Soccer player Tristan Beckham and basketball leader Ava Elliott earned this week’s recognition as Athletes of the Week.
Ava Elliott led the Kern Valley girls basketball to two wins last week and into first place in the HDL. In the Lady Broncs’ 61-21 win over Mammoth, January 23, Elliott, a junior, paced the squad with 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals. In the Lady bronc’ January 25 Senior Night win over Boron, 53-26, Elliott again led KV with 19 points and 13 rebounds for her second double-double of the week.
Kern Valley girls basketball coach Bill Gallis said, “Ava Elliott is one of our work horses in the paint. She had one of her best games of the year. She took a lot of pressure off our perimeter players and got us easy looks at the basket. She always practices hard, works hard and leads by example.”
Tristan Beckham is having quite a season for the Broncs soccer team. The sophomore has taken over the goal leadership for Kern Valley with eight total goals in eight games thanks to a three-goal hat trick in KV’s 6-0 win over Desert, January 23. Playing with intensity on both sides of the ball, Beckham also supported a swarming Broncs defense and finished the match with eight steals. Broncs soccer coach William Cerda praised Beckham’s work ethic and skills and said it will be exciting to see Beckham’s play over the rest of this season and the next two years.