Senior Ian Melnicoe exemplifies a true Spartan athlete.
Photo by Mia Nogueira
The character traits of dedication, leadership, and integrity on and off of the field and court makes Ian Melnicoe one of the stalwart student athletes here at TJ. “Ian is just the kind of guy that does what he needs to without complaint and has an unwavering dedication to his team and making himself and the players around him better,” says Spartan Football Defensive Coordinator Matt Nicolo with a glint of pride in his eye.
Ian has been a part of the TJ football program every year since his freshman year and has also been given the honor of taking the field in his varsity jersey each of these four years. In his Sophomore, Junior, and Senior year, Ian has found himself as a defensive starter for the fearsome defensive line that TJ has produced in those three years, and has been one of the leaders on the team for tackles. Ian also shows a lot of versatility and an acute ability to adjust defensively for the team. This year alone he has started games in three different defensive positions: Defensive End (where he started the season), Cornerback, and finally he has settled into the Middle Linebacker role. “This year has been a position exploration year for Ian, but I think he has found his home at Middle Linebacker where he excels,” said Coach Nicolo. In the Spartan’s past two big wins against the George Washington Patriots and the Montbello Warriors, Ian has obviously shined at his new position by having the most tackles on the team in both games with 14 total tackles.
This year, Ian’s football talents have also been recognized on the other side of the ball by being given the role as a starting Tight End or Wide Receiver for the Spartans. Running for yards after the catch, and blocking to break running backs Lonnie Hampton and Robert McMacken free for big plays are Ian’s offensive specialties. With the football team being a more run-oriented team, they need a superior blocker like Melnicoe to set the edge or open up holes for the backs to run through. As McMacken says, “Good running plays are the result of good blocking, and I can always count on getting a great block from Ian whenever I run to his side.”
Melnicoe also has been a three year varsity player for the Spartan Basketball team and has been a part of the program for four years. With the towering height of 6 foot 4 inches, he looms over opposing teams and dominates the boards and the paint. “Ian is a really physical player and understands all aspects of the game really well. He brings an excellent element of toughness to the team and I am expecting great things out of him this year,” said Head Coach Grant Laman. This year, Ian will be using his assets and abilities at the power forward position. “The guy can play a lot of positions, but I would say he is more of a traditional power forward with his size and strengths,” said Laman.
Ian also plays club basketball during the spring and summer seasons and has been on the very successful team of the Colorado Hawks since he was in middle school. This club team has been recognized as having the best compilation of players in the state of Colorado for four consecutive years and has had appearances in several national tournaments, most notably in Kansas, California, and Oklahoma where they finished with a top four placement in each respective competition. “I really like playing for my club team because it gives me a chance to display my talents for people all over the country and gives me a chance to play against some of the best talent across the US,” said Melnicoe.
There is more to being a great student athlete that just the athletic portion, so Ian also has to take care of his school responsibilities and work hard to achieve success off the field, as well. Ian doesn’t shy away from the more strenuous courses here at TJ, as he has enrolled in many advanced and AP classes throughout high school. This year, Ian takes AP US History with Mark Smith, and last year he took AP Calculus with Aimee Witulski, AP Language with Jeffrey Almond, and AP Government with Jon Poole. “His biggest strengths in (and out) of class are his creativity and wit. He is quick thinking and has a great sense of humor. He has terrific stage presence, and is an all around nice guy,” said Almond. Ian also is in the Computer Magnet program and takes Matt Spampinato’s Video Intern Class.
Ian is a true renaissance man. He has a variety of talents and abilities that go much further than just the accolades he has received for his sports and academic accomplishments. Ian is also a very musical person and has done a variety of things with his musical talents. At TJ, he was in choir and was very successful with contributing his voice to the musical group, but had to retire from his singing days because it began to conflict with his sports. In his time before coming to TJ, Ian played the cello for many years, which he also had to give up to follow his sports aspirations. Ian is a person of good will as well, and has put in many hours of volunteering work. Along with his mother, who is a doctor and is part of an organization called Medical Wings International that goes to foreign third world countries to help treat patients, Ian has been to El Salvador to volunteer his time and efforts to help those less fortunate than himself.
Being a senior, Ian has his mind lingering on the tough task of picking where he wants to go to college. “As of right now, I am not really sure where I want to go to college. My first choice right now is University of Colorado at Boulder, but who knows what the future will hold,” said Melnicoe. Ian also hopes to continue his football career past high school ball and into his college days. “I really want to play in college. It has always been a dream of mine, and it would surely be an awesome experience,” he said.
Ian is a tremendously talented athlete, a natural leader, and has an indefatigable passion for the sports he plays and to be successful in every competition in which he takes part. He not only excels in his sports and academics, but also is an altogether, well-rounded guy and a polymath with many different talents. Ian is the definition of a Spartan student athlete.
