Student Athlete of the Week: Austin High’s Vannessa Castro

May 03, 2012

Pitching every single inning of every Austin High softball game this season, Vannessa Castro displayed consistent durability. “It helped me build my confidence this year,” the freshman hurler said. Castro helped lead the Lady Maroons back into the playoffs, but sustained a 4-0 loss to Stony Point last Friday in the first round of the postseason. “She has done a wonderful job this year and I plan for a big future for her,” coach Elizabeth Wissel said. “She was an amazing player both on defense and offense. She does well in the classroom and truly is the definition of a student athlete.”

Born in Austin, Castro attended O’Henry Middle School, where she also played volleyball and basketball. Upon arriving at Austin High, she earned a spot on the varsity squad. “It was a big goal,” she admitted. Over the summer, she played on the select team Austin’s Finest with current Maroon teammates Alexus Martinez, Dezarae Mendoza, Briana Vallejo and Brianna Garcia. Castro’s travel coach Jose Hernandez and her pitching coach Frank Lopez have assisted in her development as a talented softball player. “They helped me be where I’m at today,” she noted.

Language arts instructor Mr. Miller is Vannessa’s favorite teacher at Austin High. “He helps you and pushes you to the limit,” Castro added. Earning good grades in a foreign language class is her favorite academic achievement at Austin High. “I passed Spanish II and aced a project in that class,” Castro stated. Her favorite sports experiences were wins over Westlake and Bowie. Vannessa will now work on improving for her sophomore campaign. “I am going to keep playing outside of school,” she said. “I will take it to the next level and work more on hitting my locations and preparing to face better teams.”