2018-19 Athletes of the Week
-
Thomas Duckett & Audrey Castillo, Athletes of the Year, 2018-19
June 20, 2019Thomas Duckett of the Pirate football team and VC soccer's Audrey Castillo have been named Ventura College's Athletes of the Year for 2018-19. Duckett earned All-American, All-State and Northern Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in leading the Pirates to their most successful year in program history. Castillo led the VC women's soccer team to its 22nd playoff appearance in the program's 23-year history. She led the conference in scoring in earning WSC Co-Player of the Year honors. -
TJ Foreman & Tatiana Garcia, Scholar Athletes of the Year, 2018-19
May 19, 2019TJ Foreman of the Pirate baseball team and Tatiana Garcia, a standout in cross country and track and field, have been named Ventura College's Scholar Athletes of the Year for 2018-19. Foreman, a Moorpark High School product, earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the classroom while racking up multiple awards in leading the Pirates to their first Western State Conference title in 13 years. Garcia, a Ventura high School graduate, was a two-sport standout at VC for two years while also earning a perfect 4.0 GPA.
-
Cece Tuzak, Women's Track & Field, Week of May 6-14
May 13, 2019Pirate freshman Cynthia "Cece" Tuzak has been dominant in the discus throw all season. The Ventura High School product has won nine of 10 competitions this season, and eight in a row after taking the gold at Saturday's Southern California Regionals in Riverside. Cece had a strong first throw that put her in good position to qualify for the CCCAA State Championships May 17-18 in San Mateo, allowing her to go for it. And Cece most certainly did, unloading the discus for 129'8" on her second throw, putting her well ahead of the pack.
-
Kimora Pooler, Women's Track & Field, Week of Apr. 29-May 5
May 06, 2019Pirate freshman Kimora Pooler has been a steadily improving competitor for VC's women's track and field team throughout the spring. The Pacifica High School product has been a force in the shot put and discus, and at Saturday's Southern California Regionals she saved her best for last. On her final throw, Kimora cleared 39-feet to claim second place in the regional finals, advancing to the CCCAA State Championships on May 17-18. She still has the discus competition at the regionals in the coming week, but for her silver medal performance in the shot put, Kimora has been named this week's VC Pirate Student Athlete of the Week.
-
Travis Weston Brooklyn Wallet & Faith Mackie, Baseball & Beach Volleyball, Week of Apr. 22-28
April 29, 2019An exciting week with Ventura College Athletics warrants our first ever Co-VC Pirate Student Athletes of the Week! Sharing the award are pitcher Travis Weston of the WSC Champion baseball team and the duo of Brooklyn Wallet and Faith Mackie of the WSC champion beach volleyball team.
-
Cooper Fuchs, Men's Swimming & Diving, Week of Apr. 15-21
April 22, 2019The Pirates' men's swimming and diving team had a strong runner-up finish at the Western State Conference Championships over the weekend, led by sophomore Cooper Fuchs. The Westlake High School product earned individual gold medals in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke events, and he finished a close second in the 100-yard freestyle. Additionally, he helped the 400-yard medley relay to a third place finish, the 200-yard medley relay to second, and the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay to gold medals.
-
Isaiah Batis, Men's Track & Field, Week of Apr. 8-14
April 15, 2019The track and field season is coming to is long-awaited five-week push to the state championships, and VC sophomore Isaiah Batis is peaking at just the right time. This past week at the Santa Barbara Easter Open, the Rio Mesa High School product axed over two seconds off his time from earlier in the season in the 400 meters, winning the race with a personal-best time of 50.41. With that result he jumped into the Western State Conference's top-5, just in time for the WSC preliminaries next week. He has also been a standout this season in the 800 meters and as part of the Pirates' 4x400m relay team.
-
Gracelyn De La Cruz, Women's Swimming, Week of Apr. 1-7
April 08, 2019The VC swimming and diving teams made their way to the Pasadena Invitational Saturday, and sophomore Gracelyn De La Cruz had a good day. The Foothill Technology High School product earned points in three events in the 16-team meet, placing 10th of 65 competitors in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:05.12 before coming in 11th of 98 entrants in the 100-yard freestyle in 57.77. Finally, she swam the first and fastest leg of the Pirates' 400-yard freestyle relay team that finished eighth of 22 teams competing in 4:01.39.
