Nico Portillo and Cynthia Contreras were named the overall male and female athletes of the year for Corcoran High School. The duo was announced last Wednesday at Corcoran’s Athlete of the Year banquet which was held in the Technology Learning Center (TLC).
Portillo, a senior, is a three-sport athlete earning four year medals in all three. He played football, basketball and baseball and was the Most Valuable Player for each team.
He was the quarterback for the CHS football team and he helped lead his team to a Div. V Valley title. He passed for 3,558 yards and had 32 touchdowns. He rushed for 457 yards and had seven TDs. He was also the East Sequoia League MVP and the Kings County Player of the Year. Portillo was named by the Fresno Bee as one of the top 50 football players and was a second team all-state pick by Maxpreps.
Nico was the point guard for the basketball team who were the East Sequoia League co-champs. He averaged 17.4 points per game. He was second team all-county and first team all-league.
As a member of the CHS baseball team, Nico was a pitcher, catcher, played shortstop and second and third base. He had a 4-1 record on the mound and had an ERA of 1.17. He batted .500, had 32 hits and drove in 14 runs. He was also named first team all-league.
“Ever since his freshman year, I kidded Nico that he had big shoes to fill with respect to having coached his Uncle Daniel who was the Co-MVP of the 1995 CHS Valley Football Champions, that ended the year as the number two team in the small school state rankings. It is safe to say that four years later, Nico has earned the same respect and admiration of his teammates, coaches and central section’s football community for what he has accomplished. An all-around student-athlete that has set the bar high when it comes to excelling in three sports,” noted Corcoran High Athletic Director Robert Lerma.
Cynthia Contreras was a three-sport athlete. She competed in Cross Country, wrestling and in track.
She helped her cross country team win league and finish second in Valley. She placed 8th in the Valley meet and was a state meet contender. She was named the Kings County Runner of the Year by The Hanford Sentinel.
“Cynthia Contreras is the epitome of what hard work can do for you in athletics and in the classroom. She came out of nowhere this year to win Kings County Cross Country Runner of the Year and leading the CHS Cross Country team to an impressive placing in the valley final. She is to be applauded for her efforts and dedication,” said Lerma.
During the winter she competed in wrestling. As a wrestler she competed with the boys in the 106 weight class and earned a varsity letter for her efforts.
In track, Cynthia was the number one distance runner for the varsity team. She earned the team’s Most Valuable Player award for helping her team go undefeated and win a league title. She will continue her education at Fresno State.
