Students make an impact

Spencer Patterson

Monday, May 20, 2002 | 9:35 a.m.

Parents looking for role models for their young children need look no further than this year's NIAA/Las Vegas Sun Top 10 Student-Athletes.

Besides being tremendous multi-sport athletes, these high school students have also set a high standard in their academic endeavors.

They also found time to contribute outside the classroom and off the field, participating in a vast array of activities from community service to student government and also performed a wide range of hobbies and jobs.

Tonight, the Las Vegas Sun and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association will honor the 10 award winners with a banquet at Sam's Town hotel-casino. Each scholar-athlete will receive a $500 U.S. savings bond and an engraved pen and pencil set.

The 2001-2002 student-athletes of the year:

Deanna Appuglise

A three-sport fixture during her career at Silverado, Appuglise finishes with 11 varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and track. She helped the Skyhawks make three straight trips to the state basketball tournament and led them to a second-place state finish in volleyball last fall, earning all-conference honors in both sports. Appuglise placed second in the 400 meters at last week's 4A state track meet.

With a 3.85 unweighted grade-point average, Appuglise ranks 27th in a class of 836. Active in community service, she works with senior citizens and underprivileged children, among others. She has also held down several jobs throughout high school. Appuglise plans to attend UNLV and hopes to become a doctor of osteopathy and sports medicine.

In her application essay, Appuglise wrote: "Some say athletics build character, but I believe athletics reveal character. I also recognize that academics are imperative to my future, and many of the values I have learned as an athlete have been directly applicable to my ability to achieve in school."

Daniel Brown

After earning his junior varsity football and wrestling teams' Most Improved Player awards, this Silverado senior picked up five letters at the varsity level in football, wrestling and track. On the wrestling mat, he was selected the Skyhawks' Most Dedicated performer as a junior and its Most Inspirational as a senior.

Holding a 3.45 unweighted GPA, Brown scored a 1,320 on the SAT and a 28 on the ACT. An avid musician, he helped found Silverado's Guitar Club, and enjoys weight lifting and reading. He hopes to work as an astronaut for NASA someday.

"The advantages of sports include meeting new people, testing your limits, developing determination and improving a sense of humor," Brown wrote. "I have learned many new things about myself that I wouldn't have even dared to dream of, such as the fact that one's mind can push their body past its perceived physical limits."

Allison Carney

A dominant distance runner, Carney ends her Centennial career with nine varsity letters in cross country, track and soccer. A sixth-place finisher at last fall's 4A state cross country meet and a member of the Bulldogs' Northwest Division champion soccer squad this year, she ran in four events at last week's 4A state track meet.

A strong student with a 3.46 unweighted GPA, Carney has been a two-year editor for her school newspaper and is active in community service, working with Catholic Charities, Homes for Humanity and Alzheimer's patients. She will attend Arizona State, where she plans to run for both the cross country and track teams and major in broadcast journalism.

In her essay, she wrote: "High school athletics have taught me to treat others with respect, to participate as part of a team while developing my confidence and time management skills."

Greg Gifford

A member of one of Southern Nevada's storied wrestling families, Gifford wraps up his Las Vegas High career with four varsity letters, two individual state titles and two team championships in the sport. A two-time letter winner in football, he also served as a starting lineman for the Wildcats' 2001 4A state championship squad.

Ranked 16th in his class of 603 with an unweighted GPA of 3.9, Gifford also works with local youth as an assistant Pop Warner football coach. He enjoys weight lifting and cooking, and will join brother Eddie at Fresno State next year, where he plans to major in engineering.

"Through my athletic experiences, I have learned that hard work will help you accomplish anything you set out to do. The hard work, endurance, dedication and fitness required to be an outstanding athlete have helped me achieve success in every other aspect of my life," Gifford wrote.

Chris Gonzales

A four-sport athlete at Basic, Gonzales racked up seven letters in wrestling, diving, football and tennis. Team captain for the Wolves' wrestling squad, he placed second in the state at 125 pounds this year and was also named defensive player of the year for Basic's football team.

