Local sports roundup: Pack, Preston receive honors

RENO — The Mountain West baseball coaches selected Nevada outfielder/pitcher Trenton Brooks as the Tony Gwynn Player of the Year and teammate Christian Stolo as the MW Baseball Pitcher of the Year as the 2015 All-Conference teams and individual award winners were announced today.

Nevada outfielder Cal Stevenson and New Mexico catcher Cory Voss are the league’s Co-Freshmen of the Year, while Nevada skipper Jay Johnson earned his first MW Coach of the Year honor.

Last summer the Mountain West head coaches voted to name the Conference’s Player of the Year trophy in honor of the late San Diego State head coach, Tony Gwynn. Gwynn, a two-time All-American for the Aztecs, played 20 years in the Major Leagues with the San Diego Padres and earned a spot in Cooperstown as a Hall of Famer in 2007. He returned to SDSU as the Aztecs’ head coach for 12 seasons. His greatness on the field was topped by his graciousness off, giving back to the game that gave him so much.

Brooks, a sophomore, is the first MW player to receive the Tony Gwynn Trophy. In MW action this season, he was second in batting average (.393), third in on-base percentage (.481), tied for third in hits (42) and doubles (11), tied for fifth in RBIs (26) and tied for sixth in runs (27). Brooks also made six appearances on the mound with three starts. He was 3-0 with a 1.90 earned run average. He allowed just five earned runs, 15 hits and nine walks while striking out 12 batters in 23.2 innings pitched. His fielding percentage was a perfect 1.000 (47 putouts-9 assists-0 errors). Brooks is the first Nevada player to earn the MW Player of the Year honor. He was a second-team selection in 2014.

Stolo was 6-0 for the Wolf Pack with a league second-best 2.68 ERA in conference play this year. The junior left-hander from Reno was third in conference-only game rankings for opposing batting average (.215), tied for third in strikeouts (49) and eighth in innings pitched (50.1). Stolo made 11 appearances with eight starts, one complete game and one save. He’s the second Nevada pitcher to earn the accolade (Braden Shipley, 2013).

In 29 conference games, Stevenson hit.350 while playing in the outfield. His 42 hits tied for third and his average ranked ninth in conference action. He also scored a league second-best 35 runs and drove in 12 with nine doubles and two triples for the Wolf Pack. Stevenson is the first Nevada rookie to receive this honor.

Johnson led the Wolf Pack to their first Mountain West regular season title since joining the league in 2013. Nevada compiled a 22-7 conference record en route to earning the No. 1 seed for the postseason tourney this week.

Senior Austin Byler (1B), junior Ryan Howell (2B), senior Kewby Meyer (OF), junior Bryce Greager (UTL/DH) and junior Adam Whitt (RP) were named to the All-MW first team, while senior Kyle Hunt (SS) was named to the All-MW second team.

HIGH SCHOOL TRACK

Preston, Maw honored

Carson High senior Maddie Preston was named the Division I Field Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Year, and Carson High coach Robert Maw shared Coach of the Year honors for girls with Galena’s Wendy Sullivan.

Preston, who holds two school records, finished second in the high jump and third in the triple jump at last weekend’s NIAA State Track & Field Championships. She was ninth in the long jump. Preston was a first-team selection in the high, long and triple jumps.

Maw guided the CHS girls to a share of the regional title.

Athena Favero was a first-team pick in the 300 hurdles and the 800 relay. Sahara Winder, ValerieSue Meyer and Preston were also first-team selections in that event. Hailey Palotas was a first-team choice in the long jump. Winder was a second-team pick in the 100, 200 and 400 relay. Palotas, Favero and Meyer also were second-team picks in the 400 relay.

On the boys side, Carson’s Ian Schulz was the Field Athlete of the Year after winning the shot and discus at regionals.

Corey Reid, who was barely nosed out by McQueen’s Kai Benedict for Athlete of the Year, was a first-team pick in the 200, 400 and high jump. Asa Carter, who triple jumped 46-6 1/4 and medaled twice at state last week, and Greg Wallace (high jump) also were first-team picks.

Reid was a second-team pick in the 800 relay along with Brandon Basa, Carter and Hector Gomez-Barrios. Carter was a second-team pick in the long jump and Aaron Woodbury was second team in the triple jump.

HIGH SCHOOL GOLF

Butler first team

Carson High’s Dalton Butler was a first-team all-Sierra and all-region selection after shooting a 153 in regionals.

Matt McCarthy and Bebop Martinez were third-team selections.

HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING

Kipling honored twice

Carson’s Dagen Kipling was named first team all-region and also won a share as Swimmer of the Year after winning two individual events (200 IM, 500 free) recently at the regional meet.

Nicole Van Geel was a first-team selection after winning the regional 100 free title. Tallon Rauch (100 back) and Blanca Sosa (100 free) were second-team selections.