Nevills named Cal-Hi Sports D-I Boys Athlete of the Year, Buchanan runner-up for School of the Year

Clovis’ Seth Nevills was named Cal-Hi Sports D-I Athlete of the Year after finishing his career 169-1 with four CIF State wrestling championships. He will attend Penn State in the fall. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Clovis High grad Seth Nevills can add one more award before he starts the next phase of his already decorated wrestling career at Penn State — Cal-Hi Sports Division I Athlete of the Year.

Nevills finished his heavyweight wrestling career an astounding 169-1 with four CIF State wrestling titles, only the third wrestler in California history to accomplish that feat.

He was also named the overall State Boys Athlete of the Year as a junior and this year narrowly missed the overall award that went to Tulare’s Kazmier Allen, the state single season record touchdown holder with 72 and the 100-meter CIF state champion.

“It’s an incredible honor to be named the D-I athlete of the year among such good competitors,” Nevills said. “I would like to thank all the people who have helped me and supported me along the way, and most importantly thank God for all that I have accomplished.”

The award is certainly familiar to the Nevills family as Seth’s older brother, Nick, won the D-I State Athlete of the Year and overall award in 2013. They will become teammates at Penn State where the Nittany Lions have won three consecutive NCAA national titles.

Clovis West football and baseball player Dusty Schramm and Buchanan state wrestling champ Anthony Montalvo were named to the honorable mention list.

Buchanan was runner-up to Mater Dei for the Cal-Hi Sports School of the Year. In all, the Bears won eight Division I Central Section titles including girls cross country, led by Corie Smith and Meagan Lowe. CONTRIBUTED BY AN EYE FOR IT ALL PHOTOGRAPHY

Buchanan was named runner-up to Mater Dei for the State School of the Year for its overall excellency in athletics, a year after being named the State Boys School of the Year.

“I’m most proud of the consistency of excellence by our programs,” Buchanan Athletic Director James Gambrell said about the 2017-18 year. “All our coaches put in a lot of work, from our feeder programs all the way up.”

Buchanan finished either first or second in 16 of 23 CIF Central Section sports in Division I, headlined by the boys wrestling team winning its third straight CIF State Wrestling championship including two individual champions in Montalvo (184) and freshman Maximo Renteria (113).

The girls cross country team placed second at the CIF D-I championship as sophomore Corie Smith placed first overall and sophomore Meagan Lowe second.

Overall, Buchanan won eight CIF Central Section titles: boys wrestling, girls track and field, girls cross country, boys water polo, boys volleyball, boys cross country, girls soccer and badminton.

Paul Meadors is a man of many talents. He is a elementary school teacher, Junior High athletic director, and basketball coach in Traver, CA, in addition to serving as the Sports Editor for the Clovis Roundup. He is also the author of the humorous book “Letters to eBay,” and he has recorded a piano album of his own compositions titled “Surviving the Storm.” He lives in Fresno with wife Lori and daughters Georgie, Alex and Ruthie.