Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa honors athletes
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Each month, the Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa recognizes and honors exceptional Scholar-Athletes from Estancia High School and Costa Mesa High School. The award recipients are not only leaders on the field, court, or pool, but also in the classroom.
On December 15, 2022, these stellar Scholar-Athletes were honored in a special Kiwanis award ceremony, meeting in person for the first time in over 2 years.
Estancia High School
Makena Ray: Senior, Volleyball
“Makena is a four-year starter for the volleyball team, and the other girls on the team look up to her as leader. She really cares about her teammates and she demonstrates her leadership on the court as well as in the classroom. We are proud to honor Makena with this award.”- Coach Alejandro De Mendoza
Danielle Breitweiser: Junior, Golf, GPA: 4.2
“Danielle is a Junior and has been a varsity golfer for the past three years. She has been the top golfer in the program for the past two years. Last season, Danielle shot the low score for our team in sixteen of the seventeen matches this past season. Danielle has also been a scholar athlete for the past three years with an overall GPA of 4.2. She is a great role model and team leader to the younger golfers coming up.”- Coach Brian Burgess
Sofia Sihabouj: Senior, Basketball, GPA: 4.2
Sofia plays the point guard position and is a captain on the team. She is quiet but leads by example. She is a joy to coach and has a bright future ahead of her.- Coach Adrian Rogers
Mauricio Herrera: Senior, Cross Country, GPA: 4.2
Mauricio is a quiet leader who leads by example. His dedication and commitment are what helps him achieve excellence as a scholar athlete maintaining a 4.2 GPA. He is also very coachable. Mauricio wants to become a civil engineer and I have no doubt he will achieve his goals.- Coach Mike Canas
James De La O: Senior, Basketball, Baseball, GPA: 4.0
James is a four-year player on the Varsity basketball team. He is hardworking, determined and a vocal leader on the team. He was also an instrumental part of the CIF Champion Estancia baseball team.- Coach Xavier Castellanos
Costa Mesa High School
Christian Dasca: Senior, Basketball, GPA: 4.0
“Christian is the epitome of a Student Athlete. Four year varsity letterman, 4 years of maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He is a leader by example and a young man of action. Christian is first in, last out. Christian has found a balance of sports and education and has excelled at both. He is a young man with a bright future and deserves all that comes to him for his hard work and commitment to excellence.”- Coach Jesse Mercado
Aidan Markert: Junior, Soccer, GPA: 4.0
We have a new vision for our program this year: Costa Mesa Soccer exists to develop young people of character who make a positive difference in the world. We want to use soccer to teach the values of respect, leadership, discipline, accountability, and resilience. Aidan has been the epitome of this vision and modeling these five values. It is part of why he is one of our captains. He is a young man of character and humility. Aidan doesn’t see himself as better than others and acknowledges his mistakes. He lifts others up and pushes himself to keep growing and learning as an athlete and human. Aidan has the deepest respect of his coaches and teammates. We are honored to present Aidan Markert with this award.”- Coach Santiago Guzman
Addie Juelfs: Junior, Water Polo, GPA: 4.67
“Addie Juelfs is a three-year varsity starter on the Girls Water Polo team and a current captain of the team. Last season, she was the lead goal-scorer in the league with a total of 103 goals. This season, she continues to be a prominent player on the team and in the league as she currently holds the top spot for most goals scored. While playing water polo, Addie has maintained an incredible 4.67 GPA. Addie also demonstrates stand-out leadership out of the water among her classmates as she is a member of ASB at Costa Mesa High School and plays an integrated role in school functions.”- Coach Dustin Serrano
Myah Martinez: Freshman, Basketball, GPA: 4.0
Myah is just a freshman but demonstrates a hard work ethic and willingness to learn. She is an important part of the team and will be a key to our future success.- Coach Victor Haney
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