COS Giants of the Year Awarded
COS student-athletes Yesenia Silva (Exeter) and Blake Edmonson (El Diamante) have been named the 2014-2015 COS Giants of the Year by the COS athletic department. "They embody everything we are looking for in a student-athlete at COS. They are good students, athletes, and even better people" said COS athletic director Brent Davis. There is one award given each to a male giant of the year and a female giant of the year. The head coaches of each sport nominate candidates and then a vote is taken to determine the winner.
"Yesenia Silva is the greatest female distance runner in the history of COS" said head distance coach Dave Bronzan. "She was a pleasure to coach and will do big things at the next level." Silva recently committed to division one Brigham Young University of the Mountain West Conference and will compete as a distance runner in cross country and track and field. She chose BYU over the likes of Oregon State, Arizona State, and Colorado State.
Silva finished her career holding the COS school record in the 10,000m, 5000m, and the 1500m. She was the two time runner up in the state championships in cross country. She finished as the individual state champion in the 5000m in 2014 and the runner up in 2015, and finished second in the state in the 1500m in 2015 and 3rd in 2015. But beyond her athletic accomplishments, "Yesenia finished with well over a 3.0 grade point average, always took a few more classes over full time status, held a twenty plus hour per week job, and competed on a team during all four of her semesters here at COS. Simply put…she is amazing" said COS athletic director Brent Davis.
Blake Edmonson is the 2014-2015 Giant of the year. Edmonson was a key figure in the baseball teams 2014 conference championship run by leading the state in saves with 17. Edmonson leaves COS as the all-time saves leader, he batted over .300 for his career, and was nearly a 4.0 grade point average in the classroom. "This is quite an honor for Blake given we have so many outstanding male student-athletes at COS. This award is well deserved for Blake and I think it shows his dedication to get better in the classroom, on the field, and in the weight room" according to COS head baseball coach Jody Allen.
Edmonson will be going on as a student-athlete to Sacramento State next fall to compete for the baseball program. The Sacramento State baseball program is a perennial power in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). "Sac State is getting a guy that can play multiple positions in Blake. He can play middle infield, center field, and pitch. He will give them flexibility" said Coach Allen. "Blake will be missed around here but we are excited he is moving on to a good place that will care about him academically and athletically. The sky is the limit for Blake."
