Rosales, Hamm and Rosales Named Scholar Athletes for 2019-20

The Ventura College Athletic Department is proud to announce that Antonio Rosales of the men's tennis team and Michelle Hamm and Raphaella Rosales of the women's cross country/track and field and volleyball/beach volleyball teams, respectively, have been named the Pirates' Scholar Athletes for the 2019-20. All three sophomores finished two years of competition for the orange and black with perfect 4.0 grade point averages in the classroom.

Antonio Rosales, VC's Men's Scholar Athlete for 2019-20, was the Pirates' No. 1 singles player and a member of VC's No. 1 doubles team for two years. In 2019 Rosales, who hails from Quito Ecuador, finished runner-up in the Western State Conference singles championships and teamed up with Kyle Spiegelman to win the WSC doubles crown. The duo advanced to the quarterfinals of the CCCAA State Tournament at The Ojai to end the season, and he moved to the round of 32 in the singles draw. He was 4-2 in singles competition and 5-3 in doubles play with partner Cody Castro in 2020 before the season was cancelled on March 13 due to the Covid-19 health emergency. Rosales has transferred to Biola University on a tennis scholarship.

Michelle Hamm shares VC's Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award for 2019-20. The Buena High School alumna ran the 400m and 800m for two seasons on the Pirates' track and field teams, and also ran for VC's cross country team in 2019. She was part of the Pirates' 4x400m relay team that won a silver medal at the WSC Championships in 2019 and also ran in the WSC Cross Country Championships in 2019 as VC finished third as a team.  Hamm has transferred to the University of California, Berkeley.

Raphaella Rosales, also the Pirates' Female Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2019-20, was a two-year standout for the Pirates' volleyball and beach volleyball teams. As a freshman, Rosales led the Pirates in sets and was second  in digs as VC claimed their first WSC championship in 13 years. In the beach season, she was outstanding teaming up with Vanessa Ihrke. The pair played as VC's No. 1 team all season, claiming third place in the WSC Championships and advancing to the CCCAA State Pairs Tournament. Rosales, a Ventura High School product, helped Ventura to its second WSC title in three years in 2019. This past fall she moved to an outside position and was third on the team in kills while maintaining her second position in digs. Rosales earned second-team All-WSC honors. Her beach season was cut short in the spring due to the Covid-19 health emergency. She has returned to VC this fall in hopes of transferring in the spring to play beach volleyball at a four-year school.

This was a banner year academically as a number sophomores completed their time at Ventura College with all A's. A committee within the athletic department chose the three honorees on the following criteria:

1. Completed at least 45 units (the award is traditionally selected before the end of the spring semester)
2. Participated in two seasons of a sport, with at least the second year VC.
3. Overall GPA
4. Quality of units earned.