Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Area student-athletes shined on and off their playing fields

Excellence in the classroom, on the fields and courts and in the community is the hallmark of this year's NIAA/Las Vegas Sun Top 10 Student-Athletes presented by Lifetouch Photography.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, in conjunction with the Sun and Lifetouch, honors 10 of the best student-athletes in both northern and southern Nevada each year. This year's class includes some of the finest applications ever to come through the selection process.

The Sun and the NIAA will honor these student-athletes at an awards banquet tonight at Sam's Town.

The 2003-2004 student athletes of the year:

Chris Gifford

Gifford is one of the state's most talented wrestlers and is also a football standout at Las Vegas High School. Gifford, who will follow in his older brothers' footsteps and wrestle collegiately at Fresno State, is a three-time state and four-time region wrestling champion. He earned first-team All-Sunrise Region honors as a linebacker for the Wildcats' football team, which made it to the state championship game. Gifford also played quarterback for Las Vegas in his senior year.

Ranked third in his class, Gifford carries an unweighted grade-point average of 3.978. He has been a member of three state championship teams in the Science Olympiad. Gifford is a member of the chess and physics clubs and he also volunteers time as a youth wrestling coach and official. He plans to become either a pharmacist or an actuary.

In his application essay, Gifford wrote: "High school athletics have instilled such qualities as leadership, dedication, persistence and the ability to work well with others in me. Even though everything on the football field or on the wrestling mat has not always gone my way, I have no regrets and have loved being with my teammates and coaches for the past four years."

Audrey Hansen

Hansen has earned letters in three sports in her time at Western High School, including three in volleyball. As a freshman, she received honors as best defensive player in volleyball and Most Valuable Player in basketball. She is a three-time member of the Academic All-State Team for volleyball as well.

The valedictorian of her class, Hansen's unweighted GPA is a perfect 4.0. She enjoys a number of extracurricular activities including violin, piano, singing, drama and writing music. The student body president at Western, Hansen is also active in her church and regularly takes part in volunteer work. She plans to attend either Brigham Young or UNLV.

In her application essay, Hansen wrote: "Being a part of various athletic teams has taught me not only about working well with others, but also about stretching myself and reaching for the stars. I crave the action and intensity and physical demands of sports. Being at practice or in a game is like an escape where my mind and body can be challenged and I can push myself to the limit."

Ben Keller

Keller is one of the most decorated athletes this year in southern Nevada. He earned first-team All-State recognition as a linebacker in football and won honors as the MVP in the Sunset Region in volleyball. Keller also played basketball, lettering three times in each of the three sports he played at Coronado High School. He served as team captain for both the football and volleyball teams.

Keller's unweighted GPA of 3.6 ranks him in the top 7 percent of his graduating class. He works with his church youth group, participating in volunteer and service activities. Keller will play football at Montana State-Northern, where he plans to study pre-medicine so he can become a dermatologist.

In his application essay, Keller wrote: "Playing basketball, football and volleyball demonstrated the significance of solidarity over individuality. Learning how to listen and take honest criticism was not easy, but helped my performance. Participation in high school athletics has given me the confidence to be successful in college and eventually to become a contributing member of our society."

Brienna Krahenbuhl

Krahenbuhl demonstrated diverse athletic ability at Basic High School, lettering in four sports over four years. A four-time letter winner in soccer, she also lettered three times in both cross country and track, as well as once in volleyball. A two-time team captain in soccer, Krahenbuhl earned first-team All-Sunrise Region honors as a senior. She is a three-time state qualifier in both track and cross country.

The valedictorian of her class, Krahenbuhl's unweighted GPA is a perfect 4.0. She is the Student Body Chief of Staff in Basic's student government and a section editor for the yearbook. Krahenbuhl's interests including clogging and singing, and she is also the Class President in her church. She plans to study athletic training at Brigham Young.

In her application essay, Krahenbuhl wrote: "Sports are bonuses that I have the privilege of being involved in as long as I keep up with school, church and family activities. Thus, participation in athletics has instilled a character of determination and hard work in me to accomplish my goals and live up to my potential."

Lindsay Law

A four-sport letter winner at Virgin Valley High School, Law is a versatile athlete with numerous honors on her resume. She earned 11 total letters -- four in softball, three in basketball and two in both golf and volleyball. Law has earned all-zone honors in softball and golf, and also owns numerous academic student-athlete awards. She hopes to play softball in college at Southern Virginia.

The valedictorian of her class, Law's unweighted GPA is a perfect 4.0. In school, she is active in student government, musicals and theatre and show choir. Law is a young women's counselor in her church and also volunteers as a youth sports coach. If not playing softball in Virginia, she intends to study either political science or secondary education at either Brigham Young or Southern Utah.

