Evan McLeod:
He drives the ball with incredible power and pin-point accuracy. He controls the fairways and greens with his mighty clubs. He doesn’t just have an overpowering golf game, he has something even better: a perfectly trimmed beard. The man in question is Evan McLeod, and he has dreams of being the world’s next best golfer, but it all starts with college.
“I’m looking at a lot of schools right now,” McLeod says. “But at the top of my list are Santa Clara,Oregon,Washington, and Baylor. I have always wanted to play in the PAC 12 or in the state of Texas, so hopefully I can make that happen.”
McLeod has been playing golf and sipping Arnold Palmers for as long as he can remember.
“My parents like to joke around and say I was born with a putter in my hand,” McLeod says. “Golf is just a passion of mine, and it really runs in my whole family.”
McLeod’s older brother Kraig, who also has a great beard, received a scholarship to play golf at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
McLeod has won many competitions across the West Coast, but not just by dumb luck. He puts in the time needed to be successful.
“I practice three to four hours on weekdays and about four to six hours on weekends,” McLeod says. “I just know all this work will be worth it one day.”
Jordan Ataide: 
A bubbly personality and a quirky disposition mask the fact that Jordan Ataide is a stone-cold baller when it comes to futbol, or soccer as the bloody Yanks refer to it.
Ataide was recently offered a full-ride scholarship to Chico State, and she couldn’t be more thrilled.
“It’s just feels so surreal,” Ataide says. “It just finally feels like all my practice over the years is finally paying off.”
Even as an incoming freshman, Ataide believes she will be able to make a difference in the Chico program.
“I just really hope to be able to play my freshman year,” Ataide says. “I’m a midfielder and the coach says I could come as a starter, so hopefully I can get as much play time as possible.”
Ataide has certainly made soccer a huge priority in her life.
“I practice everyday,” Ataide explains. “Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday I practice about two hours, and every other day I am out at the field for at least an hour.”
Ataide has 70-plus goals thus far in her high school career and has another type of goal in mind.
“I just really hope to get to 100 goals,” Ataide admits. “It is just a personal goal of mine, but I will just play my best and see what happens.”
As Jordan Ataide prepares for the start of the soccer season, she knows the best is yet to come.
Dom Bifano:
It was Dec. 25, 1999, and Dom Bifano was just another anxious kid waiting to rip into his Christmas presents. A small round package under the tree caught Bifano’s eye. He was instantly amazed as he ripped off the decorative paper and marveled at the baseball he caressed in his hand.
Now, the CHS senior has one dream in mind: to play baseball in college.
As seniors all over the country finalize their applications and try to appeal to colleges, Bifano is able to sit back and let the schools come to him.
“As of right now I am committed as a recruited walk-on to theUniversityofOregon,” Bifano says. “I have also been contacted by UC Berkley andUniversityofSan Francisco, so we will see what happens.”
Bifano began high school as an awkward freshman; however, he had something those other freshmen didn’t: an incredible arm and a keen eye for the baseball.
When spring rolled around in his freshman year, Bifano found himself playing on the varsity baseball squad, and the catcher has been a starter ever since.
“I’ve always been good about putting forth the effort,” Bifano notes. “When I made varsity as a freshman, I realized all those weekends at baseball camp…have helped me to be confident with my game.”
And now Bifano waits for spring.
-Barrett Brothers
