On Tuesday, April 26, over 400 students, faculty members, coaches, and family members gathered in the Leigh High School quad to watch five of the best athletes on campus commit to five of the most elite college athletic programs in the nation.
Teri Danenberg
Danenberg is a four-year softball player for Leigh and plans to pitch at the collegiate level. Danenberg is quite the well rounded athlete and person. She holds a 3.75 GPA, has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years, and plays the clarinet for the band. She was named Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman and also was named Freshman of the year for the BVAL. She was named first team all BVAL and team MVP as a junior. Teri has decided to play softball for the Sonoma State Seawolves next year and is hoping to end her high school career with a league championship.
Kyle Isaacson
Kyle Isaacson has been rowing since he was in eighth grade and has quickly became one of the best in the state of California. Isaacson rows for the Los Gatos Rowing Company and has racked up over 700 hours of volunteering to go along with his 3.0 GPA. Isaacson was named captain as a junior and within months led his team to win Bronze at the 2015 Southwest Regionals. Kyle Isaacson will be rowing on scholarship at Oregon State University.
Taylor Klauser
Klauser is a three-year varsity softball player for the Longhorns. She has maintained a 3.5 GPA and is a proud member of the Sisters of Society. Klauser plays on the San Jose Sting and was named an All Star, giving her the chance to play in front of scouts in Colorado this past summer. She was named JV Pitcher of the Year as a freshman and plans to major in Structural Engineering at the the Colorado School of Mines.
Alexis Lindsey
Alexis Lindsey is one of the few four-year varsity athletes on campus. Her dominance on the field playing for the San Jose Sting and California Kryptonite has put her in the top 100 softball players in the nation. Lindsey is a two-sport athlete for the Longhorns, playing basketball for three years on the varsity and all four years for softball. She was named Freshman and Junior of the Year for the BVAL, as well as first team all league her sophomore, junior, and most likely her senior year. Alexis is excited to major in Business Management and will play first base next spring for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Ben Vanderluit
Ben Vanderluit is one of the best volleyball players to ever put on a Leigh Longhorn jersey. Vanderluit started on varsity his freshman year and went on to win three straight league titles and is looking to be become the first volleyball player in Leigh history to win league four years in a row. Vanderluit was Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior of the year and was named first team all league each year. Ben is excited to be a setter and major in Business Administration at Concordia University in Irvine, California. He was also named a Collegiate Academic Athlete.
With three girls playing softball at the collegiate level, Coach Pam Zielazowski did not take much credit saying, “Here at Leigh, we are primarily focused on getting the girls to the next level, but honestly it is their club coaches and their parents that teach them and showcase them. We just try to keep them in shape and ready for the next level here.”
All five athletes thanked their family friends and coaches immensely. Many believe that the lessons they learned as athletes here at Leigh will stick with them for the rest of their lives.
