ELK GROVE — The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section announced last month the winners of this year’s A. Dale Lacky Awards. Among the winners for the 2025-26 school year were Audrey Mensonides of Turlock High School and Michael Miller of Turlock Christian High School. They were celebrated at the A. Dale Lackey Breakfast Awards Ceremony in Elk Grove on April 28.
The award, named after the former section and state president, recognizes the top male and female student-athletes within the section for outstanding athletic performance, community service and academic success during their four years of high school. Each league in the section is able to send two winners, one male and one female, to be honored. The scholarship committee selects four male and four female students as the recipients of a $2,000 scholarship, with remaining nominees, including Miller and Mensonides, awarded $1,000 scholarships.
Mensonides played volleyball for the Bulldogs all four years of high school. She was named All-Cantral California Athletic League the past two seasons, was CCAL Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 and was a Coach’s Award recipient. In the classroom, she achieved a 4.5 GPA and plans to major in psychology with the future goal of working in education. At Turlock High, Mensonides was also a member of Link Crew, Advanced Choir, Renaissance Club, Kitchens for Change, Young Life and Start With Hello. Away from campus, she volunteers with Arrowhead Sports Camps, Brown Elementary and Sierra Salem Christian Homes.
Miller was a four-year letter in both basketball and baseball. On the court, he was named team Most Valuable Player twice, and earlier this year, eclipsed 1,000 career points. He also earned team MVP honors twice while on the diamond, and was named Central California Athletic Alliance Batter of the Year. Just last week he helped lead the Eagles to the SJS Division VII baseball championship. Miller is also a member of TC’s Agriculture Leadership team and ASB, and has won the Head of School Award, Teachers Award and awards in math and Bible study while volunteering with Calvary Chapel in Turlock. Miller achieved a 4.24 GPA and plans on attending Napa Valley College, where he will play baseball while majoring in business with the goal of working in sports business or playing in Major League Baseball.
The A. Dale Lacky scholarships are funded through the Peter J. Saco Foundation Games (named after the former section commissioner) from the basketball, volleyball and flag football seasons. More than $60,000 was generated through the exhibition contests. Scholarship nominees must be from a school that participates in at least one of the foundation games during the academic year.