In her application essay, Law wrote: "Many girls participate in high school athletics just to have something to do, but I have a love of sports that goes deeper than that. Being an athlete has taught me great leadership skills as well as teamwork, responsibility and good sportsmanship. It has also taught me to endure and never give up."

Meghan Matthews

A highly accomplished athlete, Matthews accomplished one of the finest feats in Nevada high school annals: She won state championships in four different sports at Centennial High School. A four-year letter winner in both cross country and track, Matthews won letters in basketball during her first two years and in soccer during her last two years. She is a multiple-time All-Sunset Region honoree.

Her unweighted GPA of 3.78 places Matthews in the top 5 percent of her class. She has earned Academic All-State honors in three of her four sports. Matthews is president of her church class and is also the chairwoman of a church youth committee in charge of planning a pioneer trek to Wyoming for 500 people. She enjoys four-wheeling in her free time and plans to study education at Brigham Young.

In her application essay, Matthews wrote: "I have learned the value of hard work and discipline, and the importance of being able to work well with others. I have also served as captain of my cross country and track teams for two years, which has allowed me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills and to practice leading by example."

Courtney Saylors

An excellent distance runner, Saylors owns eight varsity letters from Boulder City High School -- four in both cross country and track. She is a two-time regional champion in cross country and a zone champion in four different track events (400 meters, 800 meters, 1,600 meters, 3,200 meters). Saylors has earned Academic All-State honors in each of her seven seasons to date.

The valedictorian of her class, Saylors' unweighted GPA is a perfect 4.0. She participates in the science club and in the student council. Saylors has taken part in a wide variety of volunteer work including Angel Tree, Make-A-Wish and Boulder City Emergency Aid. She plans on a double major in biology and kinesiology at UNLV.

In her application essay, Saylors wrote: "When I first started running, I had no dedication or self-discipline and it showed in my times. Tired of being slow, I took initiative (something entirely new to me) and changed my bad attitude. ... I dedicated myself and worked harder to get faster and in the process became a real leader. I transformed myself from a whiny freshman to an admirable senior all because I wanted to be faster."

Howard Smith

Smith is a strong athlete at Meadows who owns 12 varsity letters, the most possible for any high school student. He is a four-year letterman is tennis, basketball and golf. Smith played in the state tournament in all three sports, winning three state championships. He is a multiple-time all-conference honoree in golf and basketball, and he will play golf for American University.

Though Meadows does not rank students, Smith's unweighted GPA is 3.68 and he is a four-year member of high honor roll. He is vice president of the school's tutoring program for local elementary school students and also serves as an executive board member of the youth program of his church. Smith plans to major in either -- or both -- business and communications in college, with an eye toward a career in sports.

In his application essay, Smith wrote: "First of all, athletics are meant to be fun and I definitely have a good time in competitive sports. Athletics have given me the opportunity to develop meaningful friendships with my teammates and enjoying success with them has made those experiences even more meaningful."

Matthew Warnert

Warnert's athletic accomplishments include 10 letters at Round Mountain High School, where he is a three-sport letterman in football, basketball and baseball. He has earned offensive player of the year honors in each sport and Warnert is a first-team all-conference pick in football.

The valedictorian of his class, Warnert's unweighted GPA is 3.98. The student body president, he has not missed a day of school in four years. At Round Mountain, Warnert is the captain of Academic Olympics and president of Future Business Leaders of America. He also is an Eagle Scout. Warnert plans to attend Nevada-Reno, where he will major in engineering before continuing on to medical school.

In his application essay, Warnert wrote: "I've been on winning teams and I've been on losing team. No matter what kind of team it was, I have always had fun. This is why I initially started playing sports, but now I play because I love them. Though my high school career is coming to an end, this love of sports has taught me hard work is the only way to get ahead in life."

Josh Webster

A four-sport letterman at Desert Pines High School, Webster quarterbacked the Jaguars football team to the 4A State Tournament in his senior season. He is a two-time letterman in wrestling and he also holds letters in track and volleyball. Webster has served as team co-captain in both wrestling and football and he will play football at Columbia next year. He is a multiple-time Academic All-State selection.

The valedictorian of his class, Webster's unweighted GPA is a perfect 4.0. He enjoys martial arts and has volunteered for Make-A-Wish and in school events. Although he plans to go in undecided at Columbia, Webster enjoys studying engineering and mathematics. He has participated in debate and student government in high school.

In his application essay, Webster wrote: "Outstanding grades and test scores helped unlock the door, but sports helped kick the door in being accepted to an Ivy League university. ... I competed for a starting varsity spot and for valedictorian of my high school. My high school competition has ended. In retrospect, I never won a state championship, but I would not change a thing."

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