Who are the Athletes of the Week for the week of March 12-18?

Shannon Mia Belt, The Record
·2 min read

Spring sports are underway in Stockton, meaning another set of athletes has emerged into the spotlight.

For March 12-18, Sophia Coronado of Kimball softball and Joel Van Groningen of Ripon Christian boys volleyball are The Record/Recordnet.com Athletes of the Week. Read on about how Coronado and Groningen earned this recognition.

Sophia Coronado of Kimball softball crouches down to prepare for a ball to hit to her during of the team's game in the 2022-23 season.
Sophia Coronado of Kimball softball crouches down to prepare for a ball to hit to her during of the team's game in the 2022-23 season.

Sophia Coronado

Class: Senior

Position: Shortstop/ second base

Team contributions: The Jaguars are off to a hot start in the 2022-23 season, and Coronado’s offensive leadership plays a big role. The senior infielder has stepped up in Kimball's last two wins against Amador Valley on March 16 and Escalon on March 20. In the 8-4 victory over the Dons, Coronado finished with a clutch hit that brought home two runners. Against the Cougars, she was even more on point during her four at-bats.

She was just a homerun shy of completing the cycle leading her team's unstoppable offenses to a whopping 21-2 win over Escalon. Coronado finished with a double, triple, single, and four RBIs. Defensively, she was like a brick wall. She made no errors and finished with a putout. Coronado will look to keep her bat hot in Kimball’s next game on Monday against West.

Joel Van Groningen signs his letter of intent to play volleyball in college at Ripon Christian High School.
Joel Van Groningen signs his letter of intent to play volleyball in college at Ripon Christian High School.

Joel Van Groningen

Class: Senior

Position: Outside hitter/ middle blocker

Team contributions: Tournament play has been good for Groningen and the Knights. On March 18, the senior led his team to a 4-0 record during a neutral-located tournament. He ended the evening with 36 kills and six blocks and only committed seven attacking errors. Groningen's lethal attack on offense pushed Ripon Christian past Foothill, Pleasant Grove, Oak Ridge, and Clovis West.

The 6-foot-4-inch senior is no stranger to being the Knights’ go-to guy. Last season Groningen led his team in kills per set, aces, digs, and total kills. His leadership helped Ripon Christian to a 28-1 overall record, a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 championship, and a NorCal Division VI State championship. He is well on his way to doing the same for the Knights this season.

Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Sophia Coronado, Joel Van Groningen named Record Athletes of the Week