2021 SMDR Female Athlete of the Year: Gianna Moreno

Gianna Moreno waited for her moment at the top of the podium throughout her high school career. This year, she finally got it when she took the gold for the 138-pound weight class at the UIL 6A state tournament. After dealing with COVID-19 constraints and a shoulder injury, Moreno finally accomplished her long-time goal. She didn’t qualify for the state tournament as a freshman, but she was a spectator and from there she decided she wanted to take the crown one day. During her sophomore and junior seasons, she placed third and fourth, respectively. So when she won the title this year, it was like a sigh of relief.

Not only did Moreno earn her first state tournament gold medal, but she was also the first-ever champion in San Marcos program history. There had been others that placed at the tournament, but no one came out on top until Moreno. 

She finished her senior season undefeated at 18-0. Her older brother, Mason, set the program’s career wins record with 131, but Gianna broke it during her senior year, finishing with a career record of 138-11. Moreno’s dominance in 2021 makes her the Daily Record’s Female Athlete of the Year.

Honorable Mentions:

San Marcos Volleyball’s Maggie Walsh

Walsh became a huge asset to the Lady Rattlers after she joined the squad as a junior. She spent the first two years of her career at Denton Guyer as a defensive specialist and came into this year with about 1,300 digs. Walsh turned into a weapon on offense for San Marcos as she became the team’s leader in the kills column as an outside hitter. She made an outstanding achievement as a senior by joining the 1,000-1,000 club, a hard feat to accomplish in high school. Walsh finished this season as the District 26-6A Player of the Year.

Texas State Volleyball’s Emily DeWalt and Janell Fitzgerald

DeWalt and Fitzgerald have been key assets to the Bobcats throughout the entirety of their careers. Both have accomplished numerous honors, making them two of the best players in program history. The duo helped Texas State to their third straight NCAA tournament appearance, which ultimately led the maroon and gold to the second NCAA tournament win in school history. DeWalt was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year, the first in school history. She was also named the Sun Belt’s first four-time Setter of the Year and is the Sun Belt’s all-time leader with 18 conference setter of the week awards. Fitzgerald earned Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors, and both were named to the first-team all-conference squad. 

DeWalt became the first in program history to be named a Division I American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American as an Honorable Mention. DeWalt and Fitzgerald were both honored by the AVCA as All-Region selections. 

Texas State Softball’s Sara Vanderford and Tara Oltmann

Vanderford and Oltmann made big strides for the Bobcats this year, helping the maroon and gold to their first NCAA Regional since the 2018 season. Texas State knocked off No. 10 Oregon during the first game of the Austin Regional, snapping a 27-game win streak from the Ducks in Regional play. 

Vanderford finished top-five all-time in Texas State’s single-season records for home runs, doubles, total bases, RBIs and hits. She also led the Bobcats at the plate by becoming the second Texas State player in history to bat over .400, finishing at .405 on the year — the best average on the team — and went on to win All-Sun Belt First Team, All-Tournament Team and Freshman of the Year honors.

Oltmann won two Sun Belt Player of the Week awards and has 132 RBIs for the second-most all-time in program history. She comes in second behind Vanderford with a .345 batting average and joined the Freshman on the all-conference First Team. 

San Marcos Girls’ Basketball’s Faith Phillips and Kayla Presley

Phillips and Presley grew up together and reunited at San Marcos in 2019, becoming one of the best duos. Both scored their 1,000th career points in the same week and were named McDonald’s All-American nominees. They also led the Lady Rattlers out of a five-year playoff drought, marking a historic season for the purple and white.

Texas State Basketball’s Da’Nasia Hood

Hood has become one of the best players in Texas State women’s basketball history. As a junior, she led the team with 15.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game — a career-high. She was also named to the All-Sun Belt First Team, one of three in program history. Hood added another accomplishment to her belt by scoring her 1,000th point in the Bobcats’ win over rival UTSA on Nov. 18.

San Marcos Softball’s Kaylee Cavazos

Despite a year of facing adversity for the Lady Rattlers, Cavazos was still a premier talent on the squad. She led San Marcos this season with a slash line of .493/.537/.707, posted 22 RBIs and scored at home plate 27 times. The former Lady Rattler competed in the Austin Area All-Star Softball Game on June 9 and was named the South Team’s MVP.