Senior Emily Gonzalez, #34, was selected as the Athlete of the Month for January. She plays on the Varsity Basketball team as the Center and has been playing since the third grade. Her favorite part of basketball is the games. Gonzalez shared, “My most memorable moment was winning some very competitive games.” Her favorite athletes are Shaquille O’Neal and Dennis Rodman, playing big centers in the NBA world and serve as Gonzalez’s inspiration. She plans to continue on playing basketball at Cerritos College next year. Head Coach Vicky Luong shared, “As co-team captain, Emily has stepped up as a leader and continues to make a huge impact on the court. Playing as our Center, she has shown remarkable growth over the past two seasons, excelling in strong defense and solidifying her role as a key starter. She is a true force to be reckoned with.” Gonzalez and the Varsity team play in the CIF Finals on Friday, February 28 at 2:00pm vs. Pilibos High School at Felix Event Center. (Tickets here) The team also qualified to play in CIF State competition.

Senior Adrian Orozco, #10, was selected as the January Athlete of the Month. Orozco has been playing soccer for 13 years and played Winger for the La Mirada Varsity Boys Soccer Team. Orozco’s favorite soccer player is Cristiano Renaldo, because of his story, where he came from and how he makes himself out today. Orozco explained his love for soccer, “Because it’s a team sport and I love the game in general. It’s fast-paced and usually very competitive.” La Mirada Boys Varsity Soccer finished fourth place in the Mid-Cities League. Head Coach Phil Yovino commented, “Adrian was a leading point getter total for our team at 8 goals and four assists, a 4.0 last semester and 3.7 overall GPA.  He’s a fierce competitor and leader on the team.” In the month of January, Orozco led the push for the playoffs with four goals and three assists. Orozco plans to play soccer in college but is still undecided of where that will be.