During the winter sports season, Sedona High School’s girls basketball had an undefeated regular season and was an overtime buzzer-beater away from winning a state championship. That came on the heels of the school’s volleyball team making its second straight run to the state tournament, losing in the first round. Stephanie Medel was an integral part of both teams.

Medel was the Scorpions’ setter during volleyball season and received All-Region Second Team honors for the 2A Central Region. In basketball, Medel was named All-Region First Team for the 2A Central Region and earned Defensive Player of the Year Honors. She was also named All-Conference Second Team for the entire 2A Conference. And Medel’s value to both teams went beyond just what she did on the court, as she was a captain of both teams.

Because of all of that, the Sedona Red Rock News is naming Medel as its 2021 Female Athlete of the Year for Sedona Red Rock High School.

Medel credits a goal-oriented workout for helping drive her athletic achievements.

“I’m a very hard worker — I set goals for myself and work hard to meet those goals,” she said. “I guess my love, determination and motivation for the game and the sport is all shown on the court. And I give 110% for each practice and game. Because I treat every single practice and game as if it were my last.”

“My leadership skills and the close relationship I have with the whole team affects me as a person and teammate,” she added. “And I think it’s really nice to have a good bond with your teammates and have leadership skills, as well. That also helps you in the future. Not just with sports but in the future like going on your own and building your own life.”

Athlete of the Year honors generally go to seniors. Medel, though, is only concluding her junior year. So, what does Medel want to accomplish in her senior seasons in volleyball and basketball?

The volleyball team made the state quarterfinals in the fall 2019 and lost in the first round the following year. Given that most of 2020’s team will return to the court in 2021, she hopes to help the Scorpions return to the state playoffs and make a longer run once there, identifying the state championship game as a hope.

With basketball, the goal is more focused. There’s only one way to improve upon 2021’s season, which ended with the Scorpions on the wrong end of a long distance, buzzer-beating three-pointer in the state championship game.

“The major goal is definitely to win state,” Medel said. “We’re going to be working hard for that one.”

Medel also hopes to be more active in the school away from sports, as well.

“Something I’d want to accomplish next year would be to join more clubs — become more involved with the school,” she said. “I am in a couple of clubs like National Honors Society, but I want to help out the school and become more involved in student council and make a change. I know last year and this year I didn’t really do much. But I do find it really cool that we have a chance to be a part of that.”

After high school, Medel hopes to attend either Arizona State University or Grand Canyon University and eventually wants to become a dental hygienist. That interest, she said, comes from having issues with her own teeth over the years and also her high school basketball coach, Kirk Westervelt, being a dentist.

As far as what she’s already accomplished in high school sports, Medel’s favorite memories all have as much to do with team bonding as they do with winning — or even playing — any games.

In volleyball, she most fondly remembers trips to tournaments that required overnight stays. There, the team gathered around the hotel pool and just talked for a long time. It was in those moments that Medel said that she got to know her teammates well.

Basketball was similar. While Medel said this year’s run to the state championship game and the in-game experiences produced great memories, she also expressed particular enjoyment for the bus rides. Those featured team concerts, but also more opportunities to bond with and get to know her teammates.

One of the issues facing SRRHS’ athletic programs is a lack of numbers. Even some of the best teams don’t have a lot of depth. That’s a natural by-product of a small, 2A school but additionally, there are a number of students who don’t participate in sports. Medel hopes that those students will come out, regardless of how experienced they are in a given sport, and experience all that they have to offer — both on and off the court or field.

“I would say that because our school is so small, once you join a team, you make a lot of friends,” she said. “You create a strong bond with everybody. You create strong friendships, as well. When you come out and play with us, it doesn’t matter if you’ve never played, it’s really nice to become friends with new people who you’ve never talked to before. And you create strong bonds and become a family.

“It becomes really good,” added Medel. “And I’d say it definitely pumps up your adrenaline. Once you win a game, it becomes a memory.”