Celebrate Good Times
VYPE Awards sells out Warehouse Live; teams, coaches, players honored
Joshua Koch
May 8, 2018, 9:22 pm
The first-ever VYPE Awards was a resounding success with more than 600 people in attendance. Vype
The anticipation was buzzing as people waited in a line wrapped around the building on Sunday afternoon to get in for the inaugural VYPE Awards presented by Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
The first-ever VYPE Awards, which honored the best teams, coaches and athletes from the past year, was a resounding success with more than 600 people in attendance at Warehouse Live, making the event a complete sellout.
“After doing this for the past 10 years it was awesome to see the turnout for our first-ever awards show,” VYPE President Derek Dusek said. “We cannot begin to thank every person that made this night a success and we cannot wait to do this again next year and continue to honor high school teams, coaches and players across the City of Houston!
"Also a special thanks to Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine for being our presenting sponsor."
VYPE inducted its first VYPE Hall of Fame class with Michael Brockers (Houston Chavez), Chloe Collin (Cypress Woods) and Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair) being enshrined.
Former Cy-Fair and Rice football standout Sam McGuffie was given the VYPE Lifetime Achievement Award. McGuffie most recently competed at the Winter Olympics in South Korea on the United States Bobsled team.
“What an amazing night. It was great to see the tremendous support for VYPE and reminded us why we do this,” VYPE Chief Content Officer Matt Malatesta said. “It was great to see athletes of the past and present. We are excited to see what the future holds.
VYPE was honored to have Mix 96.5 radio host Sarah Pepper serve as the event’s keynote speaker. Pepper’s message was touching and was about never giving up and not letting anyone tell you you can’t. Pepper closed her speech with a message about being a high-character individual.
Also speaking was Dr. Vijay Jotwani, who is a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician at Houston Methodist Hospital. Jotwani serves as the team physician for the Houston Dash, Rodeo Houston, Rice University Athletics and multiple high schools. Jotwani is also a team consultant for the Houston Astros and Houston Ballet.
KUBE 57 Sports Director Todd Freed served as the event’s emcee for the evening introducing all the award recipients.
VYPE Media would like to thank the Capture Sports Marketing team, Work America Capital, the staff at Warehouse Live and the entire VYPE staff for making this a resounding success.
VYPE Media would also like to thank our sponsors for the event; Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Sun and Ski.
Full List of 2018 VYPE Award Winners
Cross Country
PUBLIC
Male: Gavin Hoffpauir, The Woodlands
Coach: Juris Green, The Woodlands
Team: The Woodlands High School
Female: Halena Rahmaan, Montgomery
Coach: Chance Edwards, Montgomery
Team: Montgomery
PRIVATE
Male:_HabtamuMerkin-Geta, Bay Area Christian
Coach: Tom Earle, The Woodlands Christian Academy
Team: The Woodlands Christian Academy
Female: Ellie Catron, The Woodlands Christian Academy
Coach: Tom Earle, The Woodlands Christian Academy
Team: The Woodlands Christian Academy
…
Volleyball
PUBLIC
Co-Player of the Year: Ally Batenhorst, Seven Lakes
Sophie Walls, The Woodlands
Coach: Amy Cataline, Seven Lakes
Team: Seven Lakes
PRIVATE
Player of the Year: Isa Zelaya, Concordia Lutheran
Coach: Kori Parker, The Woodlands Christian Academy
Team: Episcopal
…
Football
PUBLIC
Offense: Kason Martin, Manvel
Defense: Chad Bailey, Ridge Point
MVP: Craig Williams, Crosby
Coach: Ed Pustejovsky, Cy-Fair
Team: Cy-Fair
PRIVATE
Offense: Jaylen Waddle, Episcopal
Defense: Marquis Hubbard, Kinkaid
MVP: Grant Gunnell, St. Pius X
Coach: Jacob Speen, Cypress Christian
Team: Cypress Christian
…
Swimming & Diving
PUBLIC
Male: Clayton Bobo, Stratford
Coach: Greg McLain, Kingwood
Team: Kingwood
Female: Lucie Nordmann, The Woodlands
Coach: Jeremy Wade, The Woodlands
Team: The Woodlands
PRIVATE
Male: Eric Wang, St. John's
Coach: Ron Raper, St. John's
Team: St. John's
Female: Sydney Buchman, St. John's
Coach: Kaitlin Kelley, St. Agnes
Team: St. Agnes
_…_
Wrestling
PUBLIC
Male: Daniel Manibog, Katy
Coach:Erik Spjut, College Park
Team: College Park
Female: Kaityln Banas, Cy Ranch
Coach: Chris Potter, Cy Ranch
Team: Cy Ranch
PRIVATE
Co-Male: Layo Laniyan, St. John’s
Colin Lawler, Kinkaid
Coach: Alan Paul, St. John's
Team: St. John's
_…_
Basketball
PUBLIC
Co-Male: CJ Washington, Jamal Bieniemy, Tompkins
Coach: Bobby Sanders
Team: Tompkins
Female: Charli Collier, Barbers Hill
Coach: Dedreck Carr, Wheatley
