Gymnast lands among six local Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week

Six students from Shasta County excelled in five different sports and highlighted their skills during competitions in Fairfield, Chico, Shasta Lake City, Redding and Reno, Nevada.

Two sprinters showcased their speed during a meet at Enterprise High School last Saturday. An outfielder helped her school avenge a loss against a Chico-based opponent and a left-hander proved his mettle as an effective hitter and pitcher against a league rival. A Cottonwood-based wrestler excelled on a national level and a gymnast cartwheeled herself into the spotlight in Solano County.

Here are the six Shasta Family Athlete of the Week winners from Foothill, Anderson, U-Prep, West Valley and Bella Vista Elementary School. These performances encompass the period between March 27 and April 1.

Yessenia Vega-Sanchez

Sport: Artistic gymnastics

School: Bella Vista Elementary School

Class: Sixth grade

Team contributions: Vega-Sanchez is a budding 11-year-old elite gymnast from Redding who is hoping to reach the high stages of U.S. Gymnastics. Vega-Sanchez took a strong step towards her goals, winning first place on the floor routine with a 9.625 score at the Xcel Platinum North State Championships at Solano Community College. Vega-Sanchez placed fifth in the all-around with 35.95 points, qualifying her for the Xcel Regional Championships in Long Beach. Vega-Sanchez trains at NorCal Elite Gymnastics in Redding.

Caden Rowe

Sport: Track and Field

School: Foothill

Class: Senior

Team contributions: Rowe blazed through the competition at the 26th annual Jim Deaver Hornet Invitational last Saturday. Rowe swept the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdle events and helped Foothill place first in the 4x400 relay. He set a new personal record running the 300-meter hurdles in 41.52 seconds, .19 seconds off his old time set last Wednesday during a meet against Red Bluff. Rowe is the defending CIF Northern Section champion in the 110-meter hurdles.

Emma Gaddy

Sport: Track and Field

School: U-Prep

Class: Senior

Team contributions: Gaddy's improved quickness was on display during the 26th annual Jim Deaver Hornet Classic at Enterprise High School last Saturday. Gaddy took first place, running the 200 meters in 27.66 and 400 meters in 1:00.80. Gaddy finished second in the 400 meters at last year's CIF Northern Section Championships.

Alias Raby

Sport: Wrestling

School: West Valley

Class: Freshman

Team contributions: The nationally ranked 139-pound freshman Raby isn't done with wrestling season yet. A week after placing fifth at the National High School Coaches Association High School Nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Raby wowed at another national tournament in Reno. Raby won all seven of his matches and claimed the World of Wrestling Reno World Championships' 138-pound title last Saturday. Raby won by pinfall three times, decision twice, technical fall and major decision once against wrestlers from Oregon and California.

Morgan Kingsbury

Sport: Softball

School: Foothill

Class: Junior

Team contributions: Payback was on the mind of Kingsbury when her team traveled to Chico and battled Pleasant Valley last Thursday — the team it lost to in last year's CIF Northern Section Division III title game 16-6. The Cougars kept their cool on the road this time. Kingsbury went 3-for-5, roped two doubles and drove in two runs and Foothill outlasted Pleasant Valley in nine innings.

Patrick Bowen

Sport: Baseball

School: Anderson

Class: Junior

Team contributions: The junior left-handed pitcher and outfielder kept his composure during two Northern Athletic League baseball games against Central Valley last Thursday and Friday. Bowen helped the Cubs bounce back from a 7-2 loss by pitching 6 2/3 innings and struck out 11 batters to beat Central Valley on the road last Friday 5-1. Bowen went 3-for-4, reached base five times and scored three times during the series against the Falcons.

Each week, the Record Searchlight selects the girl and boy athletes who stand out based on merits from their performance in the prior week. Profiles highlight their accomplishments on the field or inside the gym and provide a glimpse into who they are as students. To make suggestions for R-S Athletes of the Week, email sports reporter Ethan Hanson at ethan.hanson@redding.com or go to bit.ly/3HuxlfW.

Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Six students from Shasta County win Shasta Family Athletes of the Week