Earlier this week, Pioneer High School celebrated its spring sports student-athletes with an awards banquet.

Individually and as a team, the Patriots enjoyed plenty of regular and postseason success.

The school’s Most Valuable Player awards were awarded to; Maddy Juhler and Dylan Savala (track and field), Trevor Harryman (boys tennis), Kordell Barr and Zach Estantino (boys volleyball), Marisa Bryson and Jia Beebe (varsity softball), Taylin Gil (junior varsity softball), Jojo Brant (girls swimming) and Matthew Nunez (boys golf).

Not pictured was Finley Brant from boys swimming or baseball team members as they were at Carmel High School playing in the opening round of the CIF NorCal Regional tournament.

During the spring sports season, Maddy Juhler represented Pioneer at the 103rd CIF State Track & Field Championships on May 26 and 27 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.

She pole-vaulted her way into prominence before the state meet at the CIF-SJS Masters Trials and Finals by setting a new personal record by clearing 11 feet, six inches to claim third place.

Josephine “Jojo” Brant wrapped up her swimming season with an eighth-place medal at the CIF State Swim Championships on May 12 and 13 at the Clovis West Aquatic Swim Complex.

Matthew Nunez qualified for the CIF Masters tournament on May 15 in Stockton after winning a dramatic five-way tie for the final spot in the tournament when he drained a 20-foot birdie putt to defeat Woodland High School’s Mason Stewart.

The Pioneer varsity softball team won the Golden Empire League with an 11-1 record this season and was rewarded with a No. 4 seed in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III Softball Playoffs.

They’d beat No. 13 seed Rosemont 6-4 in the opening round before ultimately losing to No. 5 seed Oakdale 10-1 in the quarterfinals, ending their fantastic season.

The Pioneer varsity baseball team came in second place in the Golden Empire League and were given the No. 3 seed in the CIF SJS Division III Baseball Playoffs. They’d defeat No. 13 seed Patterson 3-1 before taking out No. 5 seed Lincoln 4-3 in the quarterfinals.

In a best-of-three-game series semifinal against No. 1 seed Ponderoasa, the Patriots would win the series two games to one, thanks to a 7-1, game three win, advancing them to the D3 finals against No. 3 seed Central Catholic.

In the final, on May 25, the Patriots would suffer a heartbreaking 2-1 walk-off loss to Central Catholic at Islanders Field in Lathrop, Calif.

Although they came up short, they managed to qualify for the first round of the CIF NorCal Regional tournament, where their season ended thanks to a 3-1 loss at Carmel.