Recently-graduated Alex Martinez and Mia Ramirez were recognized as Manteca High’s top all-around senior athletes.

Ramirez excelled in three sports, even in one she decided to pick up for the first time last fall. She teamed up with junior Kaile Hunt to forge the area’s top doubles team that went 16-0 for the season and earned Manteca Bulletin All-Area honors. The girls tennis team ended a 20-year drought by qualifying for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Ramirez was named the Bulletin’s All-Area Defensive Player of the Year after helping the Buffaloes’ girls basketball team (12-2 Valley Oak League, 25-4 overall) win a share of its second straight conference championship and make a second consecutive appearance in the SJS Division III playoff quarterfinals.

She averaged 8.8 points and 3.7 steals. The gritty guard poured in a season-high 28 points in the final game of the Ceres Tournament and was named MVP.

In her third varsity softball season, the former middle infielder was an All-VOL second-team selection as a catcher. She plated a team-high 27 runs and hit for a .369 average. The Buffaloes finished 6-8 in league and 11-11 overall.

Martinez, also a three-sport athlete, enjoyed a breakout senior year.

The 5-foot-11 quarterback led the Buffalo football squad to a 6-1 runner-up finish in the VOL (9-2 overall). Martinez was on his way to having an outstanding season before a broken thumb forced him to miss two league games. He ended up with 1,100 yards on 77-of-123 passing with seven touchdowns and four interceptions.

Martinez also played a part in the baseball team’s run to a fourth postseason appearance in five years. The first baseman led the team with 14 walks and was second with a .438 on-base percentage while hitting from the middle of the lineup. He also held a .323 batting average to go with two homers and 18 RBIs. Defensively he had a .977 fielding percentage.

Martinez was also a key contributor off the bench for the basketball team. In 26 games played he chipped in 45 points and 38 rebounds.