-
Antonio Rosales, Men's Tennis, Week of Mar. 25-31
April 01, 2019VC's men's tennis team is marching through another strong season, led by their No. 1 singles and doubles player Antonio Rosales. The freshman who hails from Quito, Ecuador has anchored the Pirates' singles competition, posting an 8-4 mark while teaming up with Kyle Spiegelman to go 11-1 at the No. 1 doubles slot. This past week, Antonio won two singles matches by scores of love and love, and 6-0, 6-4. In doubles, he and Spiegelman were 3-0, giving up just one game over the three matches.
-
Keressa Garland, Women's Tennis, Week of Mar. 18-24
March 25, 2019The Pirates' women's tennis team had a pair of victories this past week, defeating Victor valley and Santa Monica in Western State Conference contests. Leading the charge was sophomore Keressa Garland. Keressa, who is originally from Atlanta, GA, lost just three games in two matches, winning in No. 3 singles against VVC, 6-1, 6-0, then posting a 6-1, 6-1 triumph in No. 4 singles against Santa Monica.
-
Shantalle Ruiz & Kasie Spencer, Beach Volleyball, Week of Mar. 11-17
March 18, 2019The Ventura College beach volleyball team opened Western State Conference play last week with a sweep of Bakersfield and a 3-2 thrilling victory over Moorpark. Leading the charge was the No. 3 pair of Shantalle Ruiz and Kasie Spencer. Ruiz, a freshman from Buena High School, and Spencer, a sophomore product of Foothill Tech High School, easily won their two matches on the day in the No. 3 slot, defeating their opponents from Bakersfield 21-11, 21-11, and winning their match against Moorpark, 21-10, 21-15.
-
Brieanna Tafoya, Women's Track, Week of Mar. 4-10
March 11, 2019The VC track and field teams are off and running for 2019, and highlighting the early season is the performance of sophomore Brieanna Tafoya. The middle-distance runner from Foothill Tech High School has covered the 400m, 800m and 1500m in most meets this season, and last weekend at the Occidental Distance Carnival she shined in the 800m. Taking the lead from the onset, Brieanna handily won the event, running 2:19.25 which ranked her No. 4 in Southern California, No. 5 in the state, and No. 2 all-time in the Pirate record books.
-
Marcel Hurtubise, Men's Swim & Dive, Week of Feb. 25-Mar. 3
March 03, 2019This past week, the Ventura College men's swimming and diving team took first place in their first Western State Conference scoring meet hosted at the Ventura Aquatic Center. Leading the charge for VC was freshman Marcel Hurtubise. The Malibu High School product produced a pair of individual first place perfromances in the 200-yard freestyle with a mark of 1:52.15 and in the 100-yard butterfly, touching in 54.92. He also swam well a week ago in the t. San Antonio Invitational, earning team points in the 200-yard fly and the 200-yard breast stroke.vvvv
-
Mason Teron, Men's Golf, Week of Feb. 18-24
February 25, 2019The Pirates' golf team is off to another strong start, claiming their first Western State Conference win of the season last Monday at Alisal Ranch Golf Course in Solvang. The individual medalist in the 9-team conference event was VC freshman Mason Teron. The Buena high School product shot a 2-over 74 to lad all competitors as the Pirates posted a team score of 392, three shots ahead of second place Santa Barbara. On the year, Teron has the team's lowest average score, posting a mark of 77.5 strokes per round, 5.5 shots above par.
-
Cece Quintino, Women's Basketball, Week of Feb. 11-17
February 19, 2019The Ventura College women's basketball team has surpassed the 20-win plateau for the 30th consecutive season and helping lead the way is freshman guard Cece Quintino. The Liberty High School product from Las Vegas is leading the Pirates in scoring with a 17.4 points per game average and is second on the team in rebounds at 5.5 boards per contest. Last week she scored 37 points in two games with 11 rebounds, eight assists and five steals, both VC victories.
