Three Gavilan players earn all-conference honors, first-year
coach Thompson named Coach of the Year
– Although the Gavilan softball team didn’t win a game this season, it still views its season as a success and looks forward to next year’s possibilities.
Despite going 0-18 this season, there were several bright spots for Gavilan. Head coach Nikki Dequin-Thompson was voted Coast Conference Coach of the Year and three Rams – pitcher Cortney Almaguer, shortstop Tiffany McIntosh and third baseman Jessica McClelland – were selected to the second team all conference.
“It was nice to see them recognized by other coaches in the conference,” Thompson said.
For Thompson, who took over the program last summer, being named coach of the year was a pleasant surprise.
“I was really shocked,” she said. “I know how much the team, my assistant coach and I put into (the season) and it’s nice it didn’t go unnoticed. (The award) is a reflection of the entire coaching staff. I couldn’t have done it without my assistant coach, Rebecca Dayton. It was a really nice surprise.”
The Rams’ honors were a testament to a team that stuck out the bad times and stayed positive. Gavilan faced adversity, but stayed the course and looked ahead.
“For the first year, I thought it went okay,” Thompson said. “I am really extremely proud of the girls who stayed through the end of the season. We improved quite a bit and some really good things came out of it.
“It’s hard to stay positive,” she added. “I learned a lesson in patience this year. My assistant coach helped me be more patient and the girls helped keep me focused with their attitude. It was tough but I even told the girls, “‘Even if there’s a day when you don’t feel like being here or doing it, smile and fake it, because eventually your attitude will change.'”
Thompson said she saw improvement from the team overall, but that Sharleen Rojas, Salina Chacon and Jaquelina Gonzalez showed a lot of improvement for never having played softball before.
With Thompson and virtually the entire roster returning next year, the Rams are optimistic about the future of their program.
“Our entire team is freshmen and we can have everyone come back,” Thompson said. “So far, everyone plans on coming back. We’re also trying to recruit locally to fill in some spots. I think we’ll do pretty well next year.”
