Looking back on an exciting year in prep sports, the Morgan Hill
Times is pleased to recognize Sobrato High Seniors Genaro Redmond
and Katie Alton who were selected as the Sobrato High School male
and female senior athletes of 2007.
By Paul Doherty Sports Editor
Looking back on an exciting year in prep sports, the Morgan Hill Times is pleased to recognize Sobrato High Seniors Genaro Redmond and Katie Alton who were selected as the Sobrato High School male and female senior athletes of 2007.
Both student-athletes competed at the highest levels, and brought respect and attention to Sobrato athletics.
For Alton, becoming a part of school history is the best part of being named the senior female athlete of the year.
“Setting the standard really makes me feel important to the school,” Alton said.
Alton definitely set the standard as a three sport athlete participating in cross country, track and field, and earning 1st Team All-League honors in soccer.
As team captain Alton led the girls varsity soccer team to CCS, and was honored as senior of the year in the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
“I basically did cross country and track to train, get ready, and stay in the best possible shape for soccer,” she said.
Alton didn’t make grades to play soccer in her junior year and as a result the team suffered.
“I felt like I really let my team down, and I felt like it was all my fault,” she said.
As commissioner of athletics at Sobrato also, Alton said she wished she could have done more.
“‘With all the sports I played I wasn’t as involved with student government as I could’ve been,” Alton said. “I really wanted to get more people to come out and watch the different events….football gets a big crowd, but I would have liked to see more spectators at other events.”
For Redmond, the best part of being named the male athlete of the year is being able to say that he is #1.
“No one can top that,” Redmond said. “Being first proves my abilities and I am proud to accept this honor.”
Redmond, who lettered in football and wrestling, views winning CCS as a heavyweight wrestler his crowning achievement as a student-athlete.
“Being ranked fifth going in and then battling to win the CCS as a junior was probably the high point,” he said. “And as the first person to take home a CCS title for Sobrato…I think I’ve really achieved something.”
For Redmond achieving the title of Senior Athlete of the Year means being a leader, being dedicated, displaying character, and having courage and determination.
Battling back from a major knee injury Redmond proved that having these characteristics allowed him to become the best.
As captain of the football and the wrestling teams in his senior year, Redmond earned first team All-League honors and second team All-League Honors, respectively.
Alton and Redmond both plan on continuing their sports careers, and look at college as the next step to facilitate their plans.
Redmond is undecided about where he want to go but he is sure that he’ll be going to junior college, and sitting out his first year to rehabilitate his knee back to 100 percent strength.
“I’ll be taking the bare minimum, 9 units, for my first two semesters so that I don’t lose a year of eligibility,” he said. “I want to get my knee back to full strength and make sure that I don’t have to have another surgery, and by taking the minimum amount of classes I’ll still have four years of eligibility after that first year.”
Alton will be attending West Valley College this fall, taking sports medicine classes and, of course, playing soccer.
“I’m really looking forward to playing soccer,” Alton said. “But no matter what I want to do something in sports.”
Sobrato athletic director Dennis Martin was very clear in his opinions of the two athletes of the year.
“Katie is a very pleasant girl, but on the field she’ll fight…she’s the kind of kid that hates to be beat,” Martin said. “And Genaro is a stud lineman…outstanding in football and in wrestling, and just a tenacious competitor.”
