The track and field season finished up recently with the Blossom Valley Athletic League finals on May 10 at Santa Teresa High and the Central Coast Section prelims and finals at Gilroy High on May 17 and May 24.

One local athlete, Gilroy shot putter Kaiden Gonzales, advanced one step further. Gonzales finished third in the shot put at the CCS Finals with a school-record throw of 58-0.5 and got an invite to the CIF State Meet in Clovis the next weekend.

“Stakes were really high at CCS Finals,” Gonzales said. “It was the fourth or fifth throw where I hit the 58-0.5. You’re striving for finishing in the top three, because that guarantees you get to State. There was a jolt of energy. It was the last time I’d throw at Gilroy and I wanted to end it with a bang.”

That throw edged Logan Brantley of Aptos, who finished fourth, a smidge back at 58-0. Finishing outside the top three but beating the qualifying distance could still garner one an at-large berth. But top three was the desired place on the podium.

Gonzales then headed to Buchanan High in Clovis to compete with the best in California. He was the sole student-athlete from either of the two Gilroy schools to compete at that meet. In the prelims, the senior threw 54-8 and finished No. 15 in the entire state of California. That mark was just short of what was needed to advance to the top 12, who competed in the finals the next day.

“It wasn’t the greatest of days for my throws,” Gonzales said. “But I was very grateful for what the Lord has blessed me with. And it’s just amazing and a great feeling to have my name in the Gilroy record books.”

Gonzales’ stellar season included breaking the 54-year old school record in the shot four times. The previous mark was 56-11.25 by Sal Flores in 1971, an incredible 54 years ago. In fact, no other thrower had placed in the school’s top 10 in the shot since 2005. Until Gonzales came around.

His best toss before the season was just 54-3. Gonzales then broke the school record this spring in a dual meet versus Sobrato, at the CCS Top Eight meet, at the Sacramento Meet of Champions, and again at the CCS Finals.

Other top performers at the CCS Finals from the city of Gilroy included one other Mustang and three from Christopher.

Gilroy’s Juel Martinez leaped 21-2.25 in the boys long jump to nab eighth place at the CCS Finals.

For Christopher, basketball/track star Shiloh Vallejos threw the shot 38-10 for sixth place. Other Cougars who did well were Kordell Crocker, who jumped 21-11 for fifth in the boys long jump, and freshman Isabelle Schreyer, who cleared 5-0 for ninth in the high jump.

During a stellar season, Vallejos had a best throw of 40-2.5 at the BVAL Finals. That mark is now the school record, beating the previous record by almost four feet. Vallejos entered the year with a best of only 34 feet and made nearly a 20% improvement during the season. She credited Kaiden Gonzales and Gilroy High throws coach Fortune Gonzales, Kaiden’s father, for coaching and mentorship that greatly aided her improvement this past season.

“I had the privilege of working with these two for the second half of the season and I definitely think it was a huge factor in my success,” Vallejos said. “Learning from their knowledge and experience in throws, I was able to not only further my knowledge but also my distance in shot put. Even though we are from different schools, they welcomed me and helped me develop as an athlete and as a person.”

Several other Gilroy and Christopher athletes had excellent seasons, with highlights coming in the BVAL Championships, and several competing in the CCS Prelims though not qualifying for the CCS Finals a week later.

At the BVAL Finals meet, Gonzales shined with a first in the shot put at 57-0 and a second in the discus at 148-10. Martinez finished third in the long jump at 21-3 and ninth in the 100 in 11.37. Freshman Omarri Neville came in eleventh in the 100 in 11.42. 

With those two speedsters on the 4×100 relay team, the Mustangs placed sixth in 44.14. Martinez ran leadoff, Jaime Gonzalez was second, Niko Sanchez took the baton next, and Neville ran home on the anchor leg. 

Another high-flying Mustang was Cody Robbins, who tied for third in the high jump at 5-8.

The Gilroy girls were paced by Alexis Mydell, seventh in the 100 hurdles in 17.10, and Janey Rodriguez Cruz in ninth place in the discus at 94-6.

A host of Cougars excelled in the BVAL meet. Crocker led the boys’ efforts with a 21-4.5 leap for second place in the long jump. Avery Montejano was fourth in the 300 hurdles in 41.56 and 10th in the 400 at 51.43. Dylan Wharton came in fifth in the 300 hurdles in 42.01 and sixth in the 100 hurdles in 16.24. Jagger Booth ran 22.76 in the 200 meters for sixth place.