Ranked 15th in a class of 327 with a 3.8 unweighted GPA, Gonzales is a member of the Key Club and Spanish Club and devotes much of his time as an Eagle Scout. Active in community service, he will attend Nevada-Reno to pursue a degree in civil engineering and ultimately would like to become an attorney.

"Representing my school, my fellow students and myself was and is the most memorable feeling I have ever encountered," Gonzales wrote. "Nothing has been more fulfilling than to hear, 'Basic High School, first place.' "

Chelsea Holton

A 10-time varsity letter winner in volleyball, basketball and softball at Class 1A Pahranagat Valley, Holton helped the Panthers to four straight volleyball titles and one basketball championship. The Southern League player of the year in both volleyball and softball, she earned all-conference honors in all three sports during her career.

Holton ranks second in her class of 31 with an unweighted GPA of 3.9 and has spent four years on her school's all-state academic team. She served as president of Pahranagat's FBLA chapter and an editor for her newspaper, and plans to attend UNLV and study either business management or pre-law.

In her essay, Holton wrote: "Balancing a full academic schedule with my extra-curricular activities has taught me to set goals. Academics have become my main focus, but I hope to continue playing sports for enjoyment and maybe someday, become a coach."

Nicole Musolino

A four-year varsity letter winner in both tennis and bowling, this Chaparral senior helped her bowling squad to Southern Nevada's 2000 title. She was named the state's girls bowling MVP twice and placed second in the Sunset Region in doubles last fall on the tennis court.

With a 3.92 unweighted GPA, Musolino ranks sixth in a class of 497. An avid musician, she plays the saxophone, clarinet and piano and served as a drum major in the honor band. A volunteer tennis instructor for inner city youth, she will attend UNLV's honor college, where she will study mathematics.

Musolino wrote: "My coaches taught me that class and teamwork create a winner. Now when I compete, the experience is more important than the outcome."

Christina Trotter

Trotter finishes her outstanding Clark career with eight varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and swimming. Team captain in all three sports, she also earned all-state academic honors in all three in each of the past two years.

One of two valedictorians among this year's honorees, Trotter ranks first among 429 seniors with a 4.0 unweighted GPA and earned a 1,340 on the SAT. Active in a plethora of clubs and student council, she volunteers her time at a retirement home and as a student tutor and is interested in music and dance. She plans to major in bio-medical engineering and become a reconstructive plastic surgeon.

"I have gone an entire season without winning one game, and I have become a better person because of it. I have never quit, and I have never lost hope over a game," Trotter wrote.

Ace Van Patten

Recipient of two varsity letters in football and two in wrestling, this Mojave senior placed third in the state on the mat and earned all-region honors as an offensive tackle in football. Rattlers football coach Mike Gutowski called him, "One of the best student-athletes that I have coached in my 30 years."

Valedictorian in a class of 444 with an unweighted 4.0 GPA, he scored 1,310 on the SAT and 31 on the ACT. Active in student government, president of Peer Mediation and varsity quiz captain, he took first place in the 2002 Southern Nevada Regional Science Fair. He will attend Nevada-Reno and hopes to study medicine.

"(Through athletics) I learned about working in groups, how to strive together for a common goal," Van Patten wrote. "It has given me so many lessons and skills I can transfer into real life."

Kyle Waite

A 10-time varsity letter winner in wrestling, track and football at Moapa Valley, Waite returned from a severe leg injury he suffered as a junior to earn all-division honors as a quarterback and kicker and lead the Pirates to their second straight appearance in the 3A state football championship last fall. On the mat, he placed first in the state at 171 pounds this year.

Waite ranks second in a class of 144 with a 3.97 unweighted GPA. Student body president, an Eagle Scout and the lead role in three school plays, he is also active in 4-H. He plans to attend college, go on a mission and ultimately become an orthopedic surgeon.

Waite wrote: "I have learned through sports how to overcome obstacles and to keep going. When I think I have nothing left to give, I find that with a little more effort I can be the winner I have worked to be."