Nevada Preps Girls Athlete of the Week: Cimarron’s Melinda Bravo-Avendano
Melinda Bravo-Avendano had never played high school soccer before her junior year at Cimarron-Memorial.
Bravo-Avendano had focused on club ball, but she said something told her to give playing for the Spartans a try last year.
It turned out well for her and the team, as the forward scored 37 goals and added 23 assists for 97 points to lead Cimarron to the Class 4A state championship.
“Winning state was mind-blowing, especially with it being my first year playing high school,” said Bravo-Avendano, the Nevada Preps Girls Athlete of the Week.
She hopes the Spartans can repeat this year, and she has set a goal to score 40 goals. She’s well on her way, as she tallied eight during last week’s Southern Nevada Kickoff, including five in a 7-0 win over Las Vegas.
Bravo-Avendano said she started playing soccer when she was about 3 and that it runs in her family, but scoring didn’t always come naturally.
“I actually started playing center back, but I’ve played all over the field from center midfield to center forward,” she said. “I would say I’m more comfortable up top than anybody else, but I wouldn’t say it’s natural.”
Although Bravo-Avendano certainly wants another state title, she said the most important thing is treasuring her time with teammates in her senior year.
She plans to go out of state for college, though she doesn’t know where yet.
“Me going to college depends on scholarships,” she said. “I’m a pretty good student (3.5 GPA), and I’ve had a few calls from coaches about an athletic scholarship, so that could be within reach. I do want to go for soccer, but nursing is what I want to pursue, and that’s more important than soccer.”
Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.