-
Tone Patton, Men's Basketball, Week of Feb. 4-10
February 11, 2019What a week for Pirate freshman Tone Patton of the men's basketball team. The 6-foot-4-inch swing-man from Chicago averaged 27.5 points over VC's two games last week while shooting 24-36 from the floor (67 percent) and 3-7 from behind the 3-point line (43 percent). He pulled in 20 rebounds and handed out three assists with three blocked shots for good measure in two Pirate victories.
-
Jackson Hickert, Pirate Baseball, Week of Jan. 28-Feb. 3
February 04, 2019The Ventura college baseball team racked up three wins this past week, including a 7-2 victory at Cerro Coso College in Ridgecrest on Friday. In that game, starting pitcher Jackson Hickert threw six solid innings, giving up two runs while limiting the Coyotes to five hits while striking out four and walking none to pick up the victory. On the young season, Hickert has 10 punch outs in 11 innings of work with a WHIP of 0.72. All of this after battling back from a season-ending injury he suffered in the opener a year ago.
-
Adriana Clemons, Pirate Softball, Week of Jan. 21-27
January 28, 2019The Pirate softball team is offto a strong 3-1 start after a weekend at the David "Hawk" Wilder memorial tournament in Glendale. Leading the way for VC was sophomore centerfielder Adriana Clemons. The St. Bonaventure high School product was 8-11 in the four games in Glendale, all 5-inning contests, with a pair of doubles, a home run and five runs batted in. She also scored eight runs for the Pirates. In the opener on Friday against Golden West, she started the season batting 3-4 with a double and a home run and four RBI.
-
LaDaesha Merriweather, Women's Basketball, Week of Jan. 14-20
January 21, 2019The VC women's basketball is having another strong season, in part due to the efforts of LaDaesha Merriweather. The 5-foot-9-inch forward from Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita has answered the call, leading the Pirates with 10.4 rebounds per game. A week ago she had a 12 points and 21 huge rebounds in the Pirates' last-second victory over Palomar, and on Saturday she posted another double-double with 13 points and 12 boards in the Western State Conference opener against Santa Barbara.
-
Lamont Landers, Men's Basketball, Week of Jan. 7-13
January 14, 2019Lamont Landers has been a steady veteran influence for the Pirates' men's basketball team this season. The 6-foot guard from Lancaster embraces various roles each game, and gives his best effort weather a starter or coming off the bench. In Friday's 86-81 VC victory at Canyons, Lamont came off the bench for 23 points, including five made 3-pointers and 8-9 shooting at the free throw line, while dropping seven assists. On the season, he is second on the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game and he leads the team with 30 made three's, shooting nearly 45 percent from behind the arc.
-
Talia Taufaasau, Women's Basketball, Week of Dec. 10-16
December 17, 2018Despite an epidemic of season ending injuries to top personnel, the VC women's basketball team sits at 9-4 on the young season with a couple of solid victories over top-ranked competition on their resume. One of the standouts for the Pirates to date has been point guard Talia Taufaasau. The freshman from Canyon High School in Santa Clarita is averaging 13.5 points and 2.5 assists for VC, and has been named all-tournament in three of four tournaments this season. She had 22 points, including a 14-16 night at the free throw line, last Saturday in a Pirate victory against No. 13 San Francisco, and had a career-high 30 points Nov. 30 against Reedley College.
-
Brandon Jordan, Pirate Football, Week of Dec. 3-9
December 10, 2018The Pirate football team ended an unprescedented run to the state championship game Saturday 13 yards away from the title in their 40-35 loss to Laney College. VC came back from a 23-point first quarter deficit with wide receiver Brandon Jordan leading the way. The sophomore from Carpinteria High School had six catches in the game for 106 yards and three touchdowns, giving VC a shot at the title at the end of the contest.