Vallejos came through with the top performance for the Christopher girls, winning the shot put event with a throw of 40-02.5, a victory by 4-8.75 feet. Chioma Okeke also had a superb day, with two excellent second-place runs, a 26.20 in the 200 and a 59.05 in the 400. Christopher was strong in the discus with Malerie Middleton in second at 109-0 and Victoria Gonzales-O’Donoghue third at 103-6. Gonzales-O’Donoghue also notched a No. 12 in the 100 hurdles in 17.57.

Schreyer cleared 5-0 in the high jump for second place. CHS volleyball star Finley Corona came through at 4-8 for seventh. Kalani Brown nabbed a 12th in the shot at 29-2.5. Juliet Tassio topped 8-8 in the pole vault for sixth place.

Members of the Boerne High volleyball program can serve up aces on the court and are also aces in the classroom.

Because of their performance off the court – specifically in the classroom – the Lady Greyhounds volleyball program recently received an academic award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association for their cumulative grade-point average.

Boerne High earned the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award after their varsity members maintained a yearlong grade-point average of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale this past school year.

Lady Greyhounds head coach Staci Lawrence said the girls on the team know how to juggle their schedules.

“I’m beyond proud of the 2024-25 varsity team for receiving this academic award. This group of girls was exemplary in their ability to manage academics, athletics and jobs,” she said. “Many of the girls in our program have a rigorous academic schedule with multiple Advanced Placement or college level classes. Their drive and determination to succeed in multiple facets of life are what will help them be wellrounded student-athletes and community members once they leave our program.”

Only 1,450 college and high school volleyball teams – male and female – from around the country met the criteria to earn the award. Of the 1,450 honored, 534 were girls teams and only 52 were from Texas.

CHINA SPRING, Texas (KXXV) — John, Julia, and their two sons passed away during the destructive Kerrville flooding. Now, a family friend is helping to make a difference.

• Burgess Family Volleyball and Cornhole Benefit Tournament 
• Sunday, July 27th, Legacy Beach Volleyball from 5 pm-10 pm. 

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It has been three weeks since the nation’s attention was focused on the flash flooding in Kerr County; among those who lost their lives were John Burgess, his wife, and two sons.

Their daughter, Jenna, was in a different location. Now, a family friend who lives in Belton is calling on the Central Texas community to rally behind the little girl.

“God is good and he is still present even through devastation like this, and sometimes small benefits like this need to come to bring that out, that it’s proof that he is still with us,” said Grace Wallum, a friend of Julia Burgess.

Wallum is organizing a volleyball and cornhole tournament benefitting Jenna. All proceeds will support John and Julia’s daughter Jenna, the sole survivor of her family.

“We figured we would make this tournament into a benefit to help with Jenna’s trust and anyone that’s going to have to take care of her from this day forward,” said Wallum.

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The University of Alabama has increased its support for military members through the UA Online Military Tuition Grant. Previously available only to undergraduate students, the grant now includes active-duty graduate students. The tuition grant helps with tuition costs not covered by military tuition assistance. It can cover up to six credit hours per semester and as many as 18 credit hours per academic year, up to the maximum amount allowed by a student’s service branch. With this financial assistance, tuition for a UA Online program can be nearly free for military service members, excluding books and other fees.

The expanded grant eligibility takes effect in Fall 2025 and is available to eligible service members.

“As the daughter of a career Marine, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound sacrifices our military service members make for our country,” said Amanda Ingram, executive director of online and continuing education for UA’s Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education. “This expansion is an investment that reflects our deep gratitude and commitment to those who serve.”

Since the grant’s launch in 2022, UA Online has assisted nearly 350 service members and covered more than $200,000 in out-of-pocket college costs.

“UA Online is uniquely positioned to assist active-duty military service members in pursuing their degrees,” Ingram said. “With UA Online’s flexible and asynchronous course delivery, military students can complete coursework alongside their busy schedules and deployments.”

The University is a gold-level Military Friendly and Spouse Friendly Tier 1 Research Institute for 2025–2026. It is also an unlimited Yellow Ribbon school. Additionally, U.S. Veterans magazine has again recognized UA as a top Veteran-Friendly school. These awards recognize the University’s dedicated efforts to address the needs of military members and their families.

Courtesy of the University of Alabama

July 26, 2025, 10:00 AM HST