Three Wolves and a BJJ grappler among six Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week

Ethan Hanson, Redding Record Searchlight
·3 min read
Stellar Charter School sophomore Marcos Alvarado (top left) Shasta junior Madison Jones (top right), Central Valley senior Gabe Storms (middle left), Shasta sophomore Faith Ferguson (middle right), U-Prep senior Kaitlyn Cabral (bottom left) and Shasta junior Trent Kingston (bottom right) were named the Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week between March 20 and March 25.

Six students from Redding gained recognition for their talents in baseball, softball, track and field and Brazilian jiu-jitsu based on performances from last week.

A sophomore traveled to Florida and conquered the top grapplers in the U.S. Two senior softball players cracked line drives at Big League Dreams. A baseball player pitched his team to a Northern Athletic League win. Two throwers posted personal and season records in Cottonwood and Redding to begin the track and field season.

These students performances were good enough to earn themselves the Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week award. Here are the six winners who hail from Shasta, Central Valley, U-Prep and Stellar Charter School whose performances occurred between March 20 and March 25.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Redding native Marcos Alvarado, 16, (center) is joined by his professor Tanner Rice (left) and older brother Mario Alvarado (right) after winning two gold medals at the Pan American IBJJF Championships in Kissimmee, Florida on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Redding native Marcos Alvarado, 16, (center) is joined by his professor Tanner Rice (left) and older brother Mario Alvarado (right) after winning two gold medals at the Pan American IBJJF Championships in Kissimmee, Florida on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Marcos Alvarado

School: Stellar Charter School

Sport: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Class: Sophomore

Team contributions: No opponent could escape the grasp of Alvarado during the Pan American IBJJF Championships in Kissimmee, Florida — a tournament attended by over 300 men and women jiu-jitsu practitioners from across the country. Alvarado won two gold medals in two different divisions. He took first place in the blue belt ultra heavyweight division and absolute heavyweight division — a division reserved for the top three placers in the four biggest weight classes. Alvarado won four of his six matches by collar choke submissions and competed without allowing a single point. He trains with the Rice Brothers Syndicate in Redding.

U-Prep senior shortstop Kaitlyn Cabral leads an improved Panthers' defense after batting .579 with 27 RBI, three home runs and 12 doubles, three triples and 19 stolen bases in 2022.
U-Prep senior shortstop Kaitlyn Cabral leads an improved Panthers' defense after batting .579 with 27 RBI, three home runs and 12 doubles, three triples and 19 stolen bases in 2022.

Kaitlyn Cabral

School: U-Prep

Sport: Softball

Class: Senior

Team contributions: Cabral scored seven runs and collected six hits in 14 at-bats to continue U-Prep's undefeated start in softball. Cabral scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to beat Las Plumas 1-0 at Big League Dreams last Saturday. U-Prep has won nine straight games to start 2023 which includes victories over Foothill and Chico. Cabral is batting .520 this year.

Shasta sophomore thrower Faith Ferguson.
Shasta sophomore thrower Faith Ferguson.

Faith Ferguson

School: Shasta

Sport: Track and Field

Class: Sophomore

Team contributions: Ferguson entered Cottonwood last Friday and staked her claim as one of the CIF Northern Section's top throwers. Ferguson threw the shotput 35 feet nine inches and broke her old personal record by 18 inches. Ferguson out threw returning CIF Northern Section shot put champion Angela Schkerynec of Orland.

Central Valley senior pitcher Gabe Storms uses contact to his advantage. He induces ground balls and can command his throws on the inside and outside part of the plate.
Central Valley senior pitcher Gabe Storms uses contact to his advantage. He induces ground balls and can command his throws on the inside and outside part of the plate.

Gabe Storms

School: Central Valley

Sport: Baseball

Class: Senior

Team contributions: Storms used his fastball command to silence West Valley hitters last Tuesday. Storms pitched five shutout innings and struck out seven batters to lead Central Valley over West Valley 7-1. Central Valley (7-4) has surpassed its win totals from 2021 and 2019.

Shasta junior shortstop Madison Jones was the Wolves' top hitter in 2023.
Shasta junior shortstop Madison Jones was the Wolves' top hitter in 2023.

Madison Jones

School: Shasta

Sport: Softball

Class: Junior

Team contributions: Jones drove in nine runs and went 6-for-13 last week in games against Lassen, Las Plumas, Anderson and North Bend. Shasta (3-1) is off to its best start since 2012.

Shasta junior thrower Trent Kingston
Shasta junior thrower Trent Kingston

Trent Kingston

School: Shasta

Sport: Track and Field

Class: Junior

Team contributions: Kingston took first place in the discus, throwing a personal record 133 feet and eight inches against Enterprise last Wednesday. Kingston, the brother of USC offensive Jared Kingston, took first place throwing the discus 129 feet and seven inches at the Eagle Classic Relays at West Valley High School last Friday. He placed seventh in discus at last year's CIF Northern Section Division I Track and Field Championships.

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. 

Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week.
Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week.

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: Softball, baseball, jiu-jitsu and track stars earn athletic award