-
Timothy Turner, Men's Basketball, Week of Nov. 26-Dec. 2
December 03, 2018The VC men's basketball team strung together three straight come-from-behind victories over the weekend, including a win over No. 7 San Bernardino Valley and a defeat of Antelope Valley, avenging a setback earlier in the season. The play of freshman Timothy Turner has sparked the Pirates. The 6-foot guard from Chicago, IL netted 34 points in the three games to go along with 17 assists and 12 rebounds. He directed the Pirate attack offensively and anchored a VC defense that keyed each second half comeback.
-
Brock Domann, Pirate Football, Week of Nov. 19-25
November 26, 2018The Pirate football team is headed to the CCCAA State Championship Game! The quarterback who has led VC to its first two playoff victories is Brock Domann. The freshman from Colorado Springs, CO completed 18 of 34 passes Saturday in the SCFA championship game for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he ran for 60 yards and another score leading the No. 4-seeded Pirates past No. 2 Riverside 31-21.
-
Trennan Carlson, Pirate Football, Week of Nov. 12-18
November 19, 2018For the first time in program history, the Pirate football team won a state playoff game on Saturday, defeating previously unbeaten College of the Canyons 21-13. The Pirate defense had a stellar performance, led by the efforts of sophomore linebacker Trennan Carlson. The Ventura native who prepped at Mission Viejo High School had a punt block and a forced fumble, both of which led directly to VC scores, and finished the night with five tackles, including a pair of quarterback sacks, He was in the Cougars' offensive backfield reeking havoc all night long as the Pirates dominated the state's No. 1-ranked team for the entire game.
-
Raylynn Lipsky, Women's Water Polo, Week of Nov. 5-11
November 13, 2018The women's water polo team returned to the playoff last week after a runner-up finish in the Western State Conference Tournament. Freshman sprinter Raylynn Lipsky was a major player in the success of the team. The Moorpark High School product was the "glue" of the team, playing almost every possession of every game. She was a creator on offense and was a strong defender as well. She led the team in assists and steals for the season, and was second in goals scored.
-
Trevor Campbell, Men's Water Polo, Week of Oct. 29-Nov. 4
November 05, 2018The VC men's water polo team ended their season this past week at the Western State COnference Tournament. And although things did not turn out as planned for first-year head coach Jorge Perez, there is reason for optimism, including the play of Trevor Campbell. The freshman from Agoura High School worked hard to get back in shape after a nose injury he suffered during the opening weekend of play. He was a crucial player for the Pirates' tactical dynamic on both offensively and defensively and scored goals in every game he played. Trevor was a positive leader in the group.
-
Yamile Mondragon, Pirate Soccer, Week of Oct. 22-28
October 29, 2018The VC women's soccer team had turned things around after a difficult early season schedule. The Pirates are winners of six of their past seven games and have positioned themselves solidly in the playoff chase, and with a shot at the Wester State Conference North Division title. A major part of the Pirate resurgence has been the play of freshman forward Yamile Mondragon. The Pacifica High School product has scored seven goals in five WSC games played, including the program's first hat trick at Moorpark on Oct. 19. This past week she had a goal and four assists against Cuesta on Oct. 23, then scored again on Friday at Hancock.
-
Adan Cruz, Men's Cross Country, Week of Oct. 15-21
October 22, 2018Pirate sophomore Adan Cruz is making up for lost time. Unable to compete for the men's cross country team for the first half of the season, the Ventura High School product has quickly regained the form that made him on of the top runnrs in the state a year ago. This past week, Adan ran the 4-mile course at the Western State Conference Championships at Bonneli Park in San Dimas in 21:26, good for sixth place overall. He paced the Priates' team to a fifth place finish overall, qualifying them for the SoCal Regionals Nov. 3 in Cerritos.
-
Jaylen Watson, Pirate Football, Week of Oct. 8-14
October 15, 2018When one looks at a stat sheet following the Pirate football team's game each week, Jaylen Watson's name does not pop out. He's been that good. The sophomore defensive back from Augusta, GA rarely gets thrown at, yet Saturday he made three huge plays in VC's 23-10 Northern Conference victory over Bakersfield at the Sportsplex. Watson had a pair of interceptions against the Renegades and recovered a fumble, all at key points in the game.
