With the help of Colin Kaepernick and his sponsorship, Mya Sanchez and her family were able to fly out to Indianapolis to compete in the National Football League’s Punt, Pass and Kick Championships after winning the 10-11 year old division.
Sanchez had by far her best performance and it came at the perfect time.
In Sunday’s finale during the halftime of the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts, along with three others in her division, and 40 overall, Sanchez hit a personal best score of 254 feet and 8 inches, placing second in the nation.
“It was an amazing experience and I am so glad that I was able to share it with my family. I want to thank everyone for supporting me especially Colin Kaepernick,” said Sanchez.
Sanchez was able to break her record and top Sections score of 226 feet and 8 inches, by besting it 28 points over.
“The competition was exciting. All of the competitors were really good. I was happy with my performance,” said Sanchez.
After landing at the airport in Indianapolis, the NFL had a driver waiting for the Sanchez family to take them to the hotel.
From there they toured the NCAA Hall of Champions and then followed that up with a tour of the Colts practice facility to get some practice in before the big event on Sunday.
“It was cool to be at an NFL practice facility,” Sanchez added. “From there I was able to meet other kids from around the United States and they were all very friendly.”
This was the fifth time Sanchez, a student at Mederois Elementary, has made it to the national finals. Sanchez represented the Sacramento/Northern California Section and defeated the winners of the Central California (Fresno/Monterey), Bay Area, Nevada and Utah sections for the opportunity to compete.