school, she’s “an amazingly hard worker on and off the field of play and a great teammate.”
The award is named for Daniels, who taught at Santana for 39 years, including 17 seasons as a record-breaking head gymnastics coach. Her teams won 14 Grossmont League crowns and seven CIF championships while serving as the Director of Athletics for more than a quarter-century.
Scholar-Athletes
The female Scholar-Athlete award went to Jordan Bockart, while the male Scholas-Athlete recipient was Luke Simaneck. Both were tabbed for excellence in the classroom and on the athletic field of play.
Bockhart, a standout in field hockey and track, carried a stellar 4.5 grade-point average.
Bockhart was captain of the field hockey squad, earning an all-league honorable mention berth. In track, she was a two-time team MVP in 2018 and 2019 before losing her 2020 campaign.
Simaneck, a member of the football and lacrosse teams, owned a 4.05 GPA, also making the UT academic team.
In football, Simaneck was an old-school two-way player, earning first-team all-league status on both offense and defense as a lineman, helping the Sultans advance to the CIF title contest.
Sportsmanship Award
The school’s awards for outstanding sportsmanship went to Tatumn Salez and Lane Dukes. Both are members of their respective soccer teams.
Salaz was noted as “a perfect example of sportsmanship. She plays hard, leads by example, and is a true competitor. All the while, showing respect to the game, opponents, and referees.” She served as the Sultans’ team captain, gaining a first-team all-league berth.
Dukes also served as a team captain in boys soccer, noted as being “respected in all aspects of the game and would always go out of his way to help his teammates.” He was also first-team all-league and a UT honoree.
On the pitch, Dukes capped his prep career as the all-time goal-scoring leader in the Grossmont Conference, finishing second overall in CIF-San Diego Section history.
US Army Athletic Award
Every year the US Army selects one male and female athlete that exemplify outstanding qualities of sportsmanship.
Female US Army Award: Emily Cocita (Sideline Cheer, Competition Cheer)
Cocita was a captain for the cheer squad putting in countless hours of training and helping out teammates. She was an active participant in the monthly captain’s meetings for all sports and exemplified what it means to be a Sultan. She helped lead the Competition Cheer Team to nationals, taking home the team championship this season.
Male US Army Award: Nathan Hughes (Football, Soccer, Baseball)
Grossmont Valley League football coaches voted Hughes as their Kicker of the Year, as he made the all-league second team in both football and soccer. With the soccer club, he served as team captain, and he was also a team manager with Sultans baseball.
Hughes was noted for “showing his passion for athletics and what it means to be a Sultan.”
US Marines Athletic Award
Every year the US Marine Corps picks one male and female athlete that exemplify outstanding qualities of sportsmanship.
Female US Marine Award: Makenzie Sims (Field Hockey, Softball)
Sims was named because she was “one of the top players on the field hockey and softball teams and was a hard worker on and off the field of play.
“She would put the team first and worked to help others. She often was the first to show up and the last to leave always striving to be the best on the field of play.” She was a member of the Union-Tribune All-Academic Team in both sports.
Male US Marine Corps Award: Donnie Kelly (Football, Volleyball)
Kelly was an all-league honorable mention in football, earning the CIF Sportsmanship Award in the CIF Championship game. The school said Kelly, “was a leader on both teams football and volleyball. Donnie is always positive and works hard on and off the field of play he is a perfect teammate.”
BEFY Community Scholarship: (Britt Edmundson and Frank Yancy)
Every year, Santana athletes are nominated for the BEFY Community Scholarship in memory of Edmundson and Yancy. The BEFY community board then selects a few of these nominees who hit all the criteria of Edmundson and Yancy. Once selected the BEFY Foundation awards $500 to each winner.
Along with Salez and Dukes (see above), the other winners are:
Aidan Donovan – Baseball, 4.027 GPA, starting second baseman on the baseball team, which was ranked No. 4 in the San Diego Section.
Jason Gutierrez – 3.7 GPA, AVID student, Football and Basketball.
