By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
To be named Del Rio High School’s top female and male athletes of the year is no easy feat.
There are a variety of criteria nominees must meet, including playing multiple sports for at least their junior and senior years, achieving academic excellence and being in good standing in the San Felipe Del Rio CISD.
This year, seniors Sydney Ballard and Will Proffit stood head and shoulders above the rest to earn the titles of female and male athletes of the year and have their names adorn the commemorative plaque that hangs in the foyer of the Carl P. Guys Memorial Gymnasium.
By the time their senior years are done, both Ballard and Proffit will have collected more than their fair share of awards.
Proffit was a standout in basketball and tennis.
In the fall, Proffit helped the Del Rio High tennis team qualify for the playoffs. He won his Bi-District singles match in straight sets, and then teamed up with Max Camarena to win their boys doubles match at Area to help send Del Rio to the regional quarterfinals. He and Camarena also won their doubles match in the regional quarterfinals though Del Rio would fall just short of reaching the regional semis.
From there he transitioned to basketball, helping lead the Rams to their first playoff appearance since 2018. The Rams would bow out in the Bi-District round, but Profitt’s play during district earned him second team all-district honor as well as academic all-district recognition.
His year didn’t end there as Proffit returned to the tennis courts for the spring tennis season. He and Camarena teamed up to win the boys doubles district championship by going undefeated during this year’s District 30-6A Tennis Tournament.
Locally, Proffit was named the Rams Basketball Offensive Most Valuable Player and earned the “Total Package” Classroom/Court/Community award. In tennis, Proffit earned the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, was named the Rams co-Most Valuable Player along with Camarena, and was an Academic All-State selection.
On Friday, May 20, Proffit will graduate as the Del Rio High School’s salutatorian. He plans on attending Texas A&M University where he will study mechanical engineering. He said his goal is to work with NASA or Space X in some capacity.
Ballard was a part of three sports during her high school career – cross-country, basketball and track and field.
As a member of the Queens cross-country team, Ballard helped the team qualify for the Class 6A, Region IV meet after they took third at the District 30-6A meet. She finished 16th overall at the district meet. She finished her cross-country career with a 144th place finish at the regional meet.
From cross-country Ballard moved to basketball where she was a four-year starter for the Queens. She was an all-district first team selection and was named to the district’s all-academic team.
In track and field Ballard competed in multiple events including the 4×100 meter relay, the 4×200 meter relay, the high jump, the long jump and the triple jump. She and her 4×100 meter relay teammates qualified for the Class 6A, 29-30 Area meet by finishing third at district in 51.750 seconds. She also part of the 4×200 meter relay team that finished fifth and she was sixth in the high jump, helping earn points for the Queens in the process. Ballard and the 4×100 meter relay team finished sixth at Area.
Locally, Ballard earned the cross-country All-Academic award, was the Queens basketball Outstanding Academic Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and the Outstanding Player of the Year, and she was the Queens track and field’s Jumper of the Year.
Ballard plans on attending Texas A&M University where she will major in mechanical engineering and minor in biomedical research. She hopes to one day design and build prosthetics for people.
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To hear from Proffit and Ballard and learn more about these two outstanding student-athletes, check out their interview from Thursday’s 830 Times Hour on Facebook at https://fb.watch/c_jcCrRhd-/ . The interview begins at the 27:41 mark.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
