LANCASTER – Chance Gusbeth, a senior at Desert Christian High School, has been awarded the Mayor’s Athlete of the Month Award for June.
“I am pleased to announce that our June recipient for the Mayor’s Athlete of the Month Award is baseball and football standout Chance Gusbeth from Desert Christian High School,” said Mayor R.Rex Parris.
Playing both baseball and football, Gusbeth has shown his intensity and passion toward athletics. Chance led Desert Christian to its first CIF baseball championship this season, batting over .500, with nine home runs, 40 runs batted in, and 43 runs scored.
Following his outstanding performance, Chance was named the Valley Baseball Player of the Year by the Antelope Valley Press. Gusbeth was named the 2012 CIF Division 6 Baseball Player of the Year, and was also named to the all-CIF baseball team in both 2011 and 2012. Moreover, he was voted the 2012 MVP for the Desert Mountain League. In addition, Chance rushed for more than 1,300 yards in each of the past two seasons and scored 37 touchdowns.
Gusbeth also dedicates his time to volunteering at his church, working with children, and performing yard work for church members.
Gusbeth has maintained a 3.0 GPA and will attend Cal State Bakersfield on a baseball scholarship, where he plans to major in either Sports Medicine or Kinesiology.
“We select recipients of the Athlete of the Month award based on a combination of their athletic accomplishments, scholastic achievements and community involvement,” said Parris. “These young people are superb examples to their peers – displaying excellence in both sports and academics, while also making valuable contributions to our community.”
The previous month, the Mayor presented the Athlete of the Month award to Adam Ruggiero, a senior at Desert Christian High School.
Ruggiero is the two-time Track and Field Most Valuable Player for the Desert Mountain League. Adam was named “Outstanding Male Athlete” at the Russell Cup Track Meet, winning the 300-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump while finishing second in the high jump. Ruggiero earned 38 of Desert Christian’s 47 points at the meet. He also won the 2012 CIF Division 4 triple jump championship, finished 2nd in the high jump, and 3rd in the long jump.
In 2011, Ruggiero won the CIF Division 4 triple jump championship and was named all-CIF in four different events. He won the league championship in the 300-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump, and the high jump. He has accumulated more than 30 first place medals in meets during his career and holds six Desert Christian records.
Ruggiero has a cumulative GPA of 3.70 and will attend Boise State University where he plans to run track and major in Sports Science. Ruggiero helped his coach mentor the younger athletes on the team and volunteers as a handyman for the elderly.
(Information via press release from the City of Lancaster.)
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Quigley says
Congrat’s, good for you! Take that scholarship and make it work, you’ve earned it! Congrat’s to your parents as well!