Heras earns top rookie honors

The CNMI’s Isabel Heras plays for the Dixie State University in the NCAA Division II and won the Freshman of the Year award in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. (Dixie State University Photo)

The CNMI’s Isabel Heras highlighted her impressive rookie season in the NCAA Division II with an All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors.

Heras, who plays for Dixie State University in Utah, was among the major awardees for the 2008-2019 season of the 16-school member RMAC. She was selected for the top rookie award along with Metropolitan State University Denver’s Helena Steenberg for her consistent performance and for helping Dixie State advance to the 2019 RMAC Championships.

The 20-year-old is part of Trailblazers’ No.1 doubles team (with Yoleno Carlon). Heras finished the regular season with a 9-6 record and won against every conference program, getting a perfect 3-0 mark. She also plays No. 3 singles for Dixie State and earned a 9-5 record this season.

“I am extremely happy that I was named the Freshman of the Year for the RMAC. We have been working hard off and on season, overcoming many obstacles,” Heras said.

The Trailblazers were 11-4 during the 2018-19 campaign for a winning percentage of .733—Dixie State’s highest regular-season win percentage in the history of the program.

Heras shared her recent achievement to all her coaches and the people who supported her since she started playing tennis on Saipan.

“I would not have been able to receive this award if not for all my coaches, teammates, friends, and family for their support and for pushing me to become better. It really was a long journey this season, but my team and I are going strong. We are actually going to play our final conference matches this week (last weekend),” said Heras, who received the good news a day before they headed to Colorado for the conference championship.

Beside getting the Freshman Rookie of the Year, Heras, who will represent the CNMI to the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa this summer, was also named to the First Team All-RMAC Doubles with Carlon. The Trailblazers player were joined in the elite group by Colorado Mesa’s Emily Beckley and Kristen Kirby, MSU Denver’s Alex Pessoa and Steenberg, and MSU Beaverton’s Mackenzie Hotan and Tabitha Porter.

The junior Porter was also selected Player of the Year, while Heras’ coach, Eric Pelton, bagged the Coach of the Year award.

Meanwhile, once Heras completes her rookie season with Dixie State and wraps up her school work, she will return to Saipan to join the squad’s training session in preparation for the Pacific Games that will run from July 7 to 20.

“ I am so excited to be part of the national team. It is a great honor to be selected on the team and represent my islands,” the top rookie said.