Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
Sports
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By Dick Sparrer Ronnie Lott realized great fame as an All-Pro defensive back in the National Football League, and Brandi Chastain has done likewise as a women's amateur and professional soccer star. But neither were the guests of honor at a recent awards presentation held at the Hayes Mansion Conference Center in San Jose. Rather, Lott and Chastain were on hand to help honor special teenagers who have overcome great obstacles to become outstanding area high school scholar-athletes. It was the sixth annual REACH (Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard work) Youth Scholarship awards breakfast, at which high school seniors who have overcome adversity in their lives are recognized. Ashley Spurzem of Monta Vista, Simcha Gold of Saratoga, Amantha Hordagoda of Fremont, Aimee Williams of Mitty, Margaret McFall of Palo Alto and James Jones of Gunderson were this year's winners of scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. Spurzem walked off with the top award, the $3,000 scholarship. The product of a broken home, Spurzem turned to water polo to relieve her stress following the untimely death of her mother in 1998, a victim of colon cancer. By the time she was a senior, Spurzem was Monta Vista's team captain and most valuable player, and she was selected to the all-league first team. Water polo also enabled Spurzem to reunite with her father, with whom she established a new relationship, thanks to their common love of sports. Gold was presented with a $2,750 scholarship after excelling as a swimmer for the Falcons despite facing pressures in her home life. Gold lives with her mother in a one-bedroom apartment. They were homeless and lived on welfare until three years ago, when her mother took a job in a local hospital. In 2000, though, Gold's mother was diagnosed with a neurological problem, and the high school senior has become her mother's primary caregiver. Winning the $2,500 award was Hordagoda of Fremont, who was able to overcome an eating disorder to become an outstanding high school wrestler. Hordagoda's family moved to the United States from Sri Lanka when she was 3, and a year later her parents divorced. By age 10 she had developed an eating disorder as she attempted to gain her father's approval of her appearance. She decided to give the male-dominated sport of wrestling a try when she entered high school, where she won the respect of all those who watched her compete. However, the pressures of the sport caused her eating disorder to reappear. Hordagoda, with the support of Fremont wrestling coach Bobby Soto, managed to control her disorder by the end of the 2000–01 school year, and she went on to an outstanding senior season on the mat for the Firebirds. Hordagoda, who maintains a 3.91 grade point average and serves as the Fremont Associated Student Body president, won All-American honors from USA Wrestling and dreams of making the women's wrestling team in the 2004 Olympic Games. Along with winning a REACH scholarship, Hordagoda was honored with a $2,500 Charlie Wedemeyer scholarship, presented for much of the same criteria. She was the only local athlete to win both awards. "Amantha is a pretty amazing young woman," said Pat Lawson, Fremont athletic director. "She has had many struggles to deal with but you'd never know it." Hordagoda ran track and cross country for the Firebirds, along with competing for the wrestling squad. She also helped coach wrestling at the local junior high school. Mitty's Williams, who has overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder and other personal problems, was given a $2,000 scholarship. In addition to her participation in athletics, Williams boasts a 4.0 GPA and was selected her school's homecoming queen. McFall of Palo Alto earned a $1,750 scholarship. She was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 12 and was forced to wear a back brace for 12 hours a day. She went on to star in swimming and water polo while maintaining a 3.75 GPA. Gunderson's Jones found sports as an escape for an unstable home life. He starred as quarterback for the Grizzlies this past fall and has become an honor roll student. He earned a $1,500 scholarship. There were 27 students from 17 schools nominated for the REACH scholarships this year, including: Chrystle Bobb and Jorge Medina of Silver Creek; Meighan T. Weitzman, Luke Tran, Riri Patel, Dhanujini Hordagoda and Enedina Cardenas of Fremont; Gilbert Chavez, Juan Gonzalez and Angela Gomez of Overfelt; Aubrey Weger, Justin Oliver and Gold of Saratoga; John Anthony Estrada of Oak Grove; Joseph Schooler and Chinelo Evangelista Ibe of Del Mar; Christopher Allen Habr of San Jose Academy; Daniel Holtzman of Los Gatos; Jones of Gunderson; Andrew Levers of Santa Teresa; Knengi Martin of Gunn; McFall of Palo Alto; Patrick Merschdorf of Branham; Julio Navarrete of Yerba Buena; Johnson Nguyen of Mount Pleasant; Spurzem of Monta Vista; and Williams of Archbishop Mitty. The scholarships–co-sponsored by NEC Electronics, Hewlett-Packard Co., NEC Solutions America, and the San Jose Sports Authority–help to recognize "the role that sports play in helping youngsters develop self-confidence and the strength to persevere in the face of adversity," according to the Sports Authority. "Teachers, counselors and advisors were asked to nominate students who they felt matched the scholarship criteria." Students were asked to submit essays explaining how they had overcome obstacles in their lives and how sports played a role in that effort. |
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