By J. CODY CLARK

[Editor’s note: This letter addressed to senior athletes at Patrick Henry High School is one of many heartfelt messages for students who could not compete in their spring season. In addition to this letter from Athletic Director Clark, individual coaches also penned letters to their teams. The Mission Times Courier urges our readers to take a look at the heartfelt messages the Henry coaches wrote for their teams at www.phpatriots.net]

To Patrick Henry Patriot Nation,

Friday April 3, our CIF Commissioner Jerry Schneipp made the official announcement to cancel the spring season.

Although this probably isn’t surprising news, it doesn’t diminish the disappointment and heartbreak I’m sure you all are feeling at this moment. I feel it with you. I know this has been a rollercoaster 30 days. If I can find any comfort in this bad news it is that we now have a decision made and are no longer left in a state of the unknown. I have faith this experience will make you better and stronger for the coming challenges in your lives, but for now we can take a moment to mourn what could have been.

This 2020 spring season was set-up to be an incredible one for all of our student-athletes. The greatest sadness goes out to our 2020 senior class. You all rose to the high expectations of a student-athlete and have gone through the unique challenge of developing as leaders. You leave a legacy that Patriot Athletics and the entire PHHS community will build upon for years to come. There are so many memories of you all sharing the heights of competition, community, perseverance, smiles, sweat, grit, and laughter that I will carry with me.

It is appropriate to recognize all our seniors who showcased their skills and talents and cultivated their character these last four years. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a witness to such incredible growth. We will do what we can in some small measure to honor and celebrate you all knowing nothing will replace the joy of doing what you love with the people you have spent last four years with.

I hope all of you carry with you the unique experiences of a student-athlete into the next phases of your lives. You are equipped with the grit and tenacity to find solutions to the greatest challenges and push through momentary difficulty and disappointment to achieve greater goals. These life skills will undoubtably help you achieve all your goals in your adult life.

I want to honor and celebrate each member of our 2020 Patriot Athletics Senior Class. Go Patriots!

Patrick Henry High School spring 2020 senior athletes*

Badminton

• Athena Aguilar
• Kayla In
• Lawrence Taing
• Techmeng Taing

Baseball

• Max Jones
• Mateo Medina
• Ryan Miller
• Kenny Peak
• Ben Manis
• Aaron Wright
• Ian Hill
• Quinn Roelofs
• Erik Radder
• Zak Lekaunas

Men’s Golf

• Travis Martinez

Men’s Lacrosse

• Enrique Alduenda
• Kai Cinco
• Silas Granero
• Jasper Harris
• Duke James
• Evan Lewis
• Sam Moorhead
• Jeffery Powell
• Jackson Rayner
• Nico West

Women’s Lacrosse

• Emma Bailey
• Isabelle Berkoben
• Gabby Bravo
• Daniela Nowicki
• Veronica Smith

Softball

• Lauren Nett
• Ariana Rios

Swim & Dive

• Ian Balcazar
• Ainsleigh Beard
• Benicio Burkett
• Alberto Castaneda
• Brooke Ellsworth
• Zoe Gianulis
• John Lekuen
• Adam Monroe
• Caroline Pool
• Syd Snyder
• Alex Velazquez
• Chloe Wilkins
• Makaila Williams

Men’s Tennis

• Matthew Archenhold
• Jorge Castaneda
• Caleb Frye
• Michael Kula
• Theodore Leonard
• Nathaniel Suzuki

Men’s Track & Field

• Makai Adams
• Jayden Brown
• Christopher Cachay
• Nathaniel Cruz
• Alec Ege
• Ryan James Gojuangco
• Steven Guillory-Smith
• David Harimana
• Nicholas Lord
• Sean Luch
• Joshua Malcangio-Andrews
• Zachary Mathews
• Daniel Mendoza
• Kyle Merino
• Vince Nguyen
• Andres Salgado
• Max Skantz
• Christopher Smith
• Panintorn Stoup
• Jack Turner
• Jack Urie

Women’s Track & Field

• Natasha Godfrey
• Katelyn Mitchell
• Madison Nabors
• Mara Preciado
• Danielle Toleno
• Hailey Veeder
• Tess Whitsett

Men’s Volleyball

• Connor Elgie
• Tanner Holbrook
• Caden Rivera
• Isaac Roberts

*To read letters from spring sports coaches and see team photos and individual photos of senior athletes, visit phpatriots.net.

— J. Cody Clark is athletic director at Patrick Henry High School.