The annual Outstanding Female Student Athlete award is given to TJ’s very own Rachael Newman.
Photo by Mia Nogueira
On February 17th, Senior Rachael Newman was honored with the Outstanding Female Student Athlete Award by the DPS Board of Education for her exceptional grade point average, her community service, and her success in football, basketball, and soccer.
The award ceremony took place on the 17th of February at 900 Grant DPS Building downtown, where an athlete from each Denver Public School was recognized for her hard work in school, sports, and the community. Each student athlete was given a narrative by a representative from her school about her outstanding accomplishments in and out of school. They were then awarded with a certificate for all of their hard work. “Sports have always been a passion of mine, so I think that’s why I’m so dedicated. I really enjoy doing what I love, and I love sports!” said Newman.
“In order to be recognized as an outstanding female student athlete, they have to be not only a top athlete, but also a top student, with plenty of community service hours. Those are the three main things we look for when deciding who wins,” said Administrator Lani Nobles. Rachael maintains a 4.4 grade point average, and is ranked number six out of 235 in her senior class. She is also currently enrolled in three Advanced Placement classes, including AP Calculus, AP Physics, and AP English Literature.
When it comes to community service, Newman has volunteered at Denver First Church, which allowed her to travel to Costa Rica to help build schools. She is also in the National Honors Society at TJ, which means she must fulfill even more community service hours.
Newman is a triple threat athlete, playing football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and finally, soccer in the spring. She was the kicker on the football team, not to mention the only girl on the team. “It was cool being the kicker for the team; it was like I was just one of the guys and I felt like I contributed the best I could,” said Newman.
Rachael also played basketball for all four of her high school years. “Rachael can play any position when it comes to basketball, although she was mainly a guard. She’s been playing for about 15 years. She was one of our most valuable players because she knew how to play every position,” said Teammate Casey Edelman.
Soccer, Newman’s final and main sport, came in the spring. She has played on the varsity squad ever since her freshman year, and has lettered every year, as well. Rachael has played soccer since she was three. She is the starting goalie for Varsity, but says she also loves to get out on the field as much as she can as a left or right midfielder. “My team is like a family and it’s always enjoyable to play with them, no matter if we win or lose… but mostly win!” said Rachael.
Previous winners of the Outstanding Female Student Athlete Award include Andrea Shacklock, Robin Emerson, Amanda Weaver, and Ivory Allen. “It was really exciting. I got to join in the ranks with people like Andrea Shacklock, which was really cool. I was proud to be recognized for all the hard work I’ve done while I’ve been here at TJ,” said Newman.