Team: Cy Creek
PRIVATE
Male: Miller Kopp, Houston Christian
Coach: Bill Honeck, Concordia Lutheran
Co-Team: Houston Christian and Concordia Lutheran
Female: Jasmine Smith, Kinkaid
Coach: Stacey Marshall, Kinkaid
Team: Kinkaid
_…_
Soccer
PUBLIC
Male: Daniel Duran, Alief Elsik
Coach: Vincenzo Cox, Alief Elsik
Team: Alief Elsik
Female: Ali Russell, Cinco Ranch
Coach: Lindley Amarantos, Houston Memorial
Team: Houston Memorial
PRIVATE
Male: Kyle Dagley, Lutheran South
Coach: Nate Hagge, Lutheran South
Team: Lutheran South
Female: Izzy Nelson, Kinkaid
Coach: Kinkaid coaching staff (Head Coach Angie Shotzberger, Assistants Tarik Guendouzi and Sarah Gifford)
Team: Kinkaid
_…_
Tennis
PUBLIC
Male: Kevin Zhu, Pearland Dawson
Female: Melissa LaMette, Cy Ranch
Team: Memorial
Coach: Budd Booth
PRIVATE
Male: Michael Barsky, Emery/Weiner
Coach: Dave Green, Emery/Weiner
Team: Emery/Weiner
Female: Elizaveta Antonova, Duchesne
Coach: Elizabeth Bohannon, Northland Christian
Team: Northland Christian
_…_
Golf
PUBLIC
Male: Damin Strydom, Kingwood
Coach: Jeff Bellnap, Kingwood
Team: Kingwood
Female: Hailee Cooper, Montgomery
Coach: Jim Bob Jackson, Magnolia
Team: Magnolia
PRIVATE
Male: Ben Wong, John Cooper School
Coach: Bobby Eggleston, Kinkaid
Team: Kinkaid
Female: Christine Wang
Coach: Joseph Soliman, St. John's
Team: St. John's
…
Track & Field
PUBLIC
Male: Kesean Carter, The Woodlands
Coach: Juris Green, The Woodlands
Team: The Woodlands
Female: Kynnedy Flannel, Alvin
Coach: Ruqayya Gibson, Cy Springs
Team: Cy Springs
PRIVATE
Male: Corbett Fong, Concordia Lutheran
Coach: Bobby Lindquist, Concordia Lutheran
Team: Concordia Lutheran
Female: Kennedy Gamble, Kinkaid
Coach: Jonathan Whitson, Rosehill Christian
Team: Rosehill Christian
_…_
Softball
PUBLIC
Female: Kayla Garcia, Katy
Coach: Kalum Haack, Katy
Team: Katy
PRIVATE
Female: Sarah Venker, Episcopal
Coach: Kim Randolph, Episcopal
Team: Episcopal
_…_
Baseball
PUBLIC
Male: Jordan Groshans, Magnolia
Coach: Kelly Mead, Kingwood
Team: Kingwood
PRIVATE
Male: Owen Meaney, St. Thomas
Coach: Ryan Lousteau, St. Thomas
Team: St. Thomas
_…_
Cheer
Team: Oak Ridge
Band
Team: Willis Wildkats
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Houston falls short as Soto’s homer, missed opportunities doom Astros
Mar 28, 2025, 10:26 pm
With a chance to make a late splash in his New York Mets debut, Juan Soto came up empty.
After signing the biggest contract in baseball history last offseason, the slugger came to bat with two runners aboard and the Mets down by two in the ninth inning Thursday. But instead of delivering the huge hit New York was looking for, he whiffed on a full-count slider from hard-throwing closer Josh Hader that was way outside the strike zone to send the Mets to a second straight opening day loss in Houston's 3-1 victory.
“He just got me in that situation,” Soto said.
Hader loaded the bases with nobody out, then fanned third-string catcher Hayden Senger in his first major league at-bat. Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1, and there were runners on first and third when Hader struck out Soto for his 200th career save.
“We all want to do something in a big spot,” Soto said. “We’re all trying to get the knock and try to bring the runs in and try to help the team either way.”
Soto singled and walked twice against the Astros after signing a record $765 million, 15-year contract as a free agent in December.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was asked if he thought Soto felt extra pressure in the ninth inning because it was his first game with a new team.
“Yeah, of course, as a competitor he always wants to come through,” Mendoza said. “I thought he had some good at-bats today and even on that one he got it 3-0 and then 3-1 and that pitch that he got there (he) just missed it. Pretty good pitch. But he’ll come through.”
Soto, who played for the American League champion New York Yankees last season, joins the Mets as they chase their first World Series title since 1986.
The four-time All-Star was disappointed his first game with the Mets didn't go their way.
“I was expecting to win the game,” he said. “Definitely it’s not how we wanted. ... They’re a really good team over there and they come in and grind. For me it was a good experience. These guys are amazing and we’ve been having a good time since spring training and we’ve just got to bring that all the way.”
The 26-year-old Soto hit .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs last year and won a Silver Slugger Award for a fifth straight season.
Soto is a career .285 hitter with 201 home runs and 592 RBIs in seven major league seasons. He's also played for the Nationals and Padres.
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