Mt. Madonna may only compete in one sport, but when it does
– it goes all out.
Watsonville – Mt. Madonna may only compete in one sport, but when it does – it goes all out.
The Mt. Madonna boys varsity volleyball team is not only one of the top ranked teams in the Central Coast Section, but also has the highest collective Grade Point Average in the conference.
Mt. Madonna was recently awarded the Best Collective Scholastic Grade Average for All Varsity Teams. The 12 member squad’s collective GPA is 3.559 – about one hundredth away from a solid A– average.
“It’s a testament to the students who are athletes and excel in the classroom as well as on the court,” said volleyball coach PD Rohan in a statement. “It’s a rare person who can excel in either, and these kids are doing both.”
The team is composed of freshmen Bodhi Shaffer, Chris Fust, Naveen Hattis; sophomore Jonji Barber; juniors Aaron Colton, Shawn Hatjes, Daniel Nanas, Devin Bhatacharya, Eddie Dudoit; and seniors Paul Crubaugh, Tapan Lockwood and Travis Mahoney.
This is the fourth time Mt. Madonna has received the award, the last one for 2001–02, the same year the team captured the CCS title.
“It’s something that when we start the year we talk about if you have a test and have to miss practice or even games, sports are second,” Rohan said. “It’s really a pleasure to be around kids that are well motivated in academics and sports.”
The squad earned a No. 15 seed in the CCS playoffs year, but lost in the first round to second seed Los Gatos to finish the season with a 14-15 record. Middle hitter Mahoney and setter Dudoit, a Gilroy resident, earned all-Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League (SCCAL) honors for the season and Barber was named the league’s Sophomore of the Year.
Volleyball is the only sport at the private school.
