Hollister resident receives Notre Dame High scholar athlete of
the year
When Brenna Carrillo-Zazueta says she likes to stay busy, it’s
perhaps an understatement.
A soon-to-be-graduating senior at Salinas’ Notre Dame High
School, Carrillo-Zazueta has been a three-sport athlete for four
straight years, compiled an impressive 4.3 cumulative grade point
average, and recently received the Joseph D. O’Connor Award as
Notre Dame’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Hollister resident receives Notre Dame High scholar athlete of the year
When Brenna Carrillo-Zazueta says she likes to stay busy, it’s perhaps an understatement.
A soon-to-be-graduating senior at Salinas’ Notre Dame High School, Carrillo-Zazueta has been a three-sport athlete for four straight years, compiled an impressive 4.3 cumulative grade point average, and recently received the Joseph D. O’Connor Award as Notre Dame’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.
“I don’t really have free time,” the Hollister resident said. “I always need to be doing stuff. I can’t just be sitting at home watching TV.”
Carrillo-Zazueta, who was also recently named KION’s Athlete of the Week, played four years of water polo – “I like water polo a lot; played everywhere except goalie,” she said – four years of soccer, three years of softball and one year of swimming at Notre Dame, where she excelled at every sport.
She earned All-League honors in both water polo and soccer this year – both first team selections – and she’ll be off attending the University of the Pacific in the fall.
After a jam-packed schedule, if Carrillo-Zazueta did in fact decide to sit at home and watch TV after she graduates, it’d be tough to argue with her.
“I didn’t focus on one sport,” Carrillo-Zazueta said. “I liked going to the different teams, playing with the different girls, practicing with the different sports.”
Carrillo-Zazueta led the Notre Dame water polo team in goals (72), assists (26) and steals (72), this past season, three categories she led in the previous season as well.
Despite her hectic schedule, which includes driving from Hollister to Salinas every day, Carrillo-Zazueta said she’d do it all over again.
After no senior was recognized for the award during her freshman year, Carrillo-Zazueta got word of the Joseph D. O’Connor award while playing for the Spirits soccer team her sophomore season. It was her teammate, Leah Parsons, who earned the award that year, and for Carrillo-Zazueta, it became a goal of hers to do the same.
“I wanted that award so I was striving for it,” she said.
Being able to carry such a high GPA with such a heavy workload is no easy feat, but Carrillo-Zazueta seems to take what she needs from her extracurriculars, aside for the pure enjoyment, and apply it to the classroom.
“I learned how to cooperate with people and be patient … teamwork and working with others,” said Carrillo-Zazueta, who thanked everyone who supported her through the years. “I can see it in my school work; the determination to be better because that’s in sports, and to do my best.”
And winning isn’t everything for the high school senior.
“But it doesn’t matter if we’re the best. I’m just out there to have fun. I’d rather be horrible and have fun than be the best and be miserable.”
Surprisingly, Carrillo-Zazueta does not plan on playing sports at UOP next year. She’ll be devoting all of her time to her major within the accelerated dental program, as she would like to become an orthodontist.
She has spoken with the water polo coach already, but the six-year dental program at UOP may be filling that void that was previously occupied by athletics.
“I think I’m gonna spend a lot of time studying,” she said. “If I do have a lot of free time, I may join a club team or do intramurals.”
“Hopefully, the school has a gym.”
Well, at least it’s not sitting in front of the TV.
