Green Valley three-sport standout Izzy Madrid lives for long days

Izzy Madrid is going to graduate from Green Valley in the spring, meaning the 15-hour school days finally will be over.

At least for a little while.

Madrid, a soccer, flag football and track standout for the Gators, will conclude her high school career with 12 varsity letters and a soccer scholarship to Division-II Cal State-Monterey Bay.

She’s also the senior class president and a four-year member of Green Valley’s student council and class committee, giving her quite the resume.

And quite the schedule.

“Managing my time is really hard,” Madrid said with a laugh. “For the past four years I haven’t been able to go home after school, like all my friends do … I go from practice to practice to practice, and then go home.”

But she embraces her lifestyle — one fueled, in part, by a competitive drive and genuine spirit.

“I always wanted what I had,” she said. “I wouldn’t change anything.”

Madrid started playing soccer at 3, and knew it was the sport she wanted to pursue in college.

She cracked Green Valley’s roster as a freshman and pushed upperclassmen for playing time before joining the flag football and track teams later in the school year.

“She’s been part of everything since day one,” Gators soccer coach Catherine Davis said. “Just as a freshman, it was funny watching her in summer workouts, she was always ahead of everybody.”

In every sport.

Madrid qualified for the state track and field championships as a ninth-grader, emerged as a full-time starter on the soccer field and holds multiple school records on the flag football field — all while playing club soccer and contributing to student government.

“I try to make time for (everything),” Madrid said. “Thankfully, my coaches are very understanding of when I need to go.”

Madrid began garnering attention from collegiate soccer programs during her junior season and had offers from multiple programs before deciding on Cal State-Monterey Bay in the summer.

She had opportunities to play at Division I schools, namely Cal State-Fullerton, but opted to go the Division II route so she can participate in academic extracurricular activities.

“They’re really important to me,” Madrid said. “They’re almost equally as important as my sports are.”

Madrid qualified for the state track and field championships in her sophomore and junior seasons, too, and was a state finalist in the 100-meter high hurdles.

She helped the Gators reach the Class 4A state soccer tournament in the fall, plans to do the same with the flag football team and hopes to finally capture the elusive track championship.

“She’s mature, and she realizes she can push through,” Green Valley track coach Vanessa Pike said. “A lot of her teammates look up to her. She’s very well known and very well respected.”

Gorman volleyball coach resigns

Longtime Bishop Gorman girls volleyball coach Ed Van Meetren has resigned, Gaels athletic director Grant Rice announced Tuesday. Van Meetren coached volleyball at Gorman for 19 years and led the program to its first state championship in 2016.

“We are grateful to Coach Van Meetren for his years of service and his dedication and loyalty to Bishop Gorman High School,” Rice said in a statement.

Democracy Prep guard out

Democracy Prep junior point guard Najeeb Muhammad will miss about a month with a broken thumb, Blue Knights coach Trevor Diggs said.

Muhammad is one of the top players in the Las Vegas Valley and helped Democracy Prep (7-1) win its first six games. The Blue Knights’ loss was to Cheyenne without Muhammad.